Three Tiered Cake Disaster
Decorating By SweetBoutique24 Updated 9 Oct 2013 , 6:52pm by mommyinaprilx2
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I was just about to wonder whether anyone else noticed that the blue tier is smooshed, but on a different side from the brown. It gets curiouser and curiouser. So sorry this happened to you.
I noticed that, too...strange, like the cake sunk but the icing stayed up on the sides with no HUGE bulge on the sides where the filling would have eeked out. There's a little bulge, but it looks like it was there in the original picture. Weird...
As everyone else has said...at least a 1/2 " drum. That's what I use and have never had a problem, with a sharpened center dowel hammered down thru the drum, with shifting.
Also weird how the black bottom border cracked and broke into pieces. Was that royal icing?
It IS AN ABSOLUTELY ADORABLE CAKE!!! I love it...
And PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE on your next cake COVER YOU DRUMS IN FONDANT and decorate them.
Totally takes it up a notch as far as getting a higher quality look. I didn't always, but do now.
As I said before, the cake is GREAT! Make the board great, too! As it is, it doesn't even look like it's covered at all. Big NO NO!!! You are MUCH BETTER than that!
For being a newbie, as you say, you got some great skills going for you!
Well, my 2 cents is that it was primarily driver's error. I think the cake quickly hit the back of the box and may have come back to mostly upright after the "jerk". It then rode damaged for awhile, causing some of the other things we see. The 2 spikes held it mostly together and the cakes couldn't rotate out of place, but the cake "bodies" were compromised.
When doing central spikes, it's necessary for them to pierce the bottom board for some distance [mine often go all but completely thru a 1/2" board]. If the bottom board is just an 1/8th inch thick cardboard, there's nothing for the spike(s) to penetrate, so there's nothing to hold on to. Think of that bottom board as an anchor.
Also, a very thin bottom board will quickly flex when picked up--especially with a tall, heavy cake on it. Had this cake made it to the destination intact, the client could have easily had a disaster as they picked it up......
Was the cake cold? If not, any number of things, including vibrations from the car and roads could cause a split in the bottom tier.
It still looks to me like a brake slam, but a cold cake would weather the storm better and this cake doesn't look cold to me.
Your problem was the single layer cardboard. It is a bit flexible, and not at all intended to support the intense weight of a three tiered cake. I would use three of those cardboards, tape them together to make a drum, and then stack the cake on top. Your construction appears fine- but the fact that the bottom tier split, is indicative of the board flexing when lifted up, and set down repeatedly. Next time use a drum, or a home made drum (the three boards together).
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Your problem was the single layer cardboard. It is a bit flexible, and not at all intended to support the intense weight of a three tiered cake. I would use three of those cardboards, tape them together to make a drum, and then stack the cake on top. Your construction appears fine- but the fact that the bottom tier split, is indicative of the board flexing when lifted up, and set down repeatedly. Next time use a drum, or a home made drum (the three boards together).
maybe so, smash, er agh i mean nancy drew ;)
it looks like a corrugated cardboard box though--
this is sucha toughie--
but yeah it cracked like any cake would on aboard with flex--
that really does seem to explain it--
because the top two tiers slid together--
AWhether you use a box or not it's a good idea to place some nonskid shelf paper underneath. For this cake I would have lined the box with it and used some underneath the box too.
As others have stated, the baseboard has to be strong enough to hold the weight of the entire cake once stacked. I assume you used cardboard rounds between each tier too (I like foamcore but anything grease proof works). It might be worth investing in SPS (it's not very expensive) until you get more confortable with stacking and support.
Something else to consider on top of everything else that has been stated as possible/probable causes, did you provide a non slip mat to set the box on so it wouldn't slide around during transport, for me I always use them when i am delivering and/or provide to customers for transport.
My policy is anything over 2 tiers requires delivery. NO exceptions. And yes, I charge them for it.
For next time;
* I know many cakers have success with dowels but SPS is really the way to go.
* Definitely a thicker (decorated) board under the cake. Even for just single tiers I always double up on the boards.
* I tell my clients to drive like there is a baby in the car without a seat belt. Give VERY specific instructions about turns, accelerating, etc.
* Contract that states you are not responsible if the customer elects to pick up their own cake.
AYes, that was a bit unclear. I disagree with the majority pinion of pilot error. Certainly could be.
That big ole crack makes me think construction.
We'll never really know.
Original message sent by -K8memphis
you disagree which way? that it was inadequate construction by the caker or pilot error by the client?
because i pondered inadequate construction also--surely would (yes i agree) wipe the icing off onto the box--but don't you think one of the tiers would be shmushed/crushed on one side where the weight of the cake above slid into it and none of them appear to be smushed?
and in fact thinking this through again--i think it's a testament to the correct construction that it does not seem to have collapsed into itself anywhere
that's how/why i think pilot error
but i am not arguing or anything--i competely respect your opinion i just thought it through again as i typed and i wasn't exactly clear which way you meant
much respect to you
edited for typo
Mucho respect to you too. Good points.
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Yes, that was a bit unclear. I disagree with the majority pinion of pilot error. Certainly could be.
That big ole crack makes me think construction.
We'll never really know.
Mucho respect to you too. Good points.
DD, is it possible that this is due to a combination of three factors. No non skid mat, two dowels side by side, shifting at the same time because of pilot error, causing the cake to crack and compounded by a flexible board? It just seems to me that if you put two dowels side by side and then put force on them that should not be there, they will crack the cake and any damage will be compounded by sliding. I'm just guessing here.
A
Original message sent by cakesbycathy
* I tell my clients to drive like there is a baby in the car without a seat belt. Give VERY specific instructions about turns, accelerating, etc.
I tell them to pretend they just turned around to find a sleeping tiger in the backseat. If they wake the tiger - game over.
AGood point JWinslow.
Ha ha ha good one Brandi
AOmg- this happened to me on my 3 tier cake this weekend. I to am new at this and its my first big cake order. A Topsy turvy and I did everything you did. I know for a fact that the your cake was slammed. Why? Because my husband and I transported my cake on a flat surface. Cake was fine when we arrived to the location. It was when he took it out of the car and started walking about 20 steps and the cake slid -I think he held it in an angle it slammed towards his chest and to the box. It was the front of the cake :-( I then proceeded to try to fixit. It was fine but when we had to move it again and he placed it on the table I noticed the area where thecake slid and slammed it cracked. Then minutes later that large piece fell!!! I wanted to die.. I stayed calm worked fast took the icing and pasted some to the back of the piece and placed it back and started my touch up. I to used the 1/2 inch board which I felt alter we delivered could of been stronger. FYI - the cake print from the slam is still on the cardboardnox. I think if the cake had not hit that cardboard so hard it would of been okay. So sad, your cake was beautiful.. I have not slept well since Saturday and I am still feeling lousy about it. I will post mine later today to share.
trista- I always tell the customer I will carry it to your car. lol
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