Okay, I have another retirement cake for this friday. It's for my regular customer at the hospital.....anyway, she's been very difficult to work with and she just made things a bit more irritating.

She doesn't want me to put the cake on the plywood I have cut to size for this specific size sheet cake. She now wants me to put it on something she can just throw away. She says it's just inconvient to her to get the plywood board back to me. (HELLO, that's why I have my phone number on the bottom. Call me and I will pick it up.) Maybe she just want the transaction to be done with once I deliver the cake.

Anyway, she said that the last gal that made the cakes before she moved used to put them on a piece of hard foam?????!!!@@ I asked her where the lady got this foam and she said she thinks a craft store.

I don't want to get anything that will be cut into when cutting the cake. I told her that the board needs to be sturdy enough to support the cake!!! DUH!!!!!


So please, I need a board today. I know I should have posted a bit ago but I just now remembered. What can I use?


Amy

they have this board stuff at the craft store call........foam core I believe.....it's two thick pieces of card stock with foam sandwiched between, it's pretty sturdy.......you'd probably just have to go look and see what you think, I've never used it before. Maybe you could find a cheap piece of wood, I've even saved shelves from t.v. stands etc. that we've had over the years and used those.....because it was an old spare piece of ply wood it didn't matter to me if I got it back and I just covered it in contact paper to make it look nice......maybe you can find some old spare piece of wood for her since she was soooo lovely to you during the whole cake process LOL

Foam core huh!! HHMMMMM!!! I'll go take a look today. We have Michael's and Joann's! Hopefully I'll find something because I need it today!!!! I tell you, I am so tired of doing these boring retirement cakes!!!


Amy

Lol..........you're funny!!!!!!!! I have definitely seen it in Michael's .......not sure about Jo Anne's though......good luck, with the foam core.......the lovely customer, and of course the cake!!

IDEA: You could also place a cardboard on top of the foam and cover them as one if you're concerned with them cutting thru the foam..

I saw the foam core stuff recently at ACMoore. I was contemplating how well it would support a sheet cake. It gave a little but no where near as much as cardboard but not as string as regular wood. I didn't buy it though as I don't think I'm that concerned about the board I'm using this weekend not getting returned to me.

Well, I'm on my way out the door in about an hour (gonna take that long to get the kids ready and my COFFEE for the day)! I'll let ya'll know what I get. I'll probably do everything but stand on the board hoisted and balanced on two stacks of photo albums to test out it's strength!


Amy

You do that and let us all know. I would love to know b/c then I can buy it with coupons and not have to worry about getting my board back.

ceiling tiles from the hardware store!!

I went to Michaels and got for $4.99 and used my Joanns 40% off a 1/2 inch thick piece of foam board! That's what it's called foam board. It's in the craft section (duh, the whole store is crafty) it's where their craft paint supplies are! At least in my store that's where they were.

It's pretty sturdy and I'm sure it will work. I'll be making the cake today and when I get it on the board I'll let ya'll know at that point how it holds up. Of course once I get the icing on the cake that's another story. I'll let ya'll know then as well!!!!!


Amy

I have gotten some at my Wal-mart next to the poster board in the office section. You could try there.

Have you tried to tape a few of the cardboard cake boards together. I just hot glue mine together, then wrap in foil or paper. It makes it sturder and can be thrown away...

Just a thought

I was going to do that, tape boards together but the 13x19 are just barely big enough for the 12x18 inch cake. I want to have enough room for a bottom border and for holding and transporting. Plus I have to put another decorative fondant rope on the cake so I need room to lay it out!!!

Thank you for the suggestion. Sometimes I forget that I do have a cheaper disposable alternative!!

Amy

I would charge more for the disposable board, and see if that doesn't knock the wind out of her sails.

In the past I have hot glued two foam core pieces together to make it thicker and stronger... I have covered it with royal icing which looks cool but lately I discoverd via this website that I can use disposal table cloths (plastic) to cover the boards with... look at my latest shower cake and see the pink polka dots. Way cool and stylish.

Believe me, I would love to knock the wind out of her sails!!! But I can't because she gives me business!

I love the idea of a disposable table cloth. Never thought of that! What a great idea!



Amy

I"m with Cakepro, tell her it's because of her special request! The foam core will be sturdier than layers of cardboard though. For some cakes I've used as many as 5 layers and once you get those filled, buttercream covered layers on it it weighs a ton and I still get little hairline cracks after it's crusted and been moved!!! Argh, more frustrating than a difficult client!

Ain't that the truth!!! We'll see and I'll let her know that she really needs something sturdier like PLYWOOD!!! Just makes me wonder what the last gal's cakes looked like!


Amy

You probably just feel bitter because she "cheated"' on you with another baker......

I use foam boards for all my cakes - hot glue two 1/4" boards, cover with royal icing and glue a pretty ribbon around the edge. You can also cover with fondant, wrapping paper/clear contact paper, or whatever. I learned this method in one of Colette Peter's books and have used it for three tier cakes.

Well, in NYC the NY Baking & Supply Co., Inc. sells the hard foam core boards covered in foil, but the boards are really pricey. I'm sure there is probably a store in your area that sells the boards. A large art store might also carry the boards (without the foil).

You can get it at wal-marts 1.99 by me. I have used them I tape my I tried to hot glue but I couldn't get them to stick, can you tell me how you got them to stick.

Oh, sorry Cakemommy, I misread, she didn't cheat on you, she just moved! Oops!

Hey no problem! I'd love to know if there were photos of the woman's cakes but I doubt it. This lady that orders them doesn't mention anything to me about what she thought about the cake. Although today she did call me to confirm for friday and mentioned that she loved the rope I put on the last retirement cake that I did, one in which she did not order but was personally asked for by the retiree!!!


Amy