Ok Seriously?!?!?!?! This Isn't Funny Anymore! (Vent)

Decorating By Chef_Joodles Updated 25 Sep 2009 , 6:06pm by Sweet_Treats_1

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Chef_Joodles Posted 12 Sep 2009 , 8:28pm
post #1 of 12

This post is just a vent because I know there HAS To be people out there somewhere that understand. So I had three cakes to do in three days. I am working on cake # 3 now that I have to finish tonight. It's still in the oven! Want to know why???? BEcause out of the three cakes, so far I have had one batch of layers not rise, one batch overflowed, one batched burned (I lost my head and had it on 375 instead of 325 because we were having chicken for dinner, sigh) and NOW my "last" batch fell apart! I don't think theres anything else left to happen to my cake batter. I think the past 24 hours has pretty much covered it all! I've NEVER had such horrible issues. Where is my head?!?!? It certainly isn't on strait! Thankfully Cake # 1 and # 2 went off to their new homes with very happy customers, and cake # 3 is for my son's birthday tomorrow, but I fear its going to be another all nighter. So frustrating!! AND I am attempting rice krispie sculpting for the first time this afternoon and fear it's not going to harden in time. It's so humid with all the rain. SIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIGH! Calgon take me away!!!!

11 replies
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CutiePieCakes-Ontario Posted 12 Sep 2009 , 8:36pm
post #2 of 12

{HUGS}

Sorry you had such a terrible baking experience.

When it's out of the oven, and perfect, take a step back, inhale, exhale, grab a cold drink and leave the room while it cools. You need to step back from it for awhile. It works wonders.

Just a little suggestion: May here bake in advance, and freeze, until the cakes are needed - especially when there's so many cakes due in a short period of time. I've been lucky enough to not have had this problem (or unlucky, depending on how you look at it), but you can freeze the cakes with no bad results.

Good luck, and post a pic when you're done.

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weirkd Posted 12 Sep 2009 , 8:51pm
post #3 of 12

I think it happens to everyone. It seems to happen to me whenever I have to drive to Baltimore. It starts out with a small snag and ends up snowballing until Im totally exhausted by the end of the weekend. I had to do these mini cakes last weekend. I had about three hours sleep from Friday to Sunday. I had to have my son who is NOT artistic try to help me because I was literally still putting them together up to the hour I was suppose to leave. I would of been fine but got lost in Baltimore, showing up fifteen minutes late only to be blocked in by a truck unloading chairs on a one-way street. THey would not move either. So I had to cart these 150 cupcakes down the road! I get to the courtyard and get b*ed out by some lady sitting on a bench smoking saying that I was late. I apologized, told her that I got lost and tried to call several times. She didnt seem to care and continued on and on. So finally my patience and lack of sleep kicked in and I told her that yelling at me wasnt going to get this thing up there any faster! I go up the elevator and walk into a full room of guests who are waiting in line for food (which is parked right next to the door). I try to find out where the cake table is and no one seems to know. Ofcourse they tell me the manager, yes the blond smoking the cigarette, was the manager and hadnt set it up yet! And she had the nerve to yell at me? Okayyyyy.. So they point to a couch table with a mirror and tell me to set up there. So I try not to let it faze me and set up. Second trip I meet the bride and groom waiting for the elevator. They love the topper I have in my hands and thank me for everything. Their grand entrance was a curtain on what looked like a hospital gurny that was parked in front of the elevator so that they could wheel it out of the way when the door opened.
So everyone loved the mini cakes, the bride thanks me up and down and said she had a tip for me that the wedding coordinator had. Wished I had it because didnt see her, left the venue to go eat breakfast/lunch at 2pm. Well my bank decided to not let me take money out. Ofcourse I have less than a quarter tank of gas and have a two hour ride! Luckily I still had $6 on a visa gift card that got us home (us meaning my 4 & 5 yr old daughters along with my 21 yr old son). Walk in and the toilet overflows and my daughter spills a whole 2 liter bottle of soda! So lets just say I was very happy to go to bed and forget that day happened!!

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HeatherWantsCake Posted 13 Sep 2009 , 3:37am
post #4 of 12

Weirkd and Cutie-Pie, I feel your pain.

Doesn't it just seem like it never rains but it pours? icon_rolleyes.gif

I'm doing a baby blocks cake. I've decided that the series of disasters that have befallen this one are each little lessons. For example, I've learned that not letting the cake cool completely is a very, very bad idea. SMBC filling gets rather unhappy when you try to put together a cake that is not as cooled as it should be. Good to know. icon_wink.gif And when the top block starts to lean and you think "Hey, maybe I'll leave it and it'll be kind of child-like and cute!" .. rethink that, 'cause approximately 9 seconds later it will fall off. And, after it falls off and you have to move the bottom block to the top and the top block to the bottom so it hopefully won't fall off again (since you don't have any kind of dowel system and have never even seen a bubble straw and thought it would be fine without..) and you know you'll have to remake six different colors of icing in the morning to fix the mess and you're wondering if it wouldn't just be easier to call the client and tell them you've moved to Bora Bora ... then it's time to go to bed. icon_biggrin.gif

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CutiePieCakes-Ontario Posted 13 Sep 2009 , 5:25am
post #5 of 12

Heather: icon_lol.gif

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weirkd Posted 13 Sep 2009 , 1:22pm
post #6 of 12

Got that right! I swear sometimes it feels like a little black cloud follows me around!!

