Okay, so I made a cake that I thought looked great (not perfect, mind you), but I didn't see any major issues. Then I saw the picture....

and there's a FLAW that was so stinkin' obvious!

Why does this happen?

Why can't I notice these things BEFORE THE CAKE LEAVES THE KITCHEN???

Okay, I know it's not the end of the world, and it's not really that bad, but it just bugs me that I didn't even notice it! This has happened a couple of times before, and it's sooooo annoying! Thanks for listening to me vent.

Anyone else ever had this happen?

S.

I hate when that happens too. What if you take a picture of it, wait a while, and review the picture... before you deliver?? Just a thought...

I love your cake, by the way... the tree looks sooooooo realistic!! Great job!

You have got to be kidding me. I'm sorry - I am sure your angst is extremely valid - from the obsessive point of view of a cake artist. I do understand - but I am SURE they didn't see this - because I didn't until you said what you thought was wrong .
Even after you pointed it out, it still looked great - really. We are way too hard on ourselves. It was a lovely cake and I'm sure they thought it was perfect.

Yeah.. I know what you mean... But don't worry.. I don't think they will notice this. I didn't notice it at first until you mentioned it. I think it still looks great. Take it easy on yourself.

Everytime I look in the mirror and see what I really look like compared to what I think I look like.

Your cake still looks good though.

Oh, now I'm a little embarrassed! I didn't mean for this to be a pep talk thread....I honestly wasn't fishing for compliments. In this smaller pic, it's not that obvious -- I can see that. It was just that when I saw the bigger version of the pic on my computer screen, it just glared out at me -- and it completely shocked me that I didn't see it before.
I really appreciate everyone's support, but I only put the pic up to show what I was talking about. I don't dislike my cake -- I felt and still do feel really good about it. I just wondered if others had this happen to them.



S.

ok i'm a perfections too and this has happened to me especialy with the icing cracking when the cake is moved....BUT I still can't see the flaw ur talking about... SO here's to you I have a found person that is a bigger perfectioninst than me...may god give you patiece b/c i know its hard lol


GL

sweetreasures.. you are so funny ! I do that every day. I look in the mirror, And I think to myself ( outloud )Thats not how I feel, like I look! Oh well maybe the mirror will show somethink different tomorrow ! LOL! sonoma9... Your cake looks great! Even after you pointed out the small flaw I had to look for it !

sorry double post

I uploaded a cake to my site today and realized that I didn't dot the I in the recipient's name! Like yours, not a huge deal and its not like the customer said anything but yeesh did I not even look at the thing? lol

Happens to me all the time!! How do I not notice those things with the cake right in front of me, you'd think right? haha

Just know you're not alone!

sonoma - don't be embarrassed about the comments back!!!! You shouldn't be - we DO understand how you feel - I can't tell you how many times I've hated a cake the customer loved. It's the nature of the beast.

Happens to me all the time....but, we are always looking at it from a VERY critical perspective.
As long as the customer was happy, that's all that matters.

I was just thinking how this never happens to me, NO I just notice every tiny flaw from the second I create them. Then they keep nagging at me until I no longer have a choice and give the cake to whom ever its for with my head bowed in shame, only to have them never notice a single flaw. I looked at your tree cake, assuming that's the one your talking about and thought I should let you know that I didn't see any flaws and I thought it was gorgeous. I guess this is just one of those things we all have to get used to and accept. Do you think Da Vinci looked at the Mona Lisa and thought "I hope no one notices the smile is a little off".

Happens to me all the time. I have one cake pic where I did a reverse shell border I though looked really nice at the time. I took a look at the picture and I had done 3 shells in the same direction..of course right in front, dead center.

I know it's not a big deal, but it still bugs me!

Dont worry Im sure the cake is still beautiful, dont be to hard on yourself.

Besides to the non-cake decorator eyes they probably will never notice. If the customer loved it, than you know you did a wonderful job.

Yep. Honestly. I ALWAYS have my DH as my second pair of eyes. And as my 3rd pair I ask my 8 yr old DD. Because seriously, kids have no censorship. She'll point to something and be very blunt! "Mom is that SUPPOSE to look like that' or "You missed a spot" Gee...thanks.

Glad you pointed out what was wrong because I kept looking at it trying to figure it out. I don't think that is a flaw. Just looks like the work of some of the people I have hired to do carpenter work for me. Seriously, I didn't notice it until you pointed it out.

Do you ever find that the longer you look at a cake sitting there waiting to be picked up, the more you dislike your work? I did an anniversary cake Sat. to sit on my 3 tier Wilton stand. They weren't to pick it up until Sun. after church. By the time they arrived, I had found every flaw imaginable. I wanted to start all over.

Diane

Thanks, everyone, for saving my thoughts about this thread....I was serioulsy thinking that it looked like I was just fishing for compliments.

I agree that it's what the mind wants to see because that's how the mind sees it. It just blows my mind that I see the pic and it literally jumps out at me! The few other time this has happned has to do with the straightness of a border -- how off they have looked in the pics sometimes! This one just took me completely by surprise because I was just so sure.

Also, glad to know that I'm not alone on this one.

S.

Always. I think photos are cruel. I did a shower cake a couple of weeks ago and everyone was falling all over themselves to see it, including the owner of the cafe/bakeshop where we had it, telling me how wonderful it was. However, in the photos, the cake looks lopsided, sloppy, and a right old mess. It's embarrassing.

I think what happened to the "off" side of the fence is the tree roots are starting to force the fence crooked.

Just called my girlfriend to ask how my cake was yesterday. It was for her sister's 50th anniversary. She didn't order it (her niece did) but she went to the reception. Anyway, right after I asked how the cake was, my cell phone died. It was one of those "moments" like the commercial where she tells her husband she is pregnant. I was in a panic by the time I got her back on the phone and she was falling over laughing. She raved about it and said it tasted wonderful and looked beautiful. She's my best friend so she probably wouldn't tell me if it was bad. Anyway, my point is that maybe the flaws I found weren't so bad after all.

I kept looking at your photo trying to figure out if one of the leaves was bad or the border was off or what. Still can't believe I didn't see that fence.

Diane

I tend to notice flaws in my cakes the following morning. I decorate at night when the children are in bed, and think the cake looks fine when I start to clear up, but when I look at it in daylight - I can see lumps and bumps!!!

Luckily, as someone else has said, these flaws don't seem to be seen by others (generally anyway!!!)!

I feel your pain. You had no control over that root growth