Hello everyone in CC Land.......Uuhhmmmm.... I have something really "odd" to ask.......
Yesterday, while I was in one of the cake supply stores I go to,, this very nice lady started talking to me...The first thing she said to me was,,"oh, you do cakes?!", I said, yes.....Then she saw me picking up some cake boxes and then asked me,,"why are you getting cake boxes?"..I just looked at her with this "odd" look I had. She then told me that when she delivers her cakes, she just puts them in her vehicle, wraps lots and lots of blankets around them and goes.
My first thought to myself was, what happens when the sun hits the cake, you know "fading of colors"....And then there is the dust and yuck that could land on the cakes...
Then she politely said to me after she saw me picking up some bottles of Ameri-Gel and asked me, "why aren't you using the paste colors?". I told her that I still use the paste colors, however, I am finding that the Ameri-Gel colors are more vibrant and it doesn't fade and it blends more quickly in mixing for colors....Then she told me, now check this out.....she told me she has never used Ameri-gel and that it was "yucky" to use??? What?? Was I hearing her correctly?? But,,,,,she was grabbing some bottles of the stuff as she was then also telling me she was going to do a butterfly cake.....
She then asked me if I took any classes for cake decorating and I proudly told her yes I did, she asked where and I told her through Wilton Instructors via Michaels Crafts... She told me, "those classes are not really that good"...What??? I am saying to myself........Again, I had that deer in the headlights look at her....
She then........was telling me she had been doing cakes,,,for 30 years and quit a while ago, got rid of all ALL her pans, stuff, books, etc....and now is getting back into it...
She was asking me about Fondant, if I liked it, I told her, I love working with Fondant and Gumpaste for flowers.....She didn't know what either of these could do for cakes..So I graciously explained it to her....
Then she asked me about how to make a butterfly cake. I asked her if she was going to do like a 3-D / hand sculp type or use the Novelty Shape pan.
She didn't know there is a novelty shape pan out there...
She then was asking about how to make butterflies and I explained to her based on "my own" way of making them, but also offered her this website and wilton and some others for tips, etc....

She told me that a CA Cake place in Redlands? does classes?? Anyone know of this and do they do classes...I asked her what did they specialize in, she said, "well,,, cakes of course!!" And that they were far better than the classes from Wilton and Michaels Crafts. But she also said, she took these classes from about 30 years ago..????????

So, I looked up online via the yellow yahoo pages and couldn't find anything. Perhaps I am looking at the wrong way of finding this??

One other thing she mentioned to me was that Wilton's cake pans were terrible, I told her, I thought they were great......I have had no problem with them so far.......anyone else have or had problems with these pans??

I sorry to be going on and on and on.....but WOW,,,she really blew my fuse?? I even had to get my crystal ball out of the dishwasher to really look into all this she said to me........
She asked for my cake card, and I gave her one, then was asking me how much I charge for cakes.....I left there wondering to myself "am I doing this cake thing all wrong or what??"

Thanks for reading this......have a nice day........
crashdummy

Sounds to me like she lied about making cakes for over 30 years!

I would just chalk it up as running into a slightly crazy lady. LOL. Sounds like she doesn't have a clue and doesn't know what is going on currently. I wouldn't pay any attention to anything she said. Some people just like to act like they know what is going on whether they do or not.

I'm not laughing at you, I'm laughing with you...
HA HA HA HA HA HA HA.. Who said you can teach an old dog new tricks! New ones hell, not even old ones.. Very weird!!!

That sounds really weird...where has she been all these years...? Maybe she was just feeding you a line to get information out of you because she wants to start doing cakes...and doesn't know where to start...

I wouldn't be surprised if she called you and asked more questions....

Weird!!!!...

Keep on baking...

Cindy

If the result is good, then it should matter how you got there. I guess what I mean is that just because she is telling you she does it one way doesn't mean it is the right way. Ask a 100 decorators, and they will all tell you a different way of doing 1 thing. I am self taught, so I KNOW that my way is probably not "the right" way, but oh well.
Anyway, I was LOL at some of the things you said that lady said. how did you keep a straight face?
Kelly

I think this lady is a few ingredients short of a cake batter. I think she was trying to make herself look good, but instead I think she made herself look silly. It was like she was telling you what not to do, but then picking up info on what to do. Just like with the coloring. It confuses me. I could imagine how you felt.

Strange........very strange.

I've run into people like that in the craft store in the wilton aisle.........what are you gonna do??? You told her to come here......so maybe she'll figure out what's going on in the caking world today vs. what it was like 30 yrs. ago! Back then I'm sure they thought a few simple flowers was the coolest thing.......but today that's the norm. She'll probably go insane if she sees a carved cake LOL

I'm sorry,,,I just remembered the other thing this lady told me......She had asked me about how do or would I keep a cake from not getting dry....I told her I put my cakes in the fridge for 24 hours to firm up, then I do the crumb coat thing first,,let it get good and crusted.....(I guess that's the word),,then really slather on the buttercream icing and you all know all those other great things we do to the cakes to get that smooth look, etc....
She said to me...."oh no no no dear,,,don't put your cakes in the fridge,,just after baking and cooling, flip them out of the pan, then crumbcoat the cake and just leave the cake out on the counter for 24hrs", I asked her won't the cake dry up or if you are using butter in the buttercream icing, won't it spoil?
She tells me no no....

