I had a really hard time with this stupid cake. So it ended up being much more simple than I intended. I tried making this with that too sweet icing recipe. !! Way to sweet! So I finally got it toned down and iced my cake. It wouldn't crust. So my icing is not smooth at all. Note to self- your icing is great! Stick with what works!!

Then I messed up the "H" in happy.... The "D" looks like a "B".....

I gave up and was so frustrated. This is a cake on the level that I was on when I first started- way back taking starter classes. I'm so disappointed. Not at all what I had planned.

20-piece ccc, all buttercream. Buttercream Lily of the valley and Ivy. Cross is BC Glaze.

This is not going into my portfolio or on my picture website for customers. I'm only posting it because so many here are under the delusion I am great at all things... Nope.. Not even close... not me!!! I have really really bad cake days, too.

http://community.webshots.com/photo/105829536/287871403rschyR

But Dawn, you learned something from it and I'm sure it tastes good, so all's well that ends well. Thank you for sharing with us too.

Awww, we all have days where nothing seems to go the way we want it to. My instructor told me that it is better to walk away from the cake for a while if you are frustrated or if something is not clicking right. I have to tell you tho, that I think the border is beautiful!

We are our own worst critics...I'm rarely totally satisfied with a cake. When I look at your cake, I can't tell the icing isn't smooth and your writing blows mine out of the water. Whenever I'm dissatisfied with a cake I've decorated, I just tell myself "Lisa, you see beautiful cakes all the time. The person you're making this for has not seen what you have seen. They will think it is fine or maybe even good." We see cakes like art collectors see paintings--with a trained eye. I'm convinced everyday people don't see what we see.

That's exactly right, Lisa. 'Another reason never to point out what *we* see as flaws in our cakes. Joe Schmo and Jane Doe on the street likely don't spend 25 hours a day looking at cake photos the way we do.

Well, I'm only a beginner (REALLLL BEGINNER) but I'd say all things considered, it looks damned good....

You guys are too funny.

Yes, the cake is OK and the people receiving it will probably say, "How pretty." But even Joan, normally 110% supportive, said, "What happened here?"

I know the cake is OK. It's just not up to my standard. But I still believe firmly in not telling the customer that. (wink) We can tell each other what we think..... but never any one else.

nashsmom- the border is the only thing I was happy with!!

Thanks everyone!!

"Only a mediocre person is always at his best." --from author W. Somerset Maugham

I think it looks pretty good. The reverse shell top border is awesome! I tried it one and had the hardest time with it.

Joe

Joe- my thing is remembering that I'm doing the reverse shell. I've messed up many times forgetting to switch directions.

dawn, we are our worst critiques, however, you know how well you can do cakes and the best thing to do, is to learn from any, if any, mistakes, learn from them, and move on to perfection!!

ok, if that cake was a bad ccc then any of mine should be called "aches" instead of cakes...... it looks great to me. I was expecting complete horror, no where close to that.