Tuesday night, I made a cake in the shape of a DJ's turntable, in preparation for a colleague leaving on Thursday, because we had arranged to go out Wednesday night. Over the weekend my other half had spent a morning putting together a little motor to go inside the cake, which would make the record I'd made to go on top spin. This goes fine, the cake goes swimmingly, and I glue the little plastic washer (which will join the record to the motor) to the bottom of the cake board that the record is on top of. As it's filled with whipped chocolate cream, I leave it in the fridge and we go out, leaving the only one thing to do when we get back - attach the record to the motor.

Sounds simple enough, right?

Except we get back at 11.30pm, and when I go to attach the record, the glue has seeped into the little hole and set up, rock solid. By the time I've managed to pick most of the glue out of the hole with a pin, the fondant-record is feeling a little sorry for itself. By the time we manage to get it on the cake, the record has given up completely, so I pull the fondant off and start again.

Record made again, okay, great, no time to let it set properly so I get it on the cake and use another cake board to press it into place.

Except then I find the motor isn't QUITE straight. By eye, it looks perfect. With the record on top, it's sloping ridiculously. I try everything I can think of, but nope, it's staying like that.

Now it's 2am, and I'm wilting I've propped the little cup (with the motor inside) up as best I can with extra fondant, but I really don't know if it's going to hold. I've also had to paint the black fondant with black food colouring because the cornstarch I rolled it out on was NOT coming off with a little water. Right now I'm just praying to God that the fondant blobs set up and hold the motor cup in roughly the right position, or I might cry. Again.

I haven't slept for more than 5 hours a night for the past three weeks, and tonight was going to be my one early night. I'm so frustrated right now. All I wanted to do was come home and fall into my lovely, soft bed and SLEEP for a full seven hours, but instead I'm up at 2 in the morning (and have to be up at 6.30) trying to fix this goddamn cake.

No way am I using technology in cake again, or at least not for a VERY long time.

I understand the sentiment, but flinched upon reading your GD. Ouch! Please don't use that word!