It finally happened. Like the great shoe drop. You always hear stories of cake wrecks and you thank your lucky stars when you can say "I have never ruined a cake."

It all started when we came home from Disney world. Yes, Disney world. Two days early, so I could make a cake for a magazine I adore. I was asked about 2 months ago if I would create a 27th birthday cake that would fit the style of a brew pub type party. I jumped at the chance and said yes. Literally 30 seconds after I hung up I realized it was during my only week I take off. So I went to Mr. Cake and told him and he was super supportive about leaving on Friday instead of Sunday. We agreed, shifted things around and off we went.

Friday shows up, we leave at 4am and get home by 2pm. Right to the studio I head. I work pretty much straight through till the following afternoon. I finish the cake minutes before it needs to head out the door. Load it into the back of the truck and wish it well with the driver. I head home to get cleaned up and go to the same party with Mr. Cake. 20 minutes later I get the phone call.... Someone took a left out in front of the driver and he had to slam on the brakes from doing about 40mph. The entire cake, boards and all stayed beautifully together and flipped over onto its side. I immediately said head straight back and I will meet you there. I called the clients and told them what happened, said I would call them the second I saw the cake and figured out what I would do.

Cake shows up and the entire right half is crushed. I separate all the tiers and start stripping the fondant off the bottom. The top two tiers are actually decent and easily fixed, the bottom tier was destroyed where it hit the side. I completely redo the bottom tier and re-stack the cakes with extra support since the cake is now warming up and becoming softer, in addition to the bottom cake looking like it could be cracked internally.

Once I am finished, Mr. Cake shows up with our truck and I load it in the back and we take it, the cake is only going to be around 45 minutes into the party, which the cakes was not going to be cut until much later anyway. (I am still really upset about being late though) I have been in constant contact with the magazine through this entire process.

Off we head. I am staring at the cake the entire time. I actually had hot glued the bottom cake board to a full sized sheet pan to eliminate ANY wobble. We get lost on our way, Never got the address from my other driver and forgot the address on the way out. So I google it on my phone and find the "building" but no signs out front. I turn and look at the cake... all is well... we circle the warehouse and a prom is going on in the front, we see a small sign for the brewery and a little narrow road ..... filled with potholes...

We take the road and slowly manage it, take a right hand turn and slam right into another hole.

The top two tiers jumped off the bottom tier and landed on their sides next to the bottom. I have never in my life seen anything like it. The dowels all sticking out of the bottom The center dowel the extra two I added after it came back, all still attached beautifully in the bottom tier. I am now getting out of the car and look around, a crowd is happily mingling and enjoying the outside live band while drinking beer, and I have to deal with this cake in front of everyone. When I say my stomach is still in the car and I am trying to not just get back in and start backing out without a word, I am not kidding. I am completely mortified and so upset I cannot even explain.

Then here comes the publicist and I have to tell her. She hugs me, tells me everything is going to be OK and we open the trunk, pile the three cakes onto sheet pans and head into the brewery, Everyone from the magazine come over and inspect the pile and asking if we can just cut it now and start serving it, off we go with the plates of cake. While we passed them out my phone was passed around and pictures of what the cake looked like originally, then pictures of what the cake looked like after we fixed it the first time and finally pictures were taken of the ruined cake. The cake tasted perfectly fine and everyone loved it. I got lots of hugs and "don't worry, it is going to be OK"... then I get several people telling me it wasn't my fault... I said how so.... apparently the mag has bad luck and they even discussed in the office the day prior that based on how things were going that watch the cake get into an accident on the way to the party....... Can you imagine!?!?!??!... I burst out laughing. I said thank you for being simply the most gracious clients I have ever had the pleasure of serving. She gave me a bottle of wine and we finished out the party and headed home...

I want to do something nice for them this coming week. I do not know what it will be yet, but it will be something!! Any ideas?

What a story, hope you are feeling better now! Was this an order they paid for? Or did you donate for the publicity?  

There's nothing wrong in accepting free ad space, especially after your ordeal. I hope you will consider asking them to publish a short story-within-a-story about how the cake event transpired. Local people would love to hear about it and this could generate much support and business. Additionally, the media is always looking for newsworthy, human interest stories. 

Poor you, what a story although I will add that I agree with Mimi.