Cake Central › Cake Forums › Cake Talk › Cake Disasters › Caterer wouldnt serve cake
New Posts  All Forums:Forum Nav:

Caterer wouldnt serve cake

post #1 of 13
7/28/12 at 11:52pm
Thread Starter 
I recently completed one of my largest cakes...6 tiers, fed over 300 people. The bride picked all the same cake, white velvet, and then mouse for the filling. I caution all my brides that in the summer, the mouse tends to melt into the cake, so I do double the filing.

Well setup went great, cake looked great. ( very hot day, 100+ degrees)

Heres where it gets bad. I receive a call from the bride 2 days later..the caterer refused to serve the cake because they said it was raw. I explained to the bride, it was not raw, but the mouse melted into the cake. The bride brought the cake to me, and we both agreed the caterer shoukd have served the cake. It was obvious it was a mouse filling.

Anyway, the bride was very gracious and agreed and I did everything that was asked of me, and was delighted to have cake to eat with her family for awhile.

Going forward, I will not offer mouse in summer wedding cakes again...so this does not happen again. ( I was so upset, I couldnt eat for two days).

Im wondering if this has ever happened to anyone else? Do you talk to the caterer? What do you say?

Here is a link to a photo of the cake at the venue:
https://sphotos-a.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-prn1/548228_3848227358938_1766468477_n.jpg
Reply
Reply
post #2 of 13
7/29/12 at 12:32am
What a beautifull looking cake!
How terrible it is that the guest where not able to eat it. It sounds jummie!
What a dissapointment that must be for you.
Strange that the caterer cannot distinguish raw from mousse.. icon_sad.gif

Was the mousse actually a good choice for a summerday wedding? What was the recipe? Was it stable enough?
I make a mousse made with whipped cream that is not suitable for staying out of the fridge for a long time. So I wouldn't make it for a large cake, wich takes time for showing and serving.. on a hot day..
Reply
Reply
post #3 of 13
7/29/12 at 2:56am
It sounds like you were proactive about this. The only thing I would suggest is to be available during serving time if there were any questions. I can understand a caterer not wanting to serve a questionable product not knowing the details. If it is a good recipe combination, just make everyone aware the next time, including a quick call to whoever will be serving, whether it be the venue or the caterer.

I have one of my best selling cakes that has an issue. It will not cut well unless it is slightly cold. Working on the structure changes the taste. So when someone orders it, even though I warn about this in the description, I do a quick call or email to make sure they understand the special limitations on this cake needing to be slightly cold.
Reply
Reply
post #4 of 13
7/29/12 at 1:54pm
I hear your frustration, but I honestly can't fathom providing a product in which the filling soaks into the cake to such a degree. I can't really imagine that the texture of such a product would be very pleasing..............Doubling the filling would only provide a soggier cake in the end, wouldn't it?

I use mousse fillings all the time. They're shelf stable so that they can stay at room temp and stabilized to a degree that they don't deflate, or melt, when placed between layers.

I, too, feel that the caterer had to err on the side of caution because he didn't know the full story.

If I knew that my filling deflated/soaked/melted to this degree, I'd find a new recipe or re-work the one that I have so that it would never happen again.

I put a layer of BC under thinner fillings, like preserves, to prevent soaking into the cake, but it won't help with an unstabilized filling that deflates.

JMHO
Rae
I love you, but your emergency is not my crisis!

They say that a little knowledge is a dangerous thing, but it is not one half so bad as a lot of ignorance.--Terry Pratchett (b.194
Reply
I love you, but your emergency is not my crisis!

They say that a little knowledge is a dangerous thing, but it is not one half so bad as a lot of ignorance.--Terry Pratchett (b.194
Reply
post #5 of 13
7/29/12 at 2:04pm
What types of mousse do you use that are shelf stable?
Reply
Reply
post #6 of 13
7/29/12 at 2:43pm
I whip Bettercreme to soft peaks. I take a box of instant pudding mix and add hot water to a paste consistency. I may also add (to the paste) extracts, compounds, or purees at this stage, depending on the flavor needed. I add in some of the soft peak Bettercreme to loosen up the paste and then add that to the rest of the whipped Bettercreme and mix until well combined.

