Cake Central › Cake Forums › Cake Talk › Cake Decorating › mouldy cake
New Posts  All Forums:Forum Nav:

mouldy cake - Page 2

post #16 of 27
7/16/12 at 3:14pm
Please tell her that she's NOT purchasing a Twinky from you, it's a freshly baked cake. If she made dinner, would she think that it would still be fresh 2 weeks later.............I should hope not. She's either one brick short of a chimney or a scammer trying to get two for the price of one. If you've ever left a Twinkie out on your counter, you know what I'm talking about - they last forever.
Reply
Reply
post #17 of 27
7/16/12 at 3:42pm
It may not be fresh, but I doubt seriously it was moldy. If it was in a refrigerator for 2 weeks, covered with butter cream or fondant, there is no way that it would turn like that. Even if it was out on the counter...UNLESS you had fresh fruit in the filling or an egg based custard filling, the cake should not have been moldy.

Why did you take her word for it?
And no..absolutely you should never have offered any kind of refund or freebie! I would honestly call her back and say you've reconsidered. Her call caught you off guard and that after reviewing the situation you don't feel you have any obligation to provide any sort of restitution since...
a) they did not provide any evidence that the cake was bad and
b) you are not responsible for any cake one day past delivery.

Do you really want to keep these people as customers? They are scammers...and if they're not...well...they're just stupid. And who needs that?
A closed mouth gathers no feet.
Reply
A closed mouth gathers no feet.
Reply
post #18 of 27
7/16/12 at 3:53pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by carmijok

It may not be fresh, but I doubt seriously it was moldy. If it was in a refrigerator for 2 weeks, covered with butter cream or fondant, there is no way that it would turn like that. Even if it was out on the counter...UNLESS you had fresh fruit in the filling or an egg based custard filling, the cake should not have been moldy.

Why did you take her word for it?
And no..absolutely you should never have offered any kind of refund or freebie! I would honestly call her back and say you've reconsidered. Her call caught you off guard and that after reviewing the situation you don't feel you have any obligation to provide any sort of restitution since...
a) they did not provide any evidence that the cake was bad and
b) you are not responsible for any cake one day past delivery.

Do you really want to keep these people as customers? They are scammers...and if they're not...well...they're just stupid. And who needs that?


carmijok - the original poster is from the UK, so I'm going to hazard a guess that the cake was covered in sugarpaste (fondant) as that's more the 'norm' over here - and we don't refrigerate cakes, as, again, fresh fruit fillings and custards aren't really very common here.

I do agree that it may have been as stale and as hard as a brick, but probably not mouldy.

But I can also see going back to the customer now would be really awkward. I really feel for the OP, because I can totally relate to that feeling when you get a complaint and you just want to make things OK. It's almost like a panic / knee-jerk reaction.... (I had a complaint a little while ago, which I later found out from a mutual friend who was at the party, was totally unfounded!! Fortunately, I had told her that as she had thrown the supposedly stale cake away instead of bringing it to me, I was unable to look into the matter!!!!)

Suzanne x
Inside this fat body, there's a thin woman screaming to get out...... but I can usually shut her up with chocolate!
Reply
Inside this fat body, there's a thin woman screaming to get out...... but I can usually shut her up with chocolate!
Reply
post #19 of 27
7/16/12 at 4:19pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Relznik

[quote=
carmijok - the original poster is from the UK, so I'm going to hazard a guess that the cake was covered in sugarpaste (fondant) as that's more the 'norm' over here - and we don't refrigerate cakes, as, again, fresh fruit fillings and custards aren't really very common here.

I do agree that it may have been as stale and as hard as a brick, but probably not mouldy.

But I can also see going back to the customer now would be really awkward. I really feel for the OP, because I can totally relate to that feeling when you get a complaint and you just want to make things OK. It's almost like a panic / knee-jerk reaction.... (I had a complaint a little while ago, which I later found out from a mutual friend who was at the party, was totally unfounded!! Fortunately, I had told her that as she had thrown the supposedly stale cake away instead of bringing it to me, I was unable to look into the matter!!!!)

Suzanne x



I really would have no problem going back to the customer at all! What would be the problem? That they'd be offended or think me 'unprofessional'? Ha! That would be the least of my worries! I would be more concerned that just chalking this up to experience would set a dangerous precedent down the road for anyone who thinks that-- hey..it worked once...let's do it again! (i.e. 'friends' of the original customer).

