Hello All....

.. I wasn't sure where to put this little vent, but I put it under business, because that's what it applies to. I just have a big old question, or rather, not even a question, it's a vent, and then I want your opinions.

Here's the story: At work, the girls know that I make cakes. It's my passion, it's a past time, and I do it for friends and family right now. So one of the girls went and had this amazing wedding in Greece. Then came home to have a reception. Back in May, she told me, "I want you to make my wedding cake, the wedding is going to be 4 hours away, and since our manager is my wedding planner, she's going to be going, so she'll bring the cake, just drop it off at her house". I said, "Um, okay, well, I'd rather deliver it, but since everyone's going to be gone for your reception, I'll make that deal, and I'll take it to her house the night before, and she'll bring it to your reception."

I built a beautiful 3 tiered vanilla cake, with strawberry filling and vanilla buttercreme. It took me 16 hours to do all of this in my little kitchen, with no help. I created little filigree greek keys that ran all along the side.

I took it to the managers house on Friday. I told her before I dropped it off that her house needed to be AIR CONDITIONED. I got to the house, her husband was cooking, had all the windows/doors open and there was no A/C on. She showed up and said, "Oh, should I turn the AC on?"... and I said yes, please do. Keep it out of sunlight, keep this box covered and when you put it in your car tomorrow, make sure it's stable and your AC is on"...

Friday night goes by, and I'm worrying about this damned cake. It's out of my hands, but at this point, the bride hasn't seen it and I really want it to make it there. As well as the sheet cake of extra cake has to make it there too.

So Saturday, the big day, I go to work. I hear nothing from the manager. Nothing from the bride. One of the girls had gone to the manager's house the night before and told me, "Oh the cake looked amazing! I love it!! She's gonna love it!"....

That night, on Facebook, there was nothing about the cake. Tons of pictures of the reception. No cake. I start to worry. I don't make it to work sunday.

I get to work TODAY... Before I had to come home (due to family issues), I asked the bride.... "How was it?"

She said, "Well, I guess all the bumps in the roads, and the heat, the cake started to look pretty haggard, so 'manager' took the cake to the grocery store, had them scrap off your keys, re-ice the cake and put a gold ribbon around it. So I have no idea what it looked like before it got to me, other than the picture you put up on facebook. But I dont think you should have put it together before you deliver it. She said it was your fault, and you might want to talk to her about it for the whole story. The sheet cake came out okay though and was just fine. It looked amazing!".

So.... I'm sitting there in complete brain freeze with her. I'm going back through the whole day of working on this cake in my mind, thinking, okay, I put the supports in, the boards, the cake was double iced, the filigree was attache, it was boxed in the appropriate sized moving box, taped up nicely. Made it across town to her house in perfect shape. If anything it should have started to fall in my TRUCK which needs an ailignment. What happened?

I asked her, "So, it fell? it melted? what happened?"... and the bride goes, "I don't exactly know, you'll have to ask her and I'm really upset with you right now because it didn't make it".

Saved by a horrible bell (again family emergency) I got to come home early today, instead of feeling her angry wrath, but I just keep thinking.... What happened? She really took it to a grocery store to have it re-iced? When was there time for this?

THERE WAS NO TIME FOR THIS. Also, the grocery store she mentioned doesn't exsist in the city they drove to, so the whole "the bumps in the road killed it" doesn't make sense. There is however one of those stores right next store to the manager's house.

Who re-ices a cake? Anyone? I just know this is going to come back to me in the form of.... "I think you should pay me for what happened"... though I DID have the girl sign a form that says once it leaves my hands, I'm not responsible for it.

I think I'm just upset about it because it's the most ridiculous thing ever, because this woman has made it seem like it was MY fault the cake didn't make it there. But is it? Technically, the manager was a "representative" of the bride, which means if she didn't follow the rules I told her, she's at fault.

