Cake Snob???

Decorating By platinumlady Updated 25 Jun 2011 , 10:53am by Nazarine

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platinumlady Posted 23 Jun 2011 , 10:04pm
post #1 of 38

So I think I'm becoming a cake snob. icon_redface.gif

Every so often when I'm in a store I go take a look at the bakery to see what's going on ... if there is anything interesting etc.

Today I was at my local Sam's Club & went over to the bakery and the cakes that were out for sell were horrid. They had dents in the side, the icing wasn't smooth... decorations were half on half off the cake... There were air bubbles in the icing & I'm not talking about one or two little ones, but large ones & many of them. There was one sheet cake were they made it look like a present cake (kinda) the two long strips of buttercream had wholes in it, air bubbles & they put a plastic bow on top of the strips. thumbsdown.gif

Now, I know I'm not the best cake decorator in the world but I take pride in my work & I take money off the price of the cake if I don't think it was up to par. But what I saw was terrible y'all There were two ladies that were ordering a cake...it took all my might not to say something to them and give them my card. icon_twisted.gif But I couldn't think of a way to do it professionally ....

I said I wouldn't be a cake snob .... But I think it's too late. If I was the owner of Sam's I would be embarrassed to sell those. (yes they were that bad) ... My student's first cakes looks way better than what they are selling. icon_eek.gif

Ok that's my rant.

37 replies
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AnotherCaker Posted 23 Jun 2011 , 10:12pm
post #2 of 38

I'm a certifiedcard carrying member of the Cake Snob Club. That doesn't mean I diss other people's work, or publicly insult it, but I am pretty persnickety about scratch baking and presenting perfectly smooth and finished cakes. And Sam's cakes? Yeah, they are horrid. I just shake my head at them now though, I'm so beyond what those places produce, and their customers are not mine.

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DSmo Posted 23 Jun 2011 , 10:47pm
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Quote:
Originally Posted by platinumlady

...the cakes that were out for sell were horrid. They had dents in the side, the icing wasn't smooth... decorations were half on half off the cake... There were air bubbles in the icing & I'm not talking about one or two little ones, but large ones & many of them. There was one sheet cake were they made it look like a present cake (kinda) the two long strips of buttercream had wholes in it, air bubbles & they put a plastic bow on top of the strips




That's why there's Cake Wrecks. icon_lol.gif

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traci_doodle Posted 23 Jun 2011 , 10:51pm
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I haven't perfected the smooth look yet, but my friends still seem to think my cakes are so smooth. So in a way, I want to thank the Sam's Club Bakery for lowering the bar, because my cakes look so much better by comparison!

And by the way, I went to a party last week where they served one of the Sam's Club "present cakes", and yeah, it was pretty bad. They didn't level the cake, and it was really domed in the middle. They just "leveled" it with frosting, and the outside of the cake had as much frosting as cake!

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AnotherCaker Posted 23 Jun 2011 , 10:53pm
post #5 of 38

Gag!

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Serena4016 Posted 23 Jun 2011 , 10:57pm
post #6 of 38

I went to a wedding last weekend. Now I don't mean to offend any one...It was at the VFW hall and a very low budget reception (I mean they were actually serving in one of the crock pots, pepperoni slices in grease...YUM!!). Any way I took one bite of the cake and would not eat any more!! The fondant was disgustung and the cake wasn't much better. Everyone else didn't seem to mind. Yep, call me a cake snob. I pride myself on making delecious and beautiful cakes!!

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Kitagrl Posted 23 Jun 2011 , 11:16pm
post #7 of 38

I remember when I used to really like Sam's Club chocolate cake. So a couple years ago I requested one for my birthday (because I refuse to make my own cake haha) and it was so terrible we ended up throwing half of it away. It was like eating chemicals!

So last year we ordered my birthday cake from a gourmet home baker friend who does really fancy desserts as her business. thumbs_up.gif

I do try to be nice about other people's decorating...I try no to expect too much out of people who have not been decorating long or who have no training. However I find myself critical sometimes if I am inspecting the work of a professional who owns or manages a fancy bakery. haha. And I'm critical other times too but it makes me feel guilty since I could very well be the next baker to put out a less-than-perfect cake!

I remember, one time, though...several years ago...I was at a show/competition with a design that I thought was rather good but it wasn't perfect (it was the Celtic wedding cake in my photos, but the first one, not the more recent one) and somebody walked by and rather loudly said "WOW! Check this out! These cakes look so perfect from a distance but when you get close you can see ALL THE MISTAKES!!!" haha. That put me in my place, for sure!