By not adding dairy or additional water, the fillings are good for 5 days at room temp if kept below 80F. The filling can be made stiffer by beating the Bettercreme a bit more.

I purchase quarts of frozen Bettercreme (vanilla or chocolate) at GFS stores.

Rae
I love you, but your emergency is not my crisis!

They say that a little knowledge is a dangerous thing, but it is not one half so bad as a lot of ignorance.--Terry Pratchett (b.194
Reply
I love you, but your emergency is not my crisis!

They say that a little knowledge is a dangerous thing, but it is not one half so bad as a lot of ignorance.--Terry Pratchett (b.194
Reply
post #7 of 13
7/29/12 at 5:16pm
Thanks for that, unfortuately here in Australia we don't have bettercreme! icon_sad.gif
Reply
Reply
post #8 of 13
8/2/12 at 7:18pm
Thread Starter 
I actually used pastry pride for the mouse andthen whipped in the white chocolate and the strawberry for the two flavors of mouse. I thoughtthis woukd be better because of the high temp. I do cakes with mouse allthe time and never have had an issue.

I will definitly try the bettercreme with pudding mix...but thinkingif temp is over 100 degrees, any type of mouse is a bad idea.

Thank youagainfor the tip!
Reply
Reply
post #9 of 13
8/2/12 at 7:41pm
Well, I usually think of Pastry Pride & Bettercreme on the same plain, but maybe without the "pasty pudding mix", it's not stabilized enough.

Also, strawberry is very acidic. Were they fresh strawberries, or strawberry puree? I use seedless preserves and they have pectin in them, adding more stability.

My Bettercreme mousse is stable up to 80F, so, was this cake sitting at 100F outside for an extended period? The photo looked like it was taken indoors. If the cake stayed around 80F, or less, indoors, it should have been fine.

At a minimum, you may need to beat the Pastry Pride to a stiffer peak.

And, please don't take this the wrong way, but the term for this type of filling is
MOUSSE, moo-s, not MOUSE, m-ow-s.
If dealing with customers, especially in writing, this could be seen as extremely important.
It's driving me crazy reading "mouse" (rodent). Sorry.

HTH
Rae
I love you, but your emergency is not my crisis!

They say that a little knowledge is a dangerous thing, but it is not one half so bad as a lot of ignorance.--Terry Pratchett (b.194
Reply
I love you, but your emergency is not my crisis!

They say that a little knowledge is a dangerous thing, but it is not one half so bad as a lot of ignorance.--Terry Pratchett (b.194
Reply
post #10 of 13
8/2/12 at 7:55pm
Thread Starter 
It was outside for two hours. The cake was under a covered deck, but outside. Definitlly had it been inside, it would have been great.

You live and learn. Never again...if the cakes not inside in the summer, no mas mouSSe.
Reply
Reply
post #11 of 13
8/2/12 at 8:01pm
Yep, sounds like it just got too hot, no matter what it contained.

I got married in PA in August. The usual temp for our wedding date was, maybe 85F and it turned into a 98F day with 99% humidity. Felt like 110F.
I would NEVER have put my cake outside.

I really don't get that thinking, but sometimes people just want what they want, not considering that Mother Nature has a big say in the results.

In the end, I'm glad that the bride was understanding. Such a tragic waste.

Rae
I love you, but your emergency is not my crisis!

They say that a little knowledge is a dangerous thing, but it is not one half so bad as a lot of ignorance.--Terry Pratchett (b.194
Reply
I love you, but your emergency is not my crisis!

They say that a little knowledge is a dangerous thing, but it is not one half so bad as a lot of ignorance.--Terry Pratchett (b.194
Reply
post #12 of 13
8/3/12 at 3:06am
Sweetkisses , You may want to look into a Bakel's product called Whip n Ice . I think that it is the equivalent to the Bettercreme.
Reply
Reply
post #13 of 13
8/3/12 at 4:06pm
sorry the info I gave should have been for Addictive-desserts
Reply
Reply
New Posts  All Forums:Forum Nav:
  Return Home
  Back to Forum: Cake Disasters
Cake Central › Cake Forums › Cake Talk › Cake Disasters › Caterer wouldnt serve cake