You know at the end of the movie 'Raders of the Lost Ark', when the power crazed Nazis and the fame obsesed archeologist (no, not Indy, the other one...) decided it would be a good idea to open up the ark, and all sorts of bad things happened, including one Nazi-face melting and turning to liquid? Well, a wedding cake I made for a neighbor did the same thing. No...it didn't discover a forbidden archeological treasure and opened it on a small island in the pacific ocean, it melted (like the Nazi-face) into a puddle of sweet, sticky goo. 
Lucky for me it was done as a favor for somebody who didn't have a lot of resources instead of a Bridezilla who has to have everything on a gold (silver is so last centruy)
platter.
Now, before anybody says "that's what happens when you try something new"...I didn't. The cake was a recipe that I have used for over a year now, and had some wonderful results. The frosting on the other hand was Wilton's "new and improved"
recipe. It just ddin't play well with the heat.
And of course the combination of the two, the frosting that wouldn't stay in a solid state, and the cake that had the weight of the world (or at least two other cakes) on its shoulders...let's just say that the 3 tier became a 2, and the hour long ceremony/congratulation/photo shoot became a mad dash to repair the damage that a cool day in the Sahara (the Ford Expedition without really good air conditioning) caused.
I really wish I had a picture of the cake before I fixed it, (icing melting down the sides making it look like a topsy turvey cake), but I don't, I only have this one that my DH took, it isn't great, but the Bride was still extreamly grateful to me for providing a cake for her and I quote from my posting today on FB;
Bride: Love it! It was so beautiful
thank you thank you thank you your the best!
Me: You're welcome. I still feel bad that it wasn't perfect. : )
Bride: It was perfect for me thank you
I really feel lucky to know this person. She is wonderful in all sorts of ways. And I guess if she is happy with the outcome that is all that matters.
So, lessons learned?....Don't use the wilton "improved" recipe, (sticking with my never failed recipe), which I didn't use because I didn't have the right shortening) Do listen to leah_s and use SPS, (I will be investing after this incident, the plastic dowls on my bottom layer shifted sideways) And use high fat shortening.
Sorry for the long rant. Incase you want to see the fixed cake, it is the one with the gerber daisies. Trying to post it here.
Lucky for me it was done as a favor for somebody who didn't have a lot of resources instead of a Bridezilla who has to have everything on a gold (silver is so last centruy)
platter.Now, before anybody says "that's what happens when you try something new"...I didn't. The cake was a recipe that I have used for over a year now, and had some wonderful results. The frosting on the other hand was Wilton's "new and improved"
recipe. It just ddin't play well with the heat.And of course the combination of the two, the frosting that wouldn't stay in a solid state, and the cake that had the weight of the world (or at least two other cakes) on its shoulders...let's just say that the 3 tier became a 2, and the hour long ceremony/congratulation/photo shoot became a mad dash to repair the damage that a cool day in the Sahara (the Ford Expedition without really good air conditioning) caused.
I really wish I had a picture of the cake before I fixed it, (icing melting down the sides making it look like a topsy turvey cake), but I don't, I only have this one that my DH took, it isn't great, but the Bride was still extreamly grateful to me for providing a cake for her and I quote from my posting today on FB;
Bride: Love it! It was so beautiful
thank you thank you thank you your the best! Me: You're welcome. I still feel bad that it wasn't perfect. : )
Bride: It was perfect for me
thank you I really feel lucky to know this person. She is wonderful in all sorts of ways. And I guess if she is happy with the outcome that is all that matters.
So, lessons learned?....Don't use the wilton "improved" recipe, (sticking with my never failed recipe), which I didn't use because I didn't have the right shortening) Do listen to leah_s and use SPS, (I will be investing after this incident, the plastic dowls on my bottom layer shifted sideways) And use high fat shortening.
Sorry for the long rant. Incase you want to see the fixed cake, it is the one with the gerber daisies. Trying to post it here.