AAAARRRGGGHHHH!!!! What do you think? Talk to me cake goddesses and gods! ((ALSO, the cake is in my portfolio))

EDIT - ALSO, if you work at a grocery store, wouldnt it be against health code to have someone bring in a cake, and then reice it for them? My new theory is that she had a cake on order "just in case" and when she saw my cake, she decided she "as the wedding planner" didn't like it, and just threw it away.... I don't know.... I have no idea what really happened, and I'm sure I'll never know.

If the manager would have done as you asked this wouldn't have been a problem! What nerve. If you not mad well I'm mad for you. I could just slap her for being stupid w/the cake! ok im done venting for you!

Take this as lesson learned, don't ever have anyone else deliver a cake. More than likely the Manager didn't have the a/c on and she panicked, hence the no phone call. She knew it was her fault!

It sounds like you're not getting the entire true story from this girl. I would talk to the woman who delivered the cake and ask what happened.

It sounds awfully fishy and I doubt a grocery store bakery would work on somebody's cake...unless she knows the person working there.

It had to travel 4 hours? That could be part of the problem if it wasn't properly placed in their car and they drove like maniacs.

I agree, I'm not getting the whole story. I also agree, I don't think a grocery store bakery would re-ice a random cake. I edited the end of my post, just as you were posting. We're both on the same wavelength. I think that's against some sort of health code. Sadly, I know that the manager wont ever tell me what really happened. Part of the reason I'm looking for a new job.

How terrible. Im sorry this happened to you. Never let someone deliver your cake again........
Only thing I dont get is, if the bride saw the cake pic on facebook, then she knee it looked good....so why would she be mad at you? SOmething is really rotten in denmark me thinks

If you are looking for a new job-ask what happened and ask for a picture. Seems odd that one wasn't posted...

I have worked at the very largest grocery store chain there is in the US. We couldn't even take our OWN product back into the bakery if the customer left the store with it. If something happened in the PARKING LOT and the customer came back and asked us to fix it, we had to make a whole new cake. Cross contamination is a huge risk and unless this grocery store is a mom and pop kind of thing, I can't imagine them taking a cake they didn't bake and icing it in their bakery with their icing and their tools.

The only time I had a cake disaster with a wedding was when I did a scenario similar to this. I was going on vacation, someone else decided they could deliver the cake, they let it sit for 2 days without air conditioning, and the cake fell over in the car. Luckily, she had enough supplies to fix it, but needless to say my vacation was ruined, the delivery person's weekend was ruined, and the cake wasn't as nice as it should have been. I reimbursed 70%, even without them asking, because really, I should have known better. I am the pro, they are not, and if I couldn't do the cake and see it through, then I shouldn't have agreed to take the order.

I do have to say, that when I originally took the order, I was planning on going. When they scheduled me to work, and let everyone else off, I told the bride the situation. That's when the manager said, "oh, I'll deliver the cake, since I'm the wedding planner. That's what we do."

I do have to say that this probably came down to the fact that the bride didn't want to pay my gas mileage to deliver the cake. She kept saying, "oh we'll see, we'll see" just before the scheduling incident.

My husband has a new theory. He thinks she had a cake already ordered at the grocery store. The store is a pretty big chain (owned by Super-valu) so, we're thinking she just wanted to be the "center of attention" as always and had a cake already ordered.

Thank you for the info about not being able to take the cake in to a store. I kind of figured the whole health code thing came into play.

Something is very wrong. I will be asking when I get back on friday for an explanation of what all went down.

My first thought-- when you dropped the cake off the a/c wasn't on. That was clue #1 for me. The manager didn't seem to concerned with the well being of the cake.

Wonder if the icing began melting at the managers house, she scrapped it off and re-iced it before delivering it. Them made up a story that the bride would buy like having it re-iced at a grocery store thus saving her butt

Honestly, I think this lady would have taken the credit had she actually re-iced it. She's just that kind of person, Ya know?

Another odd thing: The bride says she "never ate a piece of it cause she was too busy".... and the other girl who went, as well as the girl who commented about seeing it the night before, refused to even talk to me today.

Someone knows something. I asked my best friend who works with me (and is not a part of that "group of people"), who will be there over the next couple days, to try and see if she can figure out what really happened. I'm sure they'll see through her "super sleuthing ways"... but you never know. Someone out there will say something.

I just want a straight answer. I deserve at least that, right?

Could the wedding planner have decided she didn't like the cake and/or maybe could have done a better job and scrapped the icing off herself? I'm just searching for different possibilities here. I certainly don't know any of these players but you just never know what's going on behind closed doors and what makes people "tick". Something happened and you are in the dark about it. It also sounds like others there are feeling guilty about something. I liked your design, BTW.

Could you get the bride, the planner and that other co-worker all together at one tiime and start asking questions. It would be harder for everyone to keep their stories straight if you're firing off questions at all of them at the same time.

There's nothing worse than someone trying to 'dodge the bullet"! LOL

That is awful!!! I'm so sorry this happened to you!!! I feel that you did nothing wrong by letting the manager take the cake as long as you explained everything in detail and had her sign a contract and she still chose to do it that way!!! That was the risk that she took as a customer! Not your responsibility! Instead of letting her be mad at you, I'd be informing her to back up!!! (I sound so much tougher in writing than I really am, lol) you should be mad at her!! You have every right to defend yourself! Argh!!! :/

I don't think they're telling you the whole truth. Perhaps either the bride, or the wedding planner/manager (or both) were unhappy with the cake you made, and telling you they had your cake re-iced is the story they're going with because they don't want to outright tell you they didn't like yours so bought another.

I can't help but think this started even before the cake was delivered though. Why did your manager (the wedding planner) at the last minute decide YOU (the cake maker) had to work when everyone else had time off for the wedding? Did she see some of your work and not like it or something?...so she figured if you were not at the wedding they could switch the cake with one bought elsewhere without you finding out? (either with or without the brides knowledge)

Another thing I'm wondering is if the bride ASKED YOU to make the cake? or did you OFFER?...because if you offered without her asking, then maybe she didn't actually want you to make her cake at all and was just saying yes so as not to offend you, then let you make it, but used another.

I'm just speculating, throwing these ideas out there - because it really does seem like there must be more to the story than what they're telling you.

Oh my god your story is like a T.V SOAP....and these people you work with sound like a bunch of B$%^hS, I am feeling for you. I just want to jump on a plane and fly from New Zealand to where ever it is you work and give them a piece of kiwi attitude...for real.

I hope these freaks give you some sort of decent answer. And yes you really do need to find a new job...Sorry i dont have any real advice, havent enough cake decorating experience yet to be able to.

But like you this is a passion and for some one to just S#%T all over your work doesnt feel very nice. THESE NON CAKERS HAVE NO IDEA THE BLOOD,SWEET, TEARS & LOVE WE PUT INTO THESE CREATIONS.....Best of luck....ill keep tabs on this post for some updates.

I believe the cake started to melt at the planner house bc it will take a bit for the house to be cool since all the doors n windows were all open, the kitchen was very hot from the husband cooking, too. This is not your fault bc the bride did told u to take the cake to the planner period. U DID DELIVERY IT WERE U WERE TOLD. One of the lady's or gil show it after u left n it was fine. If they didnt want to tell u what happened oh well, but u need to stand ur grounds n let the bride know u dont have nothing to do with that n she needs to take it up with the planner. The planner told her something and she went on with it, maybe. Plus no one else is saying anything bc that's there boss n she probably told them to be quiet about it. N plus the bride is trying to say it's ur fault bc she can not say that to her boss/planner n trying to get money back some how but not from boss/planner

My theory (for what its worth!) is:

You made fabulous cake (fact)
After you dropped it off at managers house (definitely fishey you suddenly got rostered when everyone else was off) she/hubby did something to ruin it. Manager panics. Either the store actually did re-ice it or she knows someone who works in the store who came to her house to re-ice it and save her butt. Manager lies to the bride and says it was how you made the cake (or some other BS) so that she is mad at you and thinks the manager saved the day by getting it re-iced. Manager is smug she got away with her mess and sounds like a cow so doesnt care she has caused problems between you and the other girl. The others probably got fed the same BS by the manager or the bride was upset and repeated what she had been told by the manager which they all believe is true (or one of them is involved in the cover up so is avoiding you but thats difficult to tell from here without knowing about body language)

I hope you find out the truth and the bride realises she is in the wrong to blame you but when you get another job and are leaving I would go to the bride and say you know she has been told something, you are not quite sure what but this is the truth, tell her your side of the story and leave it at that. Even if she doesnt believe you immediately she will at least have heard your side and be very suspicious of the manager.

Just to clarify....
The bride did ask me to make the cake after she saw a graduation cake I'd made for someone else in the store, and she decided the caterer that she was getting her food from was "incompetent". Which she still bought a whole food spread from them, so I'm not sure how truthful that was.

I think in all honesty, she thought she'd get a cheaper cake in comparison to others if she asked me to do it. Which she did.

I'd be more than happy if someone just out and out told me.... "we didn't like your cake".... that would be so much better than this feelin right now.

I dont think they're trying to get money from me, but if they were, its the reason why the bride said, "you have to ask the manager for more details." The bride pretty much let the manager plan the wedding how she wanted, and the bride just said, "okay" to everything.

I have a job interview for a different position thursday afternoon, so I'll be home just in time for that (out at family ER). Let's all cross our fingers that I get that job. (Or hey, if anyone lives in the Twin Cities and needs an admin/cake decorator/PR specialist... let me know! My current job as you can see is INSANE).

Keep the theories coming, I love them. They're really helpful in trying to figure out in my own brain whats going on. Newest theory from my husband is because the manager is a wedding planner outside of work, she has a cake decorator on retainer somewhere that helped her out, whether she's a grocery decorator or what.

Yikes, sounds like a mess! It sucks even more that you have to work with these crazies! All the previous theory's sound good to me. Really it could have been anything. Did you have a picture of your cake to show her? Ask them for a picture of the other cake in question... Maybe like someone said it is a completely different cake?

Lesson learned... Never let someone else deliver your cake! When I have client's pick up cakes, I tell them that once it is in their hands, it is no longer my responsibility. They could trip walking to the car, it is not my fault!

It definitely sounds like a nightmare! I'm the type of person to get everyone together and have a chat about it all. I don't like confrontation and I also do not like to let things drag on with uncertainty. Find out what happened! Maybe you can take the pic of your wedding cake to your job for comparison and show it around to the people that went. Get their input of what it actually looked like at the ceremony. I really want to know what happened! Keep us posted!

I wouldn't even do another cake for any of my co workers. It keeps the mess down. it only takes one person to ruin it for everyone else.

Well, if as you stated in your decription on the photo, that the girl had to wear a sweater for the 4 hours it took to deliver the cake, then something MUST have happened at the house before they left, or SOMEONE slammed on the brakes, and the cake took the choke in the car...........

I don't understand why you don't just ask the manager what happened that night, whether she is honest with you or not. I think I would want everyone together though manager, bride, and the person that witnessed the cakes fitness. Ask the bride why she is angry with you when you did exactly as she asked you to do. The cake was delivered to the manager as per her request. You cannot be held liable for what the manager did after the cake left your posession.

Wow, that's total injustice. I hate being left in the dark as anybody else would. Find out what happened, confront your manager or other coworkers (like many above have mentioned) and get to the bottom of it. It's your right to know, because there's something definitely shady about this!

Please do let us know if you find out the real story. Such a horrible experience!

I would love to tell you all what happened, but I'm afraid I wont know until I go back to work friday.

Of course, whether I get the true story or just a story, you all will be the first to know!!

CLOSE!!! Cosmetics!!!!