Ok so today was my cousin's Eagle Scout court of honor in New Orleans (i live in picayune approx 50 miles away) Last night my only worry was that the MMF Eagle for the top would not harden- I solved this by hotglueing cardboard to the back of it - that is not my disaster... (but may have diverted my attention away from more pressing matters like proper doweling)

I was so tired last night but intent on assembling the cake before i went to bed, i doweled with straws like i have always done, but the straws i used were just some i picked up at the DG. I planned to do the piping in the morning but only had time to tint icing and make bags before we had to get on the road in time to make 11:00 mass in N.O. (the only time i could attend) SO I packed a repair kit which is usually one bag, a spatula and a couple tips. This time i brought extra fondant and roller, powdered sugar, even paste colors and ONE 16 oz tub of extra icing. Incidentally the boy scout motto is "be prepared"

well this is what my cake looked like when i got to my grandmother's house- thank God I didnt write on it yet!:

Amazing save! I think that the situation would have left me so discouraged and shocked that I wouldn't have been able to come up with a way to salvage the cake.

Bravo!

(and congratulations to your cousin!)

RedPanda

Definitely is a great save! The cake looks great! Janice

Oh No, wouldn't that make you cry? You did have a good save there. The Eagle topper is incredible.

The title of your post should be a book title.

Wow! Good save! When I find myself in a similar situation, I will bring to mind your courage and triumph! What a trooper YOU are! You did an incredible job. Who would know the BEFORE?? I am so incredibly impressed with how your diligent efforts paid off. What a great role model. I love it!

You are truly a cake artist. The cake is beautiful.

WOW were you a girlscout?? I have a boyscout that didn't finish to eagle But long story as to why. And now a girlscout and myself was a scout. The be prepared is a great MOTTO. You did an amazing save. I bet you were very stressed as I would have been. But you had some things to use for cover at least. If I looked at your saved cake first I wouldn't have known there was a problem before. YOU ARE GOOD VERY GOOD. Here is a pat on your back Great job

Great save! So, you usually dowel a cake like that with straws? Do you mean like normal everyday drinking straws? I have never heard of that.

Great save! Nice work!

Thank you all so much for your kind words and encouragement. Yes, I was freaking out pretty bad but I knew I had enough time to salvage it, my family was all like "its bad but you can fix it, we have faith in you" but i was the one who had to actually DO the repair. I even considered buying (gasp) ***canned icing*** but i was able to "roll up" some with the spatula and recycle some others to fill cracks and use the fresh icing to smooth over- trust me the back did not look as good I just chose the best side for the front. I was also lucky that my original design did include writing the words to the boyscout law all over the background in lt blue and that hid a multitude of flaws. There was no kitchen at Jesuit since katrina had flooded them out so i heated water to "hot knife" in a coffee pot. I had the patches on skewers that i could have adhered to the cake if necessary also, plus extra fondant.

Yes i was/am a girlscout, have a girlscout and a boyscout so i am well familiar with making due in a pinch but bringing that extra icing was almost an afterthought, i was mainly thinking if i needed it to finish writing or doing borders.

Yes, i do ordinarily dowel with straws and never had a problem before but in my state of exhaustion saturday night it didnt even dawn on me that these straws were much flimsy-er (is that a word?) than what i usually use, i just wanted to get to bed after stressing out about the eagle topper all day.

The whole ordeal was a real baptism-by-fire for me as a decorator and like most situations, you never know what you CAN do until your HAVE TO do it and i think my adrenaline is still up from the whole disaster/recovery experience- what a rush!

Good thing you where prepared. I am happy that in the end you where able to fix it. And the eagle looks great.

WOW, I am impressed! What a terriffic save! I would have collapsed in tears!

you got skills for staying calm that's for sure, great save.

Girl...I lived in N'awlins for five years so I feel your road pain! Those potholes are killers! Great save!

Wow - I think that might get the save of the year award!

I think I would've cried and then just "accidently" on purpose dropped it on the floor. My wedding cake I did looked alot like that when we arrived at the reception. And that is what I wanted to do with mine.

Great Save. And GREAT work.

Ann

Wow, what a trooper, what a great save!!! I think I would've sat down and cried my eyes out! Congratulations, you can't tell what happened to your cake if it wasn't for the pictures!!

What a GREAT cake! But, I'm sorry for your "problems"! Now I don't feel so bad about being "paranoid" with my "tool kit". My cousin kids me about it all the time, BUT, when she needs something....I usually always have at least one of whatever it is IN MY KIT! LOLL

PS My kit has now grown to TWO kits. One for tips, icing, etc. and the other for luster dust, rulers, 3 sizes of scissors, dragees....you know...the things you might NEED someday! LOL

You did an incredible job!

Beth from KY

WOW!!!! You get 2 big pats on the back for that patch up job!! Just like I told some one else earlier, that is the sign of a real pro!! Great job!!!!

wow I too probably would have just been like WHAT and threw the cake down as I rolled on the floor in a 2 yo-esqe tantrum!

it looks good good good

I think you should earn a badge of honor for that save. =) Nothing should scare you now. You've been through the worst and could still save it. You're a real pro!

What a save!!!! Your cake ended up looking great!!!

Dang - I think you did an awesome job! Great save!!!

You Ladies sure know how to make someone's day and swell my ego all at the same time, but I dont think I did anything the rest of you would not have done in the same situation, especially since the cake was for family. Yes, they would have understood but I was so proud of his accomplishment, I wanted the cake to be just as special. Y'all can say you'd give up, but i know we all share the same passionm and what's a celebration without cake???? Gotta save the CAKE!

(also i can't take full credit for the save, i did leave it on the table while i went and met the family AT CHURCH...lol, i think they were all praying for me and my cake!)

Once again, thank you all for your kind words!

That was a great save! Hats off to you for "being prepared" (funny one).
I would never use straws...I either use lollipop sticks for smaller cakes or wooden dowels for larger heavier ones.

That's a good point for those newer to tiered cakes DiscoLady! I'm very conservative and only use wooden dowels and center dowel it if I absolutely have to travel with the cake assembled.

I am so impressed by your patience and repair job on a beautiful cake. Congrats and I'll remember this story when and if I ever am faced with a dilemma like your's!!