Got up at 4 this morning and have been working straight thru til now. I thought an 18 wheeler would be simple. It's a frickin box. And the front isn't  much different. My first time using ganache. It's too soft. I did the 3:1 ratio. I did the wheels ahead of time. It looks amateurish. I need to stop watching Ann Heap's tutorials. She makes everything look too easy. I really don't know why I feel this way but I want to cancel on my customer, throw all of my tools away and go to bed for a month. Would one of you come finish this stupid cake for me?

I feel for you, wish I could help although I'm not sure how much help I'd be. Hugs from Paris

Don't give up. The ganache needs to set up in the fridge for a bit before you can use it or its soupy. At least that is how it is in my house too hot. Go take a breather. Then jump up and down and say this is gonna be awesome. You'd be surprised how much that little jumping mantra will help you. Then get back in the kitchen and show that truck who's boss.

It'll be great when it's done!

Good luck with the ganache.  I have only used it for filling but it's delicious!

^^^^^

That really made me laugh!  

Anytime you come to Paris we'll get together!

The ganache was set up...not as firm as I would have liked it. My house is not that hot but I did just turn the AC on. I put the cake in the fridge for a few. I hope the sweating won't cause the red that I painted to run

Good I do the jumping up and down thing before I have to sing in public. It helps a LOT. So does positive thinking. I know it sounds

somewhat silly but it really helps calm you down and release some stress.

Wondering if I should just give up cakes and concentrate n stands only. I just started Baking and Pastry school on Monday. I really enjoy kids cakes.  But I think the stands have the potential to be more profitable. Unless I can get a bunch of parents ordering $500 dragon cakes

You have to learn to walk before you can run !  I've seen so many decoraters in the same mindset as you - ready to toss in the towel because things are not coming together as they imagined they would.  Inevitably it comes down to them just being in too much of a hurry to tackle projects that are in the intermediate/advanced level ....before they are ready!    its like being an apprentice but wanting to skip the first 3 years!

Take it back a notch or two -  perfect round mid sized cakes - perfect ganache on them!   perfect the fondant cover .... THEN move to square cakes -  then move on to 3D.......  
Think of it as your stand .......    you need a solid FOUNDATION  - if its flawed in any way, shape or form .....   the rest is teetering.... and no amount of bling is going to save you!  LOL

So hope this has turned out ok for you

ABatterup- get up, dust yourself off and you show that cake whos boss!!!! You're gonna kick ass on this cake and you better believe it!!!

I wish I could afford to turn away orders. I get no more paychecks. I get a measly retirement check and some money from my GI bill. But Govt reliant which is now shut down. I am generally happy with the results in the end and my clients have always raved about my work...they don't have the work of some of the folks on here to compare it to! lol I was just feeling frustrated yesterday. Every new order is a learning experience. From this one I learned that I grossly underestimated hours and didn't charge enough. But I told this client 2 orders ago my prices will be going up soon to match my gained experience.

Your first time making and working with ganache?? You didn't practice first? Holy moley! Sorry you're having trouble, but this is really skilled work, and doesn't just happen overnight. What's it been, a couple of months since you started?

I have a really big opinion of tutorials, and they are do more harm than good at times, giving people the impression that all they need to do is watch one, and bam, they're gonna turn out equal work. There are so many things with this work that cannot be learned any other way than doing it over and over and over. Pressure of the spatula, texture and thickness, time needed, I could go on and on. Things you just can't try once or twice and have them work out perfectly. Not really aimed at you BU, but I'm sorry to say, people in general who bite off more than they can chew, and really need more basics time in before selling or taking on things that really require a LOT of skill.

yes i'll be right there in 917 miles...

(((big hug)))

for the record and as you now know--square and rectangle sculptures are harder than others--now you know how hard baby blocks can be too--

don't fall into that trap either

hope all is well--it's only cake--it's gonna be ok

So anyways, not to be a complete Debbie Downer, bear down and get it done as best as possible, and maybe consider taking a break. Take one week to do nothing but smooth and ice and get nice looking foundations. Do rounds, do squares. Scrape icing off, and do it again. Don't use dummies, it's not the same, you need to use real cake. Make ganache a few times. Write down your results. Practice with that. Over and over and over.