I don't know,,,I just thought the whole thing was really really weird.......but I do know this,,,those that I have done cakes for, etc....have been repeated customers.....(except for the "nut" who lives down the street from me) I don't do cakes for her no more........So, otherwise, I must be doing something right..

THanks for the feedback.......really appreciate it much........[/i]

Odd, odd, odd. That's all I have to say. Odd.

Hmm Sounds like she had skipped her medication.
I think some people believe that being negative about everything makes them look informed. I would just try to forget about the entire conversation. Besides, customers are the only opinions that matter.

Usally w/ those types of people all you can do is listen a be polite - which you were. Not sure if I'd have given her my card ("I would ma'am, but I don't have any with me today"), but she'll probably just lose it anyway.

I'm was in a class once and this one gal just kind of did her own thing, and the instructor tried to help her out some, but pretty much had to leave her to herself. It was weird, as were her cakes.

Cake Beauty is in the eye of the beholder I guess!

I agree with Aztec9206 - I think she was trying, in a very strange way, to get info out of you. What a nut!

That's funny that i read this yes indeed i do know about the cake store in redland i am taking classes there its great (had class last night) i have been doing this whole cake thing solo other then the help i get from everyone here and i have already learned some net tricks! They are a lot more detailed then the michales classes its a 2 hour class and its for seven weeks! if you want more info about it i would love to share

That lady sounds krazy

souns like a lady with minor mental problems to me. i wouldn't have given her my card.

well I do think she was right about not having to refrigerate your cakes....my buttercream has butter in it and a tiny bit of heavy cream and it has been fine out of the fridge for several days (they tell me the sugar stabilizes it)---of course this is not true off all icings or fillings.....but like someone else said, we all do things differently and not necesarily the "right" way.... luckily I never meet anyone in the Wilton isle! LOL

Ok she's nutty.... but I do agree about the pans. Wilton's don't have super straight edges and sharp corners. They wilton professional are better, but majic line is superior!

You all make me laugh......especially "the few short ingredients of a cake batter"........

But I totally agree with what your all saying,,,,,maybe she was just trying to pick my brain........
As for my cake card.....she probably will lose it, and IF she does call me,,I promise,, I will let you all know......

Thanks again.......for the support and your funny funny comments,,you all sure know how to make someone better.....

And yes, I thought she / it was weird,,even though I was very polite to her as she was to me......

Enjoy the impending phone call. Sounds like you made a new friend!!

I think she was maybe a little off and definitely a lot lonely.

If she does cakes, why did she want your card?

Good luck! This may become very awkward for you.

Hello crashdummy2,
That was such a stange lady. She had been baking for 30 years? I wanted to let you know that there is such a place in Redlands. Its called California Cake Decorations and Supply Company its owned by Sally Edelman and is located at 11 West Colton Ave, in Redlands California. She also teaches cake decorating classes I personally haven't mine there. I took mine at Sweet Mercantile. The lady there was an excellent instructor.

I think she probably DID cakes and then probably realized (after you wanting to know what kind of butterfly cake she had in mind) that you know WAY more about cake decorating right now than she does!! I can't believe she doesn't box her cakes....wraps them in a blanket??? eewww...I'm imagining a 30 yr. old blanket with fuzzies on it and everything being wrapped around a beautiful tiered wedding cake!! That's so nasty!!! There should be a cake black list for people who are known to do nasty stuff with cakes that you order from them ...so the public can be warned LOL

I have done cakes for a long time now but I am more than willing to learn more from others. Yes I teach but I am still learning too. I will till the day I die. I figure that as long as I am learning I am living.

Perhaps she twisted her words a bit. Maybe she hadn't done cakes for 30 years, but did cakes 30 years ago! She may have just felt embarrassed about not knowing a whole lot about the different aspects of the craft/art, or felt out of place in a cake store, who knows.
You are not going about this all wrong at all. In fact, I am going to try the gel instead of the paste and see how it works for me. Thanks for that tip!

Remember that things were a LOT different back then! That was when my grandma did them, and most things beyond a border and a few flowers were for the pro's only. I mean, she still can't make a rose - never needed to learn then! Those were specialty items. Cake boxes? They weren't so accessible, and you just DIDN'T throw things away!

She's from a whole nother "cake generation."

Too bad you weren't wearing your wading boots 'cuz it sounds like the B_llSh_t was getting pretty deep. Just because she's old doesn't mean she knows everything, there maybe a tad of truth in what she is saying (maybe experience or just dumb luck). She obviously has very low self esteem, you can spot those kind of people by the way they belittle people around them to make themselves seem better.

she sounds like one of those "i do it different and i do it better ladies" those who pretend to be experts about topics they know nothing about. A crazy lady! lol

Ok, I just have to ask (and to add some humor) what kind of town do you live in???

I mean, with the neighbors and all.....LOL!!!!!


Maybe what she was saying was based on 30 yrs. ago. I hope she soon learns how to do some of these things that she was talking about and realizes that other things are so bad, like the pans; and I really hope she learns some communication etiquette.