Would Love To Hear Your Opinion On This!
Decorating By mykidsarekillingme Updated 5 Sep 2007 , 7:19pm by springlakecake
I recently did a cake for a customer of mine and just found out that it collapsed! The picture is in my photos it is the space shuttle. I've been doing cakes for this woman for 6 years now. In the beginning she used to get flat sheet cakes but recently she has been requesting these grand 3d cakes to feed 100+. Also in the beginning I found out that she used to leave her cake out for 2 days prior to serving because she didn't have room in her fridge. I now stipulate on my order form and customer receipt how to store a cake. Anyway she wanted this cake for a Thursday pickup. I baked and started to assemble on Tuesday and finished Wednesday. She called Thursday to say she would pick up on Friday night. The cake was 16" round yellow cake with Chocolate cream filling. The shuttle consisted of 2 6" rounds sitting on a cake board with 4 dowels beneath and 2 dowesl through to the board. On top was another cake board and 2 more 6" rounds. 2 Dowels were placed through that with a sports ball plced on top. 2 more dowels through that and then a 1/2 inch thick dowel through the hole shuttle down to the base of the board. The wings were attached with 2 dowels throughout the side of the cake and resting on boards. The booster rockets were paper towels tubes covered in fondant with a dowel through the center of each down to the base of the board. That thing was solid!!! She finally picked up at 10:00 pm. Friday night. She lives 1 hour away. The party was on Sunday, not Saturday as I was first told and the cake needed to make it into the city which from her house was 1 ans 1/2 hours. When I called her Monday to see how things worked out I left a message. She finally called today to say the the shuttle fell into the base. I don' t see how mind you and I asked did you refrigerate? After a slight pause she said yeess? But then added in that when she returned home her fridge had died. She didn't complain and actually felt bad telling me and I offered her a discount on her next cake which she refused but I know she got home with that cake and had no room for it so left it out. I feel that it looks bad for me that when people ask where she got the cake they're going to think I did a shitty job. And the cake was fine in my house for 3 days before she finally picked it up. So what do you think?
well, could the chocolate cream filling(which i doubt should have been left out) collasped making the top cakes sink into the bottom. The time frame seems pretty long for a cake to be sitting out, and especially a cream filling to be out of the fridge that long, would really worry me.
The other thing is could the boards have weakened, with the cake sitting on them for so long??
okay SOOO impressed with your gallery!!!
You do amazing art work in the cake medium. 
I'd say that no matter how well this lady is paying that she is actually going to cost you in the long run. She obviously can't operate in a manner that protects the product you are making for her. She is being negligent ( you could get sued if someone gets food poisoning from those beautiful cakes 
)
I say that you need to make a new deal with her that states that she sign a waver when she picks up the cakes that she is now responsible for the refrigeration of it. But that still won't keep them from falling apart because she wants them days earlier than the party. 
Nope, I guess if it were me I'd only make a cake for her again if she pays for delivery and you get to set it up AT the event ON THE DAY of the party. That would be the only way I can see that you'll be able to protect your good name.
And of course she would get a cake that didn't fall apart. 
my two cents
mommachris
I was talking this over with my husband and we agreed that we should deliver these cakes. I have 4 more cakes coming up from her so it is definetly a suggestion I am going to make. Thanks.
I think that's a really good idea to deliver yourself the day of the party. (or night before?) Your cakes are really terrific and to have something like this happen is a shame. I agree with the whole food poisoning thing too! Goodness, I wouldn't even let a cake without cream filling sit out for 4 days! Your cake was really incredible!
Wow!! You are gifted! Gorgeous cake! Good idea on you delivering the cake yourself...
Yeah, did she say WHEN the cake fell into the base? I think it was just out too long. I would tell her you do not feel comfortable having the cake ready more than 1-2 days before the event.
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