I Feel Awful!!!

Decorating By pickles777 Updated 16 Nov 2006 , 1:22am by bigsisof3kids

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pickles777 Posted 14 Nov 2006 , 9:47pm
post #1 of 16

Ok, so my first real job for a NON family member was a full sized sheet cake! the person who wanted it was my boyfreinds mom's neighbor. It was for there parents 40th anniversary. I told her i could do the cake, but i am just a newbie! so this past weekend, i did a practice 1/2 sheet cake and it was just awful. the corners were not square, the icing started cracking after awhile and i just got so mad! I called the lady and apologized and told her i couldnt do it because it wouldnt be professional enough to feed 90 people! she said she was glad for my honesty but i still feel reallllly stupid! she was going to just get a sheet cake from the bakery before she ever talked to me so i mean she has plenty of time to do that still. But i really just feel like a failure! Am i overreacting? sorry for how long this is..i just keep thinking about it over and over!!

15 replies
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cakeatty Posted 14 Nov 2006 , 9:50pm
post #2 of 16

Sometimes, we all feel like we can't do it. If you weren't comfortable doing a cake that large, then you did the right thing. But sometimes when you don't feel like you're ready to do something and you make yourself go ahead and try, you'll be pleasantly surprised. Keep your chin up kiddo! All the rest of us have been there. This site is the BEST for great information on helping all of us baby decorators to become great decorators.

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chaptlps Posted 14 Nov 2006 , 9:50pm
post #3 of 16

Hun, the only thing that would help you get better is practice, practice and more practice. Just because the first one you tried to do turned out crappy, learn from your mistakes and go on from there. At least now you know what you should or shouldn't do and go into the next one willing to learn more and to use your experience from the last cake. It's a learning process and despite what some people say, it's an art in and of itself.
So I say, just keep goin and keep practicing til you get where you want to be and keep goin from there.

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moydear77 Posted 14 Nov 2006 , 9:52pm
post #4 of 16

You are being too hard on yourself. I look at some of my "first" cakes and gag sometimes! And people say oh please! It will be fine and you did what you felt comfortable with!

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Junecakes Posted 14 Nov 2006 , 9:52pm
post #5 of 16

You did the right thing pickles...DO NOT feel badly. Maybe just when you talk to her again let her know what kind of cakes you feel comfortable doing and that you would be happy to help if she ever needs another. And let her know you are practicing the sheet cakes! I know I can't do sheet cakes worth a $%#@! It seems sheet ckes get a bad wrap around here sometimes but I truly am in awe of those who can do them! Good luck and keep practicing!
thumbs_up.gif
Cindy

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mendhigurl Posted 14 Nov 2006 , 9:53pm
post #6 of 16

First, don't feel like a failure...you're just starting out, so you can't expect to get orders right away. I would also congratulate you on knowing your limits, and being professional and telling your client you're not able to accomodate her order. At least you practiced before, and figured out that you couldn't do it, instead of giving her a poorly decorated cake. It's really difficult to know when you're over your head, and admit it to someone. So, don't feel bad, and just take this as a learning experience, and figure out what you did wrong. Practice some more for family and friends, and then the next time, you can be confident that you'll be able to take any order.

Maybe even if you wanted, you could make a small round cake for the couple for free, so that the neighbor keeps you in mind in the future. This way you'll get your practice, and let her know that you can decorate, and that you're talented.

Don't give up...that's part of learning how to decorate cakes. Best of luck to you.

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OhMyGoodies Posted 14 Nov 2006 , 9:54pm
post #7 of 16

Sweetie you are not a failure!!! Icing cracks, mainly because the boards aren't strong enough, I recommend on your next sheet cake, 3-4 cake boards taped together and wrapped with foil. My first sheet cake (yellow happy bday cake in photos) the icing cracked horribly!!!! But after it sat out at room temp and I went to move it from the box to the table it smooshed back together no one noticed but me and hubby and I felt so awful!

As for calling her and telling her I commend you on that one. I wouldn't be able to I'd make my husband do it lol. I'd feel so embarassed and horrible that I wouldn't be able to face the person ever again.

I do suggest if you aren't happy with your current level of "training" continue practicing every chance you get. Kids and hubbys and neighbors and co-workers LOVE cake no matter what it looks like. Keep practicing and it'll happen.