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HeatherWantsCake Posted 13 Sep 2009 , 1:49pm
post #7 of 12

I'm sorry, Chef_Joodles!

When I posted last night, brain-fry had long since occurred and I accidentally switched your name to Cutie Pie's. I hope that you got some rest and that things look a little better this morning. As you no doubt gathered from the vents that followed yours, I think we all completely understand!

I'm sure your son will have a wonderful birthday, whether the RKT harden in time or not. icon_smile.gif (Actually, I don't have kids, so what do I know. I could be wrong. One less-than-perfect cake could be all it takes .. years of intensive therapy, the tell-all book, the appearance on Oprah ... icon_wink.gificon_biggrin.gificon_wink.gificon_biggrin.gificon_wink.gif )

p.s. The baby block cake did not fall over in the fridge while I slept, the BC crusted beautifully and it doesn't look as wrecked as I remember from last night. Cutie-Pie was right - walking away for a bit (or curling up into the fetal position for 8 hours, whimpering quietly to yourself) works wonders! icon_biggrin.gif

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LaBellaFlor Posted 13 Sep 2009 , 2:33pm
post #8 of 12
Quote:
Originally Posted by HeatherWantsCake

Weirkd and Cutie-Pie, I feel your pain.

Doesn't it just seem like it never rains but it pours? icon_rolleyes.gif

I'm doing a baby blocks cake. I've decided that the series of disasters that have befallen this one are each little lessons. For example, I've learned that not letting the cake cool completely is a very, very bad idea. SMBC filling gets rather unhappy when you try to put together a cake that is not as cooled as it should be. Good to know. icon_wink.gif And when the top block starts to lean and you think "Hey, maybe I'll leave it and it'll be kind of child-like and cute!" .. rethink that, 'cause approximately 9 seconds later it will fall off. And, after it falls off and you have to move the bottom block to the top and the top block to the bottom so it hopefully won't fall off again (since you don't have any kind of dowel system and have never even seen a bubble straw and thought it would be fine without..) and you know you'll have to remake six different colors of icing in the morning to fix the mess and you're wondering if it wouldn't just be easier to call the client and tell them you've moved to Bora Bora ... then it's time to go to bed. icon_biggrin.gif





Just so you know for the future, regular straws work as well. The two little pics. I got were supported with regular straws. the tiered cake is 6-9-12. I WOULD NOT try to support anything heavier without bubble teas straws or SPS.

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NJCakeDiva Posted 25 Sep 2009 , 4:32pm
post #9 of 12
Quote:
Originally Posted by HeatherWantsCake

Weirkd and Cutie-Pie, I feel your pain.

Doesn't it just seem like it never rains but it pours? icon_rolleyes.gif

you're wondering if it wouldn't just be easier to call the client and tell them you've moved to Bora Bora ... then it's time to go to bed. icon_biggrin.gif




I know I have thought the same thing except I wanted to crawl under a rock instead of moving to Bora Bora (no phones under a rock) icon_lol.gif

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Sweet_Treats_1 Posted 25 Sep 2009 , 5:02pm
post #10 of 12

I know how U feel . I had to deliver a lemon pound cake to a birthday party of about 50 people. I was supposed to deliver the cake at 7pm. When I went to take the cake out of the oven I realized that I had forgotten to turn the oven on!! So needless to say I had to make another pound cake which is not quick at all. Only I did not have enough ingredient to make my large pound cake, only had enough to make a 6 cup loaf pan. The cake did not get delivered until around 8:30, but luckily since the party was at Olive Garden everyone was just finishing dinner when I arrived so I just said I "planned to deliver it after the meal was finished"(haha) My mom bought a large sheet cake from Publix an I had to sell my pound cake for much less than originally quoted, but hey U live and learn. I bet I wont forget to turn the oven on again!!!

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-Tubbs Posted 25 Sep 2009 , 5:08pm
post #11 of 12

Sweet-Treats, that's rotten that you forgot to turn the oven on, but I don't understand why you didn't just bake the original batter? Did I miss something? Most batter would be fine not being baked for an extra hour, no?

To OP, I also get frazzled when I have a bunch of stuff going on, and am much more likely to make mistakes. I'm getting better at realising that this happens, and now make detailed time-plans for my week. Helps a lot!

Good luck with your son's cake - hope this one goes more smoothly!

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Sweet_Treats_1 Posted 25 Sep 2009 , 6:06pm
post #12 of 12

TubbsCookies,

I did bake the original batter but the whipped eggs are my leavening and I guess after sitting in a cold oven for 1 1/2 hours the batter deflated, because it did not rise as high as my cakes normally do. The taste was still very good and my husband and kids loved my "mistake" I am known for my large cakes and that is what my customers have come to expect so I really felt like I need to make a fresh cake.

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