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Original message sent by scwright
well at least she was nice about it she seems like a good client did you offer her some sort of discount for her next purchase
Sent her email with free dozen decorated cookies and a 25% discount on next cake order.
I do 90% full delivery and rarely will have pick ups, but I do sell cakes to long-distance clients who are meeting me in town and then they drive it out to their house. I don't buy into the once it is out of my hands, it isn't my problem school of thought. I am selling a cake that will have to travel, I have a responsibility to construct it so that it will get there, if I am driving it or someone else.
My personal rules for cake construction for safe delivery:
. I always deliver very cold cakes that are in secure boxes.
. cakes always travel on flat surfaces with a double box cold pack and /or shading if super hot out
. I use SPS or bubble tea straws with either one or two center dowels speared into the cake drum.
. I also use a level on each tier and measure each bubble straw precisely so that any tilt that could cause problems is nipped in the bud.
. For remote or distant deliveries where I question the stability of filling, I will refuse to do some things. I have a fresh honey strawberry filling that i know that can be finicky, so I only offer it if the delivery can handle it. Same with a soft cream cheese filling on hot days for long deliveries. I don't care if the customer wants it--if I think that it will compromise the stability of the cake, I won't do it and explain why.
AThere is a photo in my gallery of a 3 tier square cake. It has a red pattern on the top 2 tiers.
I knew better, but I stuck that thing in my car ON that pedestal stand. I wasn't even out I the neighborhood when it tilted forward. I swung my hands out to catch it & it went backward jus rebirth to tap the seat. I took it inside & repaired the very small dent.
I went back out to the car & secured the stand better with some towels.
My point is, that's some rather dramatic angles & swaying & bumping. My cake didn't fall apart. Sure, cakes aren't going to withstand poor treatment, but they should withstand slamming on breaks or a little tilt.
I made this birthday cake, I put 6 wooden dowels in and the center dowel too with cardboard underneath cakes. It was a chocolate cake with vanilla mousse with berries. It was fine when I moved it and it was sitting for a few hours until client came to pick it. She calls me 20 minutes later and tells me that the cake fell and sent me a picture. My relatives tell me that once the cake it out in clients hands its not my responsibility anymore and I shouldn't feel bad about it because I did what I had to do. I feel like its my fault that I must of done something wrong so what did I do?
The title of of your thread is "What did I do wrong?". Besides what the other posters already told you about the support system, what I found 'wrong' is your 'vanilla mousse with berries' filling that's been 'sitting for a few hours until client came to pick it'. Obviously you're baking from home in CA. If you're a legal Cottage Food Operator, you would have known that mousse and berries are not allowed because it is potentially hazardous. You would have known about it too if you took the required food processor training course.
I know this is not what you were asking about or maybe not what you want to hear, but blatant disregard of the law irritates me. CA is lucky to have a CFL, some states don't have that.
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Original message sent by thecakewitch
I apppriciate your concern but there ia nothing to fear. The mousse is not an actual mousse and it is bought at cake specialty store which was approved by my county.
If that's the case then you're not telling the truth when you write this:
Mission
Do you consider commercially bought filling/frosting 'from scratch'?
What about your Whipped Cream and Cream Cheese Filling, are they bought from the store too?
Do yourself and your customers a favor and learn about Cottage Food Law and get licensed.
I deliver every cake on my lap, even 3 tier wedding cakes, while my husband drives. no problem if you shift weight and lift around turns. FROM your photo, what happened was a person holding the cake not tightly and a quick break job... cake slid apart and went down hill from there. I use SPS
Happened to me once when I let someone pick up cake and put it in there back seat, cake slid apart..on a turn. Never again...for me after that..
If that's the case then you're not telling the truth when you write this:
Mission
Do you consider commercially bought filling/frosting 'from scratch'?
What about your Whipped Cream and Cream Cheese Filling, are they bought from the store too?
Do yourself and your customers a favor and learn about Cottage Food Law and get licensed.
I need to have my license to look at certain groups on Facebook revoked because I see at least a couple of people selling from scratch items for pennies all the time. Funny thing is, the pie crusts are store bought, the cheesecakes are unnaturally white and have no skin on top from baking (no bake), and the icing on cupcakes is usually so shiny it blinds you (canned)
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Original message sent by AZCouture
I delivered many cakes on my lap. I could gently lift the box up over bumps, shift it a bit on turns, etc. Can be done quite successfully if you know what you're doing.
this^^^^^ Every cake I have ever delivered has been either in my hands or my husbands...we are able to anticipate turns and bumps...works beautifully....this was a support issue...I have even had customers pick up a three tiered cake and lean the whole box at a 10 degree angle and that bad boy didnt shift at all..it did give me a heart attack though
AI have has this happen to me also...:-( .it was heartbrakong seeing apocture of my cake destroyed before it reached its destination and im terribly sorry it happened to you. My cake was a three tier buttercream finished cake...dowels in each tier and one through the center. The mistakes I made....plural...was allowing the customers friend to pick up....in a f150 and have it on a lap for 30 minutes across town......I know....what did I expect.? Days of hard work down the drain. But...learnt my lesson..that's what counts right?
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