Over the years I've had some small cake fails and some big cake fails and some cakes that I felt like were failures and yet the client was completely ecstatic! But then there was that one time... where I had my biggest cake failure. And it changed me in big ways.
I've thought about sharing this post many times over the years and every time, I've talked myself out of it. Recently I heard someone talking about their failures and how much we always only show our best side and never the bad stuff and I thought maybe it was time - to show you my worst cake experience.
Here's the story...
Around three years ago, three amazing sisters contacted me about doing a cake for one of the sister's baby shower / gender reveal party. They had dreamed and planned and were so excited to be getting a "Rose" cake for their event.
I was excited for them and quite flattered that they were that excited about one of my cakes. They sketched the cake, sent me pics and ideas and we were all in a group chat on Facebook talking it up frequently!
And then that weekend came. The cake was huge and one of my biggest orders for a baby shower - and I was so excited about making it. It's been a few years so I don't remember all the details but I just remember being very pumped because it was a new design I'd never done before.
So... I made it. I had been sent a picture (maybe an invitation?) via the message where I got the colors from and it had ruffles and a pom-pom flower and lips and a mustache and chevrons.
But as I got closer to finishing the cake... I realized the ruffles didn't look exactly like I wanted. They were heavy and not standing like they should've. They weren't terrible, but I couldn't seem to get the to look on the cake like they did in my head.
Also there was the pom-pom flower thingy. I had never made one before. I made it the night before and thought to myself... wow, this thing is heavy. Like... really, really heavy. Maybe it's too big? I didn't listen to my instincts, instead I thought surely I can just "glue" it on with melted chocolate and it'll be okay. Having never done one before, I just didn't know.
And then the lips and mustache - I had bought chocolate/candy molds to do those, but when I actually made them with melted candy melts - they were also heavy and sticky (it was insanely humid that weekend and raining).
But still... I pressed forward. When I got time to leave, I noticed a small gap between the middle and bottom tier - like the bottom was sinking a little, but it was too late to do anything about it, so I filled it with buttercream and I thought it looked okay (looking back now - I realize this was a huge red flag that something bad was happening... and that my buttercream filling didn't look as good as I thought it did.. ha!).
While I wasn't 100% satisfied with it, I thought it looked good and was still hopeful that the customer's would be happy.
So I loaded it up (along with two other cakes I had to deliver) and we headed out. I think it was around 15-20 miles from my home to the church where the baby shower was happening and the more we bumped along, the more I realized I might be in trouble.
The bottom tier looked like it was starting to sink on one side even more. The pom-pom flower started to sag a little and lean off the cake and the lips & mustache wouldn't stