So my friend asks me to make a wine bottle cake for her sister's 40th birthday. This is something I've always wanted to try and just needed an excuse!

You know how we cake decorators put our hearts & souls into it trying to make everything perfect? I spent a very long time getting the bottle right and cutting thin strips of fondant to make the "straw" packaging. I deliver the cake to my friend's house and her 8 yr old (who should know better) immediately starts picking off pieces of straw and EATING it as I'm trying to carry it through the door!! At this point I wondered why I stayed up half the night getting the cake perfect. Not only did she not tell him to stop, but she started taking pieces off and eating it too!!

I know it's her cake, but I just think it's bad manners - heck, at least wait until I leave to do it!! I wouldn't want to eat a cake that was picked at all afternoon.

OMG...don't you hate when that happens!!!

First of all...your cake is AWESOME!!!!

I hate when people ...grown people....poke and prod! I had some idiot try to pick up a pocketbook cake by the handle once. I don't need to tell you what happened!

It is rude, isn't it??

I understand how you feel. After reading so many stories on CC about folks of all ages messing with cakes, I actually hired a cake guard for my daughter's wedding cakes.

-Debbie B.

How about when they start picking their favorite cookies from the cellophane-covered cookie trays before dessert is served (and eat them all)? Or when grown men pick off and eat the chocolate kisses from the peanut butter blossom cookies, and leave the naked cookies on the tray? Or when people touch ten cookies before they decide which one to eat?

Now that I'm done venting, your cake is great!

Thanks guys! Now i don't feel like I'm crazy! It's one of my pet peeves.
Maybe we all need a cake guard!!

Hijack time:

The best cake guard I ever hired was a bored and about to start getting into serious trouble 10 year old boy at a wedding.

You could see mischief in his eyes because there was absolutely nothing for the kids to do. I asked his parents if he'd be willing to watch the cake until cutting time and I'd like to give him $15 to do it. They said toss in a second piece of cake as a promise and we had a deal.

So they get their son over there and I make my offer

"you know that cake is really important to Suzy and Ken today right"

He nods his head

"Well it took me all week to make that, and I am afraid to leave it here with no one watching it. Do you think for $15 and two pieces of cake after it's cut you could watch it for me and make sure no one gets near the cake?"

"You mean be like a police man and keep them away from it"

"YES! It's very serious work do you think you could."

"For $20 and 3 pieces of cake I promise no one will go near that table!"

We made the deal.

His parents brought in a video of him at the reception... that kid wouldn't let a soul with in 2 feet of that cake. You hear him tell everyone that gets near it "back away, I'm being paid to protect this cake and keep it safe!" Then when the cake it cut you can just see the ants in the pants dance for his 3 pieces of cake.

They told the bride about the agreement and she thanked him in front of about 100 guests and handed him his 3 slices first. You would have thought he was the king of the party... and it kept him out of trouble.

I had a greatful bride, a boy who probably escaped a spanking or two, and parents that have a video of their son to embarrass future girlfriends with... it was a winning situation for us all.

To bring it back on topic: That's an awesome cake.

Poking and picking at a cake while I'm trying to deliver it irks me to no end. If it's people I know that I can get away with saying it to then I usually let out a "back off people and use your manners while I'm still here. You can act like rabid animals going after fresh meat after I drop it off and then poke and pick until your heart is content."

Irks me to no end. I know there is a compliment to my work in there somewhere in their actions saying they can't keep their hands off it but I usualy don't see it that way.

you are right ..it is her cake and you got paid. who cares if they pick at it. you should also be flattered that they felt they could eat it in front of you. you shouldnt let that bother you.

That's a great story carolyngwen! It's hysterical that he negotiated the payment with you!

kjgjam, I never said i got paid, would that make it any different? (I crack myself up!)

But seriously, I truly am flattered that they liked the cake. It gives me alot of pleasure when people like my cakes. I was just not certain it was even going to make it to the party intact or if my friend would show up with a naked cake! Plus the whole hygiene thing, but that's for another thread! It did make it to the party, however, and the birthday girl called me the next day to thank me. Which was totally unexpected and very nice.

But the reverse also drives me crazy, when you bring a cake to the party and everyone stands around saying how beautiful and it is too nice to cut. So everyone eats the crap from the store and leaves your creation siting there untouched. That drives me up the wall.

beachcakes, I am totally on board with you~! btw.. that is a beautiful cake I feel that folks lacking in the social graces, and those raised in barns "pick", "nibble", "poke", or in some other inappropriate way, help themselves to the cake before being served... just rude..... just plain rude..

Well it really p$sses me off when people poke my cakes,I actually tell them to back off,but most of the time the mother's are quite protective of the cake as well.

Also I made an arsenal football shirt cake for my SIL, and she wouldn't cut it,so we all stared at the cake all night.Again I couldn't have been angrier if I tried.
So I don't know which is worse.

i can't believe it! i would be so mad. it doesn't seem like she gave any thought to all the hours you put into that cake!

It bugs the heck out of me. My nephew will poke a hole in every.single.cake. that I bring to a family event. I don't know if it's that he finds fondant fascinating or what. But every time.

I'm glad I'm not the only one with these frustrations! I recently made a beautiful, three tiered fondant covered cake for my niece's birthday. I made the three Jonas Brothers sitting on top. The kids picked at the fondant decorations all evening and two of the threee figures had been broken before "Happy Birthday" was even sung. These were teenagers not little kids!!

I've also had the situation where I have worked really hard on cakes (one was a plane, the other the fist of rock) and everyone prased them, but nobody wanted to cut them and ruin them.....

Venting feels good!!!

Sometimes the cake isn't the only thing people go for. We have had to ask adults to not eat the sugared pecans or chocolate dipped strawberries before official photos were taken.

Many years ago, my BIL snapped off candy that I had attached to a gingerbread house. I wasn't even in the front door yet, so the other family members didn't see it "in its glory".

-Debbie B.

I use to be like that, but it was too dang stressful! I would have a panic attack at the site of unruly kids in the same room with my cakes.

Now...as long as I have a picture I could care less what happens to it.

But, then again I haven't done a wedding cake yet.

I watched one of my cakes sit around for two hours one time and I was really getting offended that no one wanted a to eat it. When I asked why no one wanted a piece they all said, "It is just too pretty to cut." Looking around the the room, I located the knife and cut the thing myself. After that, it was a free for all at the cake.

Now, when I drop off the cake, I just tell people to remember that they are supposed to eat it because I will get offended it they don't.