I made a two teir cake with b/c and fondant accents. 6/8 rounds. My friend picked up the cake and as she was putting it in her car-she mushed the top and caused some damaged. layers kind of shifted-but not horribly. I offered to fix-she said no. She said she would do it. So I sent some icing home with her. As she was driving home with the cake in front seat the icing started sliding off. The cake is unusable she said. I actually charged for this cake. Do you think she deserves all her money back? I feel horrible!!!!!! I have to call her back soon her party is in a couple of hours. Advice please! Why would the icing slide off the cake?

The two times I have had icing slide off a cake were when I used cream cheese icing on hot days (at the last minute) and didn't have time to pop the cake in the freezer for 30 minutes prior to delivery. The icing slid right of the sides of the cake and the border on top as well.

Usually this is from to fragile of icing, too soft or too warm. Ever since I got a big extra freezer, I am sure to freeze it right before pick up to allow more security so it doesn't melt on the trip. I also advise customers to be sure to have a/c on high, etc.

She doesn't deserve all money back since she damaged it. Did she still serve it? Did the guests eat the cake? I had a terrible disaster on a 105 degree day in May and the icing was falling off the cake. I was being paid $150 for this 3 tiered stacked cake.....I was mortified. This was a friend and she was unwilling to discuss any kind of a refund but I just couldn't accept the money so I returned $70, keeping only enough to cover the ingredients. They ate the whole cake and said it tasted fabulous, no one seemed to care that the design had literally melted but it mattered to me.

I think its tough one since I feel like once the cake is picked up, its in their hands. Obviously as a decorator we need to design and structure the cake so it is able to handle the car ride, etc.... but if she smashed the top, the whole structure was compromised.

I used sugarscack's icing recipe modified for a 6qt. I've never had problems with it before. It is very humid here. She is going to serve the cake. She is going to make some icing and try to fix it. I gave her the Wilton recipe. I would of gone over to help her fix it, but she's an hour away with the cake and I have one other cake to finish for a groom in 2 hours. My dh feels it is her fault since she mushed it. But I feel so responsible!
I hadn't thought of putting it in the freezer. i have an extra one that is big enough. My refrigerator is not big at all.
I'll have to remember:
freeze cake before delivery
always deliver my cakes

I just bought sugarshacks stacking dvd!

Thank-you cakediva73 for your reply

She had the cake in the car seat? No, no, never an acceptable idea.

Ok, here's my question - when the cake starts to "thaw" once you take it out of the freezer, won't that give you a bigger problem than humidity? I would think that it would cause a lot of condensation, therefore making a huge mess???

Like leahs said, *NEVER, Never, never!!* put a cake on the front seat - in fact on any seat unless it is proped so it is level.
That could have lead to the icing sliding off along w/the damage she caused.

To Staceface81: I never ice a fzn or even partly fzn cake. But if the cake is completely decorated then fzn the thawing process should not cause any problems. Just leave it alone until it is completely thawed and it will dry on it's own. Never have had any complaints of 'a huge mess' as long as it is allowed to dry. This is best done in a cake box - mainly so you don't see what's going on and are tempted to touch it

So, if I need to transport a cake and it's very hot outside I should freeze it first? About how long? Will this cut down on "melting" of buttercream?

sounds like the damage was started when it got smushed in the first place.. everything else just dominoed in sequence after. once it ws in her hands it was her responsibility.

i have a case coming up. the MOB is doing the cake order with consultation with the bride (just using terms. t heir my neighbor and the daughter is already married just had to delay the reception) the MOB wants to have the cake delivered sept 5th- reception sept 7th. even though i've known them for over 7 years i'm still nervous about the cake sitting so long out of my control- before the event. i even offered to deliver the cake myself. last time she had to transport the cake- it was an hour trip- she put a bag over it and it messed up the frosting a bit.

i'm going to have to insist on delivering the cake as it will be 2 teir (stacked) with some assembly at location.

The only times I've had icing slide (other than the sloopy slide from sloopy icing) was when it's on chocolate cake...not just any chocolate cake...the chocolate cake from the back of the Hershey's cocoa can. It's a delicious cake but it gives me issues with the icing....I can't use it with regular icing.

I agree with PP, the smushing likely started the slide but out of curiousity, what type/flavor cake was it?

If you used SugarShacks recipe, the icing shouldn't have melted at all...I have used the hi ratio shortening recipe for ages and it has sat out in very hot humid days and never melted off the cake. I don't think freezing or burying in 10 feet of snow would have prevented her from damaging the cake: 1: Never put a cake on a seat and 2; she damaged the cake when she put it in the car, which may have caused cracking and sliding around

it sounds like was not very careful with the cake...

I also agree freezing a cake before delivery can lead to a huge mess if you have gum paste flowers on it...I also have seen the "bubbling" of icing too much if the cake was frozen then put into a warm room.

Lesson learned: either delivery the cake or tell them you are not responsible if anything happens to a cake once it is put into a car..

all4cake- I used a dr'd mix (pudding, extra egg, oil, milk).

The only time I've had icing problems were the two times I put a cake in the refrigerator, which is why I don't ever put my cakes in the 'frig anymore.

Let me clarify, I don't 'freeze the cake', I just put the decorated cake in the freezer briefly before pick-up/delivery on hot days to set the icing. I live in a very hot area and often use butter/cream cheese based icing so the cake starts to visibly soften the minute it goes outside. This has been a nightmare for me.......

I made the mini-wedding cake in my pics using gumpaste flowers on top and popped it in the freezer for 20 minutes or so before my Mom came over to get it and had no trouble with the flowers or anything. If it was in the freezer for an hour or more, then it's different.

Obviously different things work for different people, but I have to say, having that freezer has made my life so much easier. Not just the pre-delivery freeze but I often crumbcoat and put it in there for 5 minutes to harden that layer of icing for the final coat. But I live in an old house with poor insulation, bad A/C and very, very hot weather so I have issues, lol.

I just confirmed-she was driving a standard vehicle. She sent me a picture of the cake-I've never seen icing all slide off like that. It was a horrible mess. The cakes were intact. So they could eat it. She just made some more icing and reiced, saved what decorations she could.
I will alwys take the cake to the party from now on! I am uploading a picture of what the cake looked like before she picked it up.

http://www.cakecentral.com/modules.php?name=gallery&file=displayimage&pid=1256118

that cake was cute. What did it look like after? can we see the picture she sent you?

I'm in the same boat with CakeDiva73. I always have issues with my cream cheese icing. I've tried experimenting with the recipe but here in sunny HOT Florida nothing works with cream cheese. As much as I love cream cheese and am about to sware it off forever!