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BlueMoon73 Posted 23 Jun 2011 , 11:27pm
post #8 of 38
Quote:
Originally Posted by traci_doodle

I haven't perfected the smooth look yet, but my friends still seem to think my cakes are so smooth. So in a way, I want to thank the Sam's Club Bakery for lowering the bar, because my cakes look so much better by comparison




That made me laugh so hard cause I was thinking the same thing!! Awesome!

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tokazodo Posted 23 Jun 2011 , 11:37pm
post #9 of 38

Cake Snob here and accounted for! I wouldn't eat grocery store icing if you paid me. (It's helped with my diet!)

I'm headed to Sam's tomorrow. You can bet I'll swing past the cakes to check it out, camera/phone in hand! icon_lol.gif

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playingwithsugar Posted 23 Jun 2011 , 11:39pm
post #10 of 38

One of the original cake snobs here. With the exception of one store, I no longer eat cake from supermarkets. I inspect the cakes I see in stores and bakeries, and while I don't necessarily critique them publicly, I see where their advantages/mistakes are, and treat it as a learning experience. Note to self - don't do this or that, or that is a great idea.

Theresa icon_smile.gif

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Sangriacupcake Posted 23 Jun 2011 , 11:48pm
post #11 of 38

I understand what you're saying, but it's not really fair to compare what you do to what the ladies at discount stores have to do....they're required to churn out cakes by the minute, take orders, keep the displays tidy & filled, bake rolls & pies & breads, answer the phone and customer questions, and man the register. The ladies at one local store also have to help at the deli counter. Most are paid a pittance. icon_sad.gif

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reka1 Posted 24 Jun 2011 , 12:08am
post #12 of 38

I DONT CONSIDER MYSELF A CAKE SNOB,,,IM MORE OF THE NOSEY CAKE LADY...LOL!! I FIND MYSELF HEADING STRAIT TOWARDS BAKERY EACH TIME IM IN WALMART OR ANY OF OUR LOCAL GROCERY STORES WITH AN INHOUSE BAKERY!! THERE IS ONE GROCERY STORE IN PARTICULAR WHO HAS THE MOST UGLY CAKES YOU HAVE EVER SEEN!!! IM NOT BEING MEAN,,,IM JUST ENTITLED TO MY OPINION!! THE GIRL THAT DOES THE DECORATING THERE TOLD ME HERSELF THAT SHE HAD NO BAKING OR DECORATING SKILLS,,SHE SAID THEY HIRED HER AND SENT HER HOME WITH A BUCKET OF ICING AND A PIPING BAG AND A STAR TIP AND TOLD HER TO PRACTICE!!!!

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bobwonderbuns Posted 24 Jun 2011 , 12:28am
post #13 of 38

It's funny, the first day of my buttercream class I tell my students "If I've done my job right, y'all will become cake snobs in no time!" icon_lol.gif And sure enough -- within two weeks they are!! icon_biggrin.gif

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handovertheasparagus Posted 24 Jun 2011 , 12:47am
post #14 of 38
Quote:
Originally Posted by Sangriacupcake

I understand what you're saying, but it's not really fair to compare what you do to what the ladies at discount stores have to do....they're required to churn out cakes by the minute, take orders, keep the displays tidy & filled, bake rolls & pies & breads, answer the phone and customer questions, and man the register. The ladies at one local store also have to help at the deli counter. Most are paid a pittance. icon_sad.gif




I am one of those ladies. I was hired as a cake decorator, and then went home and taught myself how to make an icing rose. We are given 10min to ice and decorate a 1/4 sheet cake. icon_rolleyes.gif Thankfully cake decorating came very naturally for me, and I have people who tell me all the time that my cakes are far better than the other stores in the area.

I do cakes from home for friends and family (and some referrals) that are MUCH better! There is nothing I would like more than to just start my own business! I'm just a little scared... icon_redface.gif

But, even working in one of these stores, I am still a cake snob. icon_wink.gif

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Annabakescakes Posted 24 Jun 2011 , 3:42am
post #15 of 38

I, too, am a cake snob. I know I am not the best, but i am good, and it kills me to see what people put in the cake displays. I like to go look at them when I am in the store and have a couple extra minutes. Every now and then there are some cute ones, but generally the colors clash at best, and at worse, they look like they were decorated by a drunken toddler, then kicked down the aisle.