I myself have been baking since I was 12, am almost 28 now. I've been decorating cakes for a lil over a year now and I still can't make a rose. I can't make any flowers at all but the drop flowers. I feel bad when someone wants to order a cake with flowers and I tell them I can't make them but can get them from the grocery store bakery department and attach them to the cake if desired and they say no they want everything to be home made by me and if I can't do flowers just yet that is fine borders and writing is great reguardless. I still feel bad over it but honey give it some time and you'll feel better about it.

Always remember this thought: WE ARE OUR OWN WORST CRITICS!!!!! Let someone else be the judge of your work, and be prepared for the constructive critisim that will come if needed.icon_smile.gif

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Titansgold Posted 14 Nov 2006 , 9:55pm
post #8 of 16

Sorry your attempt went a bit south, but the woman is right. It's a good sign that you were honest enough with yourself and with her to step back and say this was a little out of your league. And you gave her plenty of time to work out something else, so you didn't just leave her high and dry. Bravo to you for that!
I've got to agree with everyone else too. The best thing to do now is not get discouraged but to push on ahead and keep practicing! You will get lots better and when you do, it might be an idea to take over a picture to the woman who gave you a chance and show her just how far you've come. You never know, it might even generate another order and this time you'll be ready for it!

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cakesbyamym Posted 14 Nov 2006 , 9:58pm
post #9 of 16

Like everyone is saying, we've all been there. I applaud you for being honest and upfront with the customer that you didn't feel you could do it just now. Truthfully, the only way to improve at anything is practice, practice and more practice. I can see improvement just in the few cakes of my own that I've posted in my photos. Of course, I've decorated for years, but only with butter cream. Now, I'm using fondant (loving it!), gumpaste, candy melts, FBCT's and other mediums. Just keep practicing!!! You'll become an old pro in no time!!!

Amy

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CakesBySandy Posted 14 Nov 2006 , 10:00pm
post #10 of 16

Bravo for your honesty. That is very professional on your part.

Why not make a small cake that you are very confident about and deliver it to her for Thanksgiving?

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JanH Posted 14 Nov 2006 , 10:02pm
post #11 of 16

While you don't want your cakes to be "awful" - they don't have to be perfect either!

(Unless it's a wedding cake, then you strive for perfection!)

Take a closer when you're at the bakery, grocery store, or Super-whatever; their cakes are far from perfect.

One big plus you have that they don't is the ability to produce a custom cake.

Finding great recipes for the frosting, etc. is the hardest part. Everything else comes with patience and practice.

HTH

P.S. I would rather stack two 11x15's (my largest
pans) than do a full sheet cake.....

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RisqueBusiness Posted 14 Nov 2006 , 10:06pm
post #12 of 16
Quote:
Originally Posted by CakesBySandy

Bravo for your honesty. That is very professional on your part.

Why not make a small cake that you are very confident about and deliver it to her for Thanksgiving?




I concur. Not many people would have even done the practice cake. I have been doing cakes since 1978 and I still do them for practice on stuff I'm not comfortable with!

so you are on the right track there!

I agree, why not send them a cute small round cake for the family so they can serve it at Thanksgiving!

I would bring it by, with a great big smile and another sincere apology and a small price list with the sentiment that she call on your for her smaller baked needs!

Or even a platter of chocolate chip cookies on a holiday platter would go toward promoting a great deal of CUSTOMER GOOD WILL!

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KylesMom Posted 14 Nov 2006 , 10:38pm
post #13 of 16

You shouldn't feel awful; it takes courage to admit it when we aren't able to do certain things. thumbs_up.gif Don't get discouraged. Take pictures of every cake you do and you will see how much better you are getting with each one. Practice your heart out and before you know it, you'll believe that there is nothing you can't do! Also, we are our own worst critics. The public is much easier for us to please than ourselves. icon_biggrin.gif

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chocomama Posted 14 Nov 2006 , 10:43pm
post #14 of 16

Oh, how I hate sheet cakes! To me, they're as hard as just about anything else. We just have to keep at it! Best of luck to you!

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pickles777 Posted 15 Nov 2006 , 2:13pm
post #15 of 16

wow, thank you so much for all the replies! It really is helping me to quit thinking about it! hehehe I think i will make a cake for them for Thanksgiving just to show them I CAN do it! thanks again for making me not want to give up so easy!!

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bigsisof3kids Posted 16 Nov 2006 , 1:22am
post #16 of 16

Ohhhh....
I know JUST how you feel, Pickles!! My first cake order was also a full sheet cake...I never knew how Frustrating they could be. I respect that you told the customer that you didn't think you could do it. You did the right thing thumbs_up.gif
~Beth icon_rolleyes.gif

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