Sorry it's taken me a week to post this. I promised I would, because I had so much advice and words of encouragement about this cake. But if anything nearly had me giving up, it was this cake.

So, where do I start? Well, at the beginning, I guess.

I was asked to do a cake for a 50th (golden) wedding anniversary. They are my mother-in-law's best friends. Originally, they ordered it (and I would have earned well from it!) but I decided to do it as their gift. I was invited to the party - a black tie affair in a very nice London hotel.

They wanted rich fruit cake, in the shape of a 50.

I decided that instead of doing boring piping around the cake, I would put a sort of lace border around the bottom of it (see picture 1) It looked really pretty. But then I decided that to hide the join around the top of the cake (I had to cover the top and sides separately) I would put another lace border on. And then for some bizzare reason, I decided to paint them gold. (see picture 2). OMG! It looked awful. Really, really awful. I HATED it. Absolutely hated it.

My husband is very supportive and encouraging. But even he kept walking into the kitchen, staring at it, and then walked out again.

I've often said we're soul mates, because we sometimes do the same things, but separately. Well, as I got up from posting a message on a UK cake forum, asking how hard it would be to just re-cover the cake and start again, he walked in and said 'Would it be very difficult to re-cover the cake and start again?'. So I knew that this is what I had to do!

He helped me take the cake off of the cake board (which wasn't easy, as I had royal iced it onto the board) and we carefully removed the sugarpaste and marzipan. Thank heavens this was a rich fruit cake, as I doubt I could have done this with a sponge. Oh yes, another spanner in the workds.... a load of the sugarpaste on the cake board came away with the cake. So as I re-covered the cake, my husband patched up the board for me.

Eventually I put the cake back onto the board. BUT, OH NO! NO, NO, NO!! Because I'd covered it in an ever-so-slightly different way, it was one or two millimetres smaller than it originally was. Which meant that you could a) where the board had been patched up and b) even more noticeable was where I had originally painted the bottom border gold, there were flecks of paint on the sugarpaste on the board. I didn't want to take the 0 off the cake board and start again, because I couldn't risk ruining the finish of the sugarpaste, because I'd already put an edible print in the middle of the 0.

I literally paced around with my head in my hands, chanting 'What am I going to do? What am I going to do?' Then it came to me. I mirrored the lace border that was on the bottom of the cake, onto the cake board. And it looked fine.

I still didn't know what to do about hiding the join around the top of the 5 cake. I knew I couldn't put a lace border on it, because I knew from my first attempt that it was too much. So I just did a simple line of piping. I was in two minds about whether or not to pipe around the 0. It was so simple and elegant with such nice lines and a nice shape, that I worried about ruining it. But it had to match the 5. So I did. And it was fine.

So, finally, the end result was - I think - a very elegant, under-stated 50th wedding anniversary cake. There was a single white rose that I'd edged with gold, with a couple of gold leaves. There was the thinnest of gold ribbon between the lace border on the cake and the border on the board. The inscription was piped onto the cake and then painted gold. And the gold ribbon around the cake board also gave it a lift.

I think what made me extra worried about this cake was the fact that I knew the people so well, but also the caterer.

I really, really wanted and needed this to be a "Wow" cake. The caterer they had also did my dad's wedding a couple of years ago (I made my dad's wedding cake) Well, at my dad's wedding reception, when I asked the caterer what he thought of the cake (http://patacake-parties.blogspot.com/2005/10/with-hand-made-arum-lilies-eucalyptus.html) he was so rude, he had me in tears. He said "It's Ok... but it's not up to a professional standard". My ar$e it wasn't. That cake was gorgeous. Absolutely nothing wrong with it whatsoever. It might not be to everyone's taste, but there was no reason why it wasn't of a professional standard. B****rd was probably just pi$$ed off because he didn't get his cake person to make it, and he didn't get to put a few quid on top for himself! I only asked because, at the time, I was so insecure about my work that I thought I might get a few words of encouragement. I'll won't do that again. I now trust my own judgement (most of the time, anyway).

Sorry this has been so long! But I did promise I'd write it up. I just didn't realise it would be so long.

Oh, and here's a link to the finished thing!

http://www.cakecentral.com/modules.php?name=gallery&file=displayimage&pid=1018663

And I just wanted to take this opportunity to once again thank everyone for their help, advice, input and general encouragement! Thank you!