When I worked at a grocery store I was one of the best. There was an older woman who was good and taught me some things, but her roses looked like pine cones. The other decorator could fill the display and the freezer i an afternoon. She had two designs: Balloons on plaid airbrushing, or roses on plaid airbrushing. Every one of them clashed horribly, and she never cleaned the airbrush between colors so there would be vomit colored streaks on the cakes too. She also dug the tip in the icing when she wrote, and she would write over top of the balloons, roses and borders.

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HeyWife Posted 24 Jun 2011 , 7:00am
post #16 of 38

I've been decorating less than a year, but I nitpick at grocery store cakes all the time. My 16 year old daughter took just one Wilton course but has helped me with my cakes quite a bit. She has started doing the same thing. She was at Cold Stone Creamery the other day and was saying how the cakes in there are just decorated with star tips and swirls. Her friends found it pretty funny icon_smile.gif

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CalhounsCakery Posted 24 Jun 2011 , 5:19pm
post #17 of 38

I'm proudly a cake snob. My grandma made all our cakes (birthday, wedding, whatever!) so I never had storebought cakes. Now, whenever I eat one, I gag. Even my kids won't eat them anymore!

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Chala86 Posted 24 Jun 2011 , 5:29pm
post #18 of 38

I'm so a cake snob. Whenever we go to the supermarket and my daughter looks at the cakes I tell her - mummy could do a better job of that and it'll taste better too! Store bought will never compare to home baked as far as I'm concerned.

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KatieKraft Posted 24 Jun 2011 , 6:06pm
post #19 of 38

I agree that grocery store cakes are usually a mess. But, that's the nature of the beast. It would be silly to compare the work of an independant decorator to that of a grocery story decorator because, while the products are seemingly the same, the purpose they serve and the culture they're made in is far different.

Although, I don't think there is anything wrong with thinking that style of cake isn't something you would make. Having a high personal standard and taking pride in your work is fantastic. icon_smile.gif

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platinumlady Posted 24 Jun 2011 , 6:08pm
post #20 of 38
Quote:
Originally Posted by Sangriacupcake

I understand what you're saying, but it's not really fair to compare what you do to what the ladies at discount stores have to do....they're required to churn out cakes by the minute, take orders, keep the displays tidy & filled, bake rolls & pies & breads, answer the phone and customer questions, and man the register. The ladies at one local store also have to help at the deli counter. Most are paid a pittance. icon_sad.gif




I kinda get what you are saying...however, there still should be pride in your work. I'm not talking about little things that only a decorator will notice I'm talking about huge dents in the icing... noticeable from far away. The type of stuff that if I wasn't a decorator I would ask them to lower the price before purchasing. And if it was like that on 1 or 2 cakes I would understand they have a lot to do.... however, it was like that will all of the cakes out there.

If it's because

Quote:
Quote:

Most are paid a pittance.


& they don't like doing their job...maybe it's time to ask to be transferred to another department. There was no pride what-so-ever in what was put out there.

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jessicakes63 Posted 24 Jun 2011 , 6:26pm
post #21 of 38

I have just begun cake decorating a few months ago. We attended a wedding recently and my 20 year old son looked at the cake and wispered to me "you could have done a much better cake than that". Made me feel good! So I guess my son is a cake snob! lol

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kimmisue2009 Posted 24 Jun 2011 , 6:30pm
post #22 of 38

You know how when you want a really, really good cheeseburger you would NEVER go to McDonalds, but sometimes you just crave a quarterpounder? That's me. I know and appreciate "real" cake and a good quality buttercream, but sometimes I still hit up the racks at Kroger for some of their good old bakery icing. Weird, I know.

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AnotherCaker Posted 24 Jun 2011 , 6:41pm
post #23 of 38

Hey, Vienna Sausages, cold Oscar Meyer hot dogs and Thrifty's brand mint and chip ice cream are some of my favorite snacks. But cake? Must be high quality ingredients and decadent flavors.

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cakedout Posted 24 Jun 2011 , 7:44pm
post #24 of 38

*standing up* Hi....My name is Jackie, and I'm a cake snob. thumbs_up.gif

I am also a HUGE fan of CakeWrecks! icon_lol.gif While funny, I am simply apalled that the bakery manager-or the store manager- would allow such horrific "cakes" be sold to the public!! I mean, isn't the whole idea to SELL MORE CAKES, thereby earning the business MORE MONEY!??? icon_confused.gif

I worked in a grocery store bakery for three years, then was an assistant manager and manager. And yes, we had 5 -10 minutes per cake, an hour per wedding cake...but the gals I worked with were pretty darn good! Makes me wonder if the manager even cares. I would never have left something like those pathetic things out on my shelves!!