A

Completely and utterly agree with this!! I was one of those that thought : one tutorial and i'll be a pro- yeah right!! Now all im doing is practicing,practicing,practicing!

Right! That's all you can do really. People that just learned to sew, aren't making wedding dresses a month later. People who just bought a camera aren't offering model shoots. Well, wait, some of them are for $20 on Facebook and driving the pros nuts, but that's another story. I know you want to be the best you can, Batter Up, but you haven't put the time in yet with the basics. Your website has very very little work, and even has star tipped character pans on aluminum foil still. That's a far cry from a big boxy truck with technically challenging sides and details, requiring carving and skilled hands. Give yourself a break and concentrate on mastering the simpler stuff. That's the foundation from which great projects grow. :)

That Wilton pan was for my granddaughter and she helped me make it. I know sentimentality shouldn't be there. I don't put every cake on my page. Just the ones I really like. I am in baking and pastry school now. But I have to pay the bills.

AYes it can be hard to find that balance or the time to practice or even the funds to buy stuff to practice. But that's the price a lot of the successful cakers you see have had to pay. Maybe steer your customers to things within your skill set and then add one element of the advanced stuff you want to learn. E.g. if you need to practice perfecting a round cake let rounds be the first thing you offer to clients. Once you can ganache and fondant a round cake like a pro then start offering squares. The basics would transfer and you'd be ready to deal with the complexity of a square cake. For a 3D truck cake beyond your skill set, but you still want the order, offer the client maybe a square cake with a 2D rendition of some sort or even a modeled topper similar to what the client wants. You could outsource the topper to cakers like Costumeczar on Etsy who would custom-make a topper similar to what the client wants. You'd get to build your skills doing those angles and not necessarily lose the order. As your funds grow, you can practice higher level things.

A lot of these things just need you to be creative and think outside the box.

Actaully I have worked with chocolate ganache before, poured and whipped. Never worked with white or spreading it.

Ok, well pouring ganache? It's not even close to being the same thing as what you're trying to do, so what does that matter? And the cake for your granddaughter, I get it, it's a nice memory, but how is that attractive to clients? You keep saying you want to earn money, well you need to think like a client, and make your product as appealing as possible, and that cake doesn't help. But both of your replies have been defensive and like making excuses, rather than accepting that you need to work on your skills. You started the thread, and rather than placate you or say you're doing fine, well...I don't do that. Sorry, fluff and rainbows don't help someone improve; honesty and getting to the real solution does. You have something to say to practically every question that someone posts on this site, and maybe all that time could better be spent on practicing. But I think I've offered all I can. You're a nice person, who obviously has passion for this. Go do a good job!

 Well not perfect bu better than I expected during my low point yesterday. Fondant is wet from sweating. What I would have changed...used red fondant rather than trying to paint pink fondant. Make my fondant thicker and spend more time on the details like the lights, bumpers, grills.

AThat turned out pretty good!

ASee told you you would kick ass!! Great job!!

I have been practicing. I'm baking all of the time. I give cakes to the new kids across the street and the guy that helps me with the cake stand weekly. I take cupcakes up to Woodcrafts (a store) I'm making cakes for my grandaughter's school. They have a cakewalk coming up. I am not being defensive. I agreed the picture of tink needed to come down and took it down. Just don't know where you guy s get that I don't practice. My skills have improved drastically since I started and it didn't happen by its self. I do turn order away if I don't think it's something I can do. I knew I could do this one. It just took more time than I expected. Believe me I listen and take LOTS of advice. I definitely want to practice with ganache now. Having never used it in this manner I was not sure what the consistency should look like. I just needed to vent last night which was the purpose of my post. Wasn't really asking for any advice. I knew it would come and I don't mind. I just can't vent about stuff like this anywhere else because who would know what I am talking about. I really want to do children's cakes but every event that I had planned for marketing has fell through. SO I am hoping doing these cakes for the school will help. I appreciate all of the input and encouragement. It's done. I need a nap.

ANice work! The paint job makes it look a little vintage...in a good way:).So glad you pulled through.

AZ has some great advice, she comes across strongly, but she means well.

Awwww...I'm used to AZ. She has helped me A LOT!