Hello fellow CCers!! I am writing to vent or complain, however you see it. I am so upset about a cake I did this weekend and it has me feeling really discouraged! It was a disaster and I felt bad for charging the woman for it. It was for a baby shower and was a problem from the start. The icing gave me problems, the colors were hard to achieve (needed lots of mixing), the sides looked lopsided like I didn't cut them straight enough and the writing came out horrible!!! I was so sad cuz I had envisioned this great looking cake and it was just disappointing. The customer seemed to like it but I think she was just being nice. I LOVE LOVE LOVE making cakes but this one really got me down and out! Does anyone have any advice for me? You all have such great talent so I am hoping someone has this great secret that will help me in the future! Thanks for you help and continue making the great cakes that you are all making! I love spending hours just looking at them.

Hey, what you do is art! Every time you make a cake, you learn something.
Most people couldn't do what you do in a million years.

You expect a lot from yourself! You are on your way to being a great designer.
If what we do was so easy, people wouldn't need us.

Love what you do and do what you love. Don't be so critical!

Bless you, enjoy your talent!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Remember!!!!!!!Every cake is a YUMMY SMILE = }

I'm trying to remind myself that each cake is an individual work of art and that they'll each have their ups and downs. It's tough, though, when you have such a beautiful design in your head, and the finished product falls so far short. I started keeping a notebook and write down everything I've learned from each cake. It helps to reread it on occasion, but it also makes me feel that something good comes out of each project.

Walk away for a few days, lick your wounds (or the beaters ) and try, try, try again.

Sorry...hope you feel better in a few days. I can empathize, for sure. What I found to cure the cakes blues is to just keep practicing and don't settle for something that you're not completely happy with. Don't take short cuts...the devil is in the details and they should be done as well as you possibly can.

We all have cakes that don't turn out the way we pictured them. I know that personally whenever I try to do an all-buttercream cake I end up with one of those "It looked so good in my head" kind of cakes. Sometimes it helps to take a little break, if you can...just wait to do another cake until you're feeling more positive about it.

You have to remember too that you can see flaws on your cake that the average person doesn't see, because you're used to looking for them. So your customer probably liked her cake much more than you liked it.

I know exactly how you feel, but you just have to keep trying, especially if you like baking and decorating. I've been doing this off and on for years and I don't think I've had a cake I was really happy with. I've decided as long as they taste good I'm happy. I still stress with every cake, even though most are just gifts . I keep at it, because with each cake I learn something new and get a little better. Plus I know one day I'm going to make an absolutely beautiful cake .

I remember one time in particular I knew I would be laughed flat off the planet and rightfully so. The wedding cake I was setting up sucked so bad they couldn't keep the tablecloths on the tables. The drapes were being pulled from the windows. <sthwwwwt>

I was beyond crushed. Moments from tears hoping to get it set up and make my escape before the rain fell.

Some early wedding guests were behind me at a little distance but I could hear them twittering. I thought if they start laughing at me I will probably not make it to the car without breaking down. They were walking up closer whispering. Closing in for the kill--sh*t I'm gonna pretend like I don't even know they're there. tum tee tumm dee dee.

"Isn't it beautiful?" they said--Whaaaat? I thought? The flowers? Then I knew they were talking about the cake and I thought you all have had way too much punch and the party ain't even started yet.

So I resolved that it just can never look as bad to the public as it does to me. And I've lived happily ever after. Well maybe not 100% but you know what I mean!!

(((big hug)))

Eat some chocolate.

Yes I have been drowning my sorrows in peanut butter and chocolate allday! Thanks to all who have responded and you are all right!!! I really just need to take this as a learning experience to get better at the things that I am not so skilled at yet like writing and buttercream cakes! I just want to be so good right now that I forget that this too takes practice! It makes me feel good to know that I am NOT the only one that has felt like this. I will try again this week (after a few days of practice) and see if I can turn this bad mood around. Thanks again for taking the time to read my posts and respond!

your post sounded just like I was thinking! So, I know exactly how you feel, I had a problem cake as well, it was a problem from the time I started baking, up until I finished the last dot of icing! I pictured a very nice cake, but I am not sure what I got out of it!!! I did it in all buttercream (which I have yet to do, so maybe that is why and I have also never taken a class, so I really don't know how to make roses and such... ) I hope you feel better soon! I will be trying a buttercream transfer soon, I hope it goes better than this last cake...

Sorry you're feeling down right now but don't let it keep you down for long. It's good to put expectations on yourself because it only makes you strive to get better - so long as you don't set the expectations too high that you aren't able to learn from the experience.

I also get discouraged when something doesn't turn out as I imagined. With more cakes & practice, I AM getting better and closer to what I envision but it's still not exact.

I think you are harder on yourself than your customers would be but that is to be expected - as mentioned before, we see the flaws. You make great cakes and at least you're willing to TRY buttercream. I haven't even gotten up the courage to try because I KNOW it will be disastrous so kudos to you for trying. You will get better with practice - you can see it in your work, you have what it takes.

Smile, be happy

I get discouraged with every cake. It can be aweful when it doesn't turn out the way you had envisioned, but you have a much more critical eye than most of your clients. I did a wedding last weekend. It wasn't until I stood back and really took a look at the cake with fresh eyes......then I liked it. I know every flaw, every blemish, every fault on my cakes and they scream out at me! If they liked it, it was probably better than you think. We really are our own worst critics. The next one will be better, and the one after that will be even better. If it was easy everyone would do it.

Bless your heart, jenna15, I feel so bad for you, but I bet that cake was not near as bad as you felt it was! I looked at your pictures and your cakes are great! Be proud of yourself for trying so hard, and wanting to be "the best" you can be! It may take a few days, but this cloud is going to pass , and you will realize that it's going to get better and better. Forget it....put it behind you....It wasn't as bad as you think it was! Good Luck!

wow. I guess I shoulda read this post before I posted my own. It really is nice to have people that understand how you feel and can encourage you. Sometimes you just feel so alone and sad. I know it sounds silly but it's true! Like why can't I make these beautiful perfect cakes like you see on CC. Thanks everyone!

wow. I guess I shoulda read this post before I posted my own. It really is nice to have people that understand how you feel and can encourage you. Sometimes you just feel so alone and sad. I know it sounds silly but it's true! Like why can't I make these beautiful perfect cakes like you see on CC. Thanks everyone!