If she does not have any written agreement for a refund or freebie, then she has no obligation to provide either one. And if the OP is concerned about bad PR...well consider the source and the source's friends. Probably much the same and no reason to want them as customers anyway.

She did the work, provided a fresh product and earned her money. I think she should stand up for herself and her business and not let others take advantage of her good nature. Just my opinion! icon_wink.gif
A closed mouth gathers no feet.
Reply
A closed mouth gathers no feet.
Reply
post #20 of 27
7/16/12 at 6:21pm
It's true, cake starts to grow mold in about 2 weeks at room temperature. Her cake was probably moldy 2-4 days before she cut it. Whatever it's covered with (BC or fondant), it holds the moisture in and becomes more moist with time. The mold starts where the icing touches the cake -- as the two meld, it gets slimy. Even if you don't yet SEE the mold on two week old cake, you'll still smell that it is no longer edible.
2011 "I WAS FEATURED ON CAKE CENTRAL" badge:
http://media.cakecentral.com/files/2011/11/featured-on-cakecentral-badge.png
Reply
2011 "I WAS FEATURED ON CAKE CENTRAL" badge:
http://media.cakecentral.com/files/2011/11/featured-on-cakecentral-badge.png
Reply
post #21 of 27
7/16/12 at 6:38pm
Thread Starter 
thanks for the replies, i offered her a refund /another cake as i dont want her bad mouthing my work she came to me through other customers, so cut my losses and learnt a lesson as in not to do anymore for her. I do state cakes are best eaten straight away.
Reply
Reply
post #22 of 27
7/16/12 at 7:34pm
1. mold, moldy

2. I wouldn't give her squat. Why would you think a cake would last more than 2 weeks without freezing it.
Reply
Reply
post #23 of 27
7/16/12 at 11:54pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by SoFloGuy

1. mold, moldy

2. I wouldn't give her squat. Why would you think a cake would last more than 2 weeks without freezing it.



Well aren't you the English police? This time though, I wish you would have consulted the dictionary.

http://www.thefreedictionary.com/mould
Reply
Reply
post #24 of 27
7/16/12 at 11:57pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by SoFloGuy

1. mold, moldy


As the saying goes, we are divided by a common language.

http://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/british/mould_1?q=mould

There are plenty of other words which differ in their spellings, depending on whether you're in the UK or USA.

Just a few examples:

Colour
Flavour
Theatre
Inside this fat body, there's a thin woman screaming to get out...... but I can usually shut her up with chocolate!
Reply
Inside this fat body, there's a thin woman screaming to get out...... but I can usually shut her up with chocolate!
Reply
post #25 of 27
7/17/12 at 4:43am
Completely off topic, but even though I am here in the US, I love the way Colour looks with a u and Theatre with the e at the end... And I use it that way... thumbs_up.gif
Reply
Reply
post #26 of 27
7/17/12 at 8:42am
Quote:
Originally Posted by michellew

thanks for the replies, i offered her a refund /another cake as i dont want her bad mouthing my work she came to me through other customers, so cut my losses and learnt a lesson as in not to do anymore for her. I do state cakes are best eaten straight away.



You state that 'cakes are best eaten straight away". That's pretty open-ended. You're just saying that it's better to be consumed...not that it's imperative to do so. You need something a little more firm such as

'To ensure the freshest cake possible, please serve within 12 hours of delivery. We do not assume responsibility for any cake that is served past the recommended time period for consumption.

In addition, any cake not served within that time frame should be refrigerated to avoid spoilage.'

Or something like that to get your point across. As proven by your experience, some people lack common sense...and you need to cover yourself to make sure it doesn't happen again! thumbs_up.gif
A closed mouth gathers no feet.
Reply
A closed mouth gathers no feet.
Reply
post #27 of 27
7/17/12 at 7:05pm
Thread Starter 
i have made hundreds of cakes with no problem, just one stupid customer who thinks it will last for weeks, most of my customers are regular and so know that they are collected the day before or on the day they are eaten, this is one I wont be doing any more for.
Reply
Reply
New Posts  All Forums:Forum Nav:
  Return Home
  Back to Forum: Cake Decorating
Cake Central › Cake Forums › Cake Talk › Cake Decorating › mouldy cake