Cake Week From H---.... Long
Decorating By lonestarstamper Updated 22 Nov 2006 , 7:37am by MarciaStewart
I have had a week that makes me want to throw in the towel (but I refuse too!). I had a cake due on Wednesday of this week. It was the two tier princess cake in my photos. I finished the cake on Tuesday but it looked absolutely horrible. The top tier was leaning so bad even my husband kept making suggestions on how I could fix it. I ended up getting up very early on Wednesday and making more cake and completely re-did the top tier. I still wasn't totally happy with it because I had to use the bottom tier that was bulging in between the layers. It was so not my usual work. But my friend was very happy with it (it was for her 4 year old daughter). So I have another cake order for Saturday for a Halloween birthday party. It's another two tier cake with a spider on top. Since I had to re-do the other cake on Wednesday, I didn't get to bake Saturday's cake. I started a new job on Thursday and had a ten-hour training session. I was so brain dead and beat I could not even function when I got home from work. And I forgot to mention that I've had a headache since Monday that I think is allergy related. Nothing is working for it. Anyway, I get up early today (Friday) and start baking Saturday's cake. Everything is going along just fine. I get all the cakes baked. Two 10" layers of pumpkin spice with chocolate, two 12" layers of carrot and a half sports ball and mini ball pan of chocolate. Okay, so the larger layers are in the fridge and the balls are cooling. I get the 10" layers filled, layered and frosted. Then I take out the 12" layers and thought they looked pretty level without me having to cut any off the top. But when I put the top layer on, it cracked! I was afraid to just continue because I didn't want to find it cracked after I spent a lot of time fixing it and icing the whole thing. So I thought, well maybe I could just remove the top layer and remake it. When I tried to remove the top layer, it took a huge chunk out of the bottom layer! ARRRRGGGG! It was already 10:15 p.m.. My husband was standing there with the most shocked look on his face. By this time I'm so disgusted and exhausted I can't even cry. He had to run to store for me to get more carrots. When he got back he asked where the cake was and I told him I threw it in the trash. I know it was so wasteful but I was so upset I couldn't even look at it. So I made two more 12" layers of carrot cake which took forever because I can't fit both in my oven at the same time. I ended up decorating the middle tier as well as the spider that is the top tier. It looks fine and just needs the finishing touches and to be stacked on the bottom tier tomorrow when I finally get it done. So I'm cleaning up the kitchen and need to take the cakes out the pans to let them finish cooling and when I turned one of the layers over, my finger caught the side of the cake and took a chunk out! I just stood there and stared at it for a moment. I can't even cry or curse or anything by this time. I'm so disgusted with myself! I think I'm just going to hang it up for today. It's almost 2:00 am. I think I might be able to patch the little chunk back into place. At least I sure hope so. Maybe tomorrow will go better. I just needed to vent to people who would understand. Do you ever wonder why you make cakes? This was one of those weeks for me. Thanks for letting me vent.
Yvette
lonestarstamper,
You have had one heck of a week 
.
When I have a sinus headache, I don't even want DH to talk to me, it hurts so bad so I admire your perserverance.
Your cakes (yes, even the pink tiara princess) are beautiful - so you are very critical of yourself....
Hope your head feels better and everything goes smoothly for you later today 
I also just posted on the other one with the same thing going on. Like I told her get some good nights sleep, tomorrow is another day. Wake up take some deep breaths and go from there. It is Sat. another day it will get better. I won't go into my weekend like I did on the other one. I am also on a cake marathon this weekend and next. Not weddings at least. Just ones dear to my heart. Tomorrow will be a better day 
OH I do feel for you what a terrible week you have had.... but always remember.... WE ourselves are too critical over our cakes....I've just looked at your cake it's fine....my daughters are always on at me for being unsatisfied with mine.......it must be the STRIVE for PERFECTION thing... Hope you feel better soon
I made it through the week. Thank you for letting me vent and for your kind words of encouragement. The spider cake I was actually happy with when it was all done. It got rave reviews and everyone loved the taste too. I was never more relieved to get through this week. I don't have any cake orders for this week which is good because I have one or two overnight shifts at my new job and a huge order for a store's birthday party the following week. So I'm gonna take a much needed break and play (making decorated cookies) this week. I'm gonna try to attach pics of the spider cake to this post, if not then it will be in my photos. Thanks again and I'm so thankful to have a place to post and vent my frustrations.
Hugs,
Yvette
I completely understand your week, I just had a similar one. However, I am throwing in the towel. You're a tough lady and your cake looks great.
Michele
What an adorable cake! And yes frequently I wonder why I do cakes. I have even STOPPED doing cakes a few times, but I always get sucked back in when I remember that I actually LIKE making cakes, LOL.
(well most of the time)
Take a long nap and get that headache cured and you will feel like your old self in no time. : )
I know this posting was from last month, but I just had to say, I love love love your spider cake. It's so cute regardless of your struggles!!! I had a similar baby shower cake this past weekend that I thought would send me to the looney bin. I even refused to send business cards along with it as the customer had requested. I was so upset, but the mom to be loved it. You did a fantastic job!!
I am very newbie, but I think your cake is beautiful. Such great color. I always thought black frosting tasted yucky. What do you think? Can you get colors that bright without effecting the taste?
Anything that is black on the cake is Wilton's ready made chocolate frosting. I only had to add a little bit of black paste color (I used Wilton's). It still just tasted like chocolate. And although the colors are very vivid (purple and orange), I don't think I added a good deal of color to that either. I definitely used more purple than I did orange but they both tasted just fine. I colored all my frosting the day before I used them so they did get darker when I used them.
Now coloring frosting red is a whole other story...
I never would've thought that you could add color to chocolate frosting. Well, you learn something new everyday! Thanks for the great info.
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