Suzanne x

I just looked at the finished cake and it is stunning!!

the finished cake is absolutely beautiful! You made the right decision, even if it was a lot more work!

Well, I really did not think the 5 with the gold looked all that bad - however your finished cake is gorgeous! So, maybe it was not such a bad thing that all this happened since it caused you to mirror that beautiful lace border. The dot border on top is the perfect finishing touch - and oh - to top it all off your writing is fantastic!!! I would say you are going to really wow them (or have already?) Anyway it is just super!

The final cake is gorgeous...beautiful and you made the right decision!!!! I love the final one and I bet the couple were just thrilled with it!!!

The finished product is simply BEAUTIFUL....... I didn't care for the gold trim either..... WONDERFUL JOB !

I think your finished cake is so elegant and so nice! I bet they were thrilled with it! I really love the way it came out! I agreed with you on the gold. It was just too much. It wasnt bad, but I think a little gaudy. But your finished cake, wow! Im sure it made them cry!

I thought it was beautiful. And 50 yrs deserves a lot of gold!

YOU NEED TO QUIT BEING SO HARD ON YOURSELF!!!!!

Your cake is absoutly beautiful!! Even with the gold it would not have been bad, definately better without, but still would have been great with.

Val

Beautiful and gorgeous! It is very understated, but still fun with the "50". Congratulations on a job well done, and kudos to your supportive husband. I know I sure appreciate the interest mine takes in my work, so I can feel the relief you must have had with your by your side.

Your finished cake is absolutely lovely! I think its exactly the way it was meant to be! I hope the caterer ate crow!

I'm sure the anniversary couple loved it!

Turned out simply elegant, great work!!!!!!!

Not only is the 50th cake gorgeous but I took a look at the wedding cake and it's beautiful! Looks very PROFESSIONAL!

I get a lot of referrals from a caterer friend I've been working with for years. Occasionally, I will do a wedding cake or other special occasion cake for an event that's done by a "rival" caterer.

If there's one thing I've learned over the years it's this - NEVER ASK A COMPETITOR WHAT THEY THINK OF YOUR WORK. There's a lot of jealousy in this biz and lots of people never miss an opportunity to try to put someone else down - especially when it might have cost them some business. It's sad, really.

Your cake is beautiful, and elegant in its simplicity. There's no sense in feeling down about it, it was very well executed even with all the problems you had. I think it says more about you that you were able to recover so well from what could have been a disaster.

Great Job!!!

How UNPROFESSIONAL of the caterer! Don't let his comment rent space in your head! I saw your cake in the making and it came out absolutely beautiful! I mean that! I had a cake kick my @$$ on Friday and felt like just walking away! It was awesome in the pics but when I got to my destination my flowers started coming off. I, like you, was able to save my cake. Thank God! But ti still left me feeling wretched inside. a lot of blood, sweat and tears are put in to out craft. More than people realize and to see something go wrong! Grrrrrrrrr! I conqured ole pinkie and instead of quitting. . . I sat down to try to figure out what went wrong and I did! trust me, I'll never make that mistake again! Keep up your great work!!!!

Elle

Thank you, everyone, for your lovely comments!



Suzanne x

I think it turned out just perfect

The cake is beautiful!

Both of the cakes are beautiful !

well as i said in my comment on the cake link in reference to the finished cake

its drop dead gorgeous- you did a fine job and you should be nothing less then proud of yourself.

now i will say this: i loved the look of the first cake. it was nice and simplistic

the second pic- the gold border wasn't better it was different- and just as gorgeous

however back to my original comments...... the final product was stunning

What we go through with cakes for loved ones, eh?

Your predicament forced you to really "think on your feet", and you ended up standing VERY tall!

The final outcome is truly beautiful. No one would know you had a moment's unrest over this cake!

As "they" say, "Necessity is the mother of invention."

Kudos to you!

Not only is the anniversary cake fabulous, your dad's wedding cake is beautiful!

I'm impressed by all stages of your cake, but the finished one is absolutely gorgeous....and how lucky you are to have a husband who sounds supportive, but can actually provide honest feedback in a gentle and loving way. Mine just says "it looks fine" no matter what it looks like. Gotta love him, but would appreciate honesty more (sometimes)