Seriously I think these grocery store decorators need better training. Mostly they get "trained" from the gal who's been there the longest....and she got trained by the gal before her, etc. Somewhere in there the correct techniques have been lost. I had several local grocery stores, and a local Dairy Queen send their new decorators to me for classes. Maybe I should start a business of traveling to different stores offering my expertise! thumbs_up.gificon_biggrin.gif

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platinumlady Posted 24 Jun 2011 , 7:46pm
post #25 of 38
Quote:
Originally Posted by AnotherCaker

Hey, Vienna Sausages, cold Oscar Meyer hot dogs and Thrifty's brand mint and chip ice cream are some of my favorite snacks. But cake? Must be high quality ingredients and decadent flavors.




You are a riot thumbs_up.gif Every post of yours I've read today you have had me laughing so hard I'm in tears icon_cry.gif ... I love reading your comments!

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southerncross Posted 24 Jun 2011 , 8:18pm
post #26 of 38

A snob is someone who believes himself or herself an expert or connoisseur in a given field and is condescending toward or disdainful of those who hold other opinions or have different tastes regarding this field. While you may find the cakes of others not to your liking, do you really wish to caste yourself as condescending and disdainful. Are those admirable attributes? Is that really how you wish to be viewed?

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StacyN Posted 24 Jun 2011 , 8:24pm
post #27 of 38

I was just at a birthday party last night and the hostess had bought one of those ugly grocery store sheet cakes. It looked pretty bad and didnt taste any better! I felt bad not eating it so I reluctantly ate my slice. icon_sad.gif So I guess I am a cake snob also! It was all I could do to look at it let alone choke it down! yuck!
Whats sad as I have passed it on to my whole family! I was at the store with my 2 year old and he saw the display of horribly decorated cakes and asked what they were! LOL I told him cakes and he said "they not look like cakes"

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madicakes Posted 24 Jun 2011 , 8:27pm
post #28 of 38
Quote:
Originally Posted by Sangriacupcake

I understand what you're saying, but it's not really fair to compare what you do to what the ladies at discount stores have to do....they're required to churn out cakes by the minute, take orders, keep the displays tidy & filled, bake rolls & pies & breads, answer the phone and customer questions, and man the register. The ladies at one local store also have to help at the deli counter. Most are paid a pittance. icon_sad.gif




I was a grocery store decorator for a while, and I never turned out work like I've seen in some stores, even when at my busiest. All stores are different too.....when I worked as a decorator I rarely had to help out in other areas of the bakery. My sole job was decorating except on rare occurrences.

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platinumlady Posted 24 Jun 2011 , 8:31pm
post #29 of 38
Quote:
Originally Posted by southerncross

A snob is someone who believes himself or herself an expert or connoisseur in a given field and is condescending toward or disdainful of those who hold other opinions or have different tastes regarding this field. While you may find the cakes of others not to your liking, do you really wish to caste yourself as condescending and disdainful. Are those admirable attributes? Is that really how you wish to be viewed?




No I'm not an expert by any means. Looking at the definition above....that is not how I meant it (and I'm sure not how anyone else means it) It is a term that I've heard jokingly & that's why I used it.

I do have standards and want to do the best for the customer. I just like for people to get a product whether it's cake, clothes, jewelry etc & want them to get the best. When I saw those cakes if was as if the customers money was more important than their happiness. I don't want to be that way.
I rather go above & beyond to make the customer happy.

So Southerncross if I offended you by that term I apologize again that was not the intent.

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Davwattie Posted 24 Jun 2011 , 8:38pm
post #30 of 38
Quote:
Originally Posted by jessie_alabama

I have just begun cake decorating a few months ago. We attended a wedding recently and my 20 year old son looked at the cake and wispered to me "you could have done a much better cake than that". Made me feel good! So I guess my son is a cake snob! lol




My 14yr old son does the same thing, "you could do ten times better mom" lol

I wouldnt say I'm a snob but do check out the birthday cakes in supermarkets, Asda(Uk version of walmart) has just started selling new bday cakes in shapes of bear, carosel etc but they are so basic and not very good to be honest.

I suppose it comes down to whether people want pay for a factory produced clone cake or a one off

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