I have been having some bad cake luck recently, cakes not turning out so hot. Maybe I'm just burned out from making so many cakes, some recent ones going unappreciated. So It was my little twin cousins 17 birthday party and all year I had planned to make them this glorious sculpted pug cake. So the days of the party were approaching and I sat down to design this glorious cake and thought, I just cannot do this cake at all right now! I didn't have the energy or the confidence to attempt something like that. So then I decided that I would still make them a fun one tier whimsical birthday cake. I baked 1 8x3" and 1 8x2", funfetti cake with funfetti frosting as the filling (store bought frosting is something I NEVER do but this was the ONLY birthday cake me, my brothers and cousins would eat growing up) so I was going for childhood favorites. So this is when the disaster started.... It was definitely one of those gradual disasters Duff was taking about.

I cut the 8x3 into 3 layers
I cut the 8x2 into 2 layers

So I had 5 (thin) layers. I stacked them all and filled them with the funfetti frosting, carved the cake (slanted and tapered) and iced it in buttercream. Then by the time I was almost finished icing it I noticed that it was about 3 inches shorter than when I started! Like it was shrinking/sinking/something! So instead of the cake being 8inches on the top and tapered down to 6inches on the bottom like I had carved it, it was now 8 inches on top, 8 inches on bottom. So I kept carving and carving and carving slowly realizing that there may be a potential disaster any minute and that was the last thing I needed. SO...... next thing you know the cake is about 3 inches high, and about a 4 inch square! haha, I just stared at it in shock. like "how did things just go so horribly wrong" haha

Then my mom walks in and sees the whole cake in pieces in the garbage right next to me and says "Umm.... since its just on top of the garbage I can still eat it right?" Then my BF walks in and starts eating it too! I was like "You guys are eating cake out of the garbage" and they both said "Its not in the garbage its on top of it" WEIRDOS, I dunno I guess I just wasn't in the mood to eat cake out of the garbage.

Then I went to thinking "WHAT HAPPENED!" And I think what happened was the cake layers were too thin and the frosting soaked through each layer. When I was carving it, it was slowing just turning into mush. So I went to WALMART to buy them a cake and just couldn't go through with it. I even had the guy box me up two 7 inch plain cakes and I was just gonna go home and decorate them. But I couldn't do that either haha and I gave them back. (I can be unusual at times) So THEN Super BF came to my rescue and said he would bake me a cake and then I could just decorate it simple before the party. and I'm thinking (YEA RIGHT, what does he know about baking cakes) So he convinced me he could do it and I was shocked. He used the wilton cake release, the flower nail trick, the bake even strips, didn't open the oven door until at least a half hour had past. When the cake was down it cooled in the pan, I flipped it over and it was PERFECT!! I never thought he paid that much attention when I was baking.

So does anyone know if I was right maybe? that the layers were too thin and the frosting soaked through. There was ALOT of icing and not alot of cake so......The cake was defeated.

Just thought I'd share my (probably unbearably long) story with you so that you may avoid this mistake.

Danielle

I haven't attempted a topsy/turvy cake yet, so can't help with your question. How sweet of your BF! Hope you and your cousins were happy with the end result!

Ih man, I am sorry that you had such a hard time. I think you are probably right, the icing was probably too heavy for the thin layers and that is why it settled. I am glad you have such a supportive BF to take care of you when you need it. Don't give up though. The cakes are just testing you to see your endurance. I have seen your cakes and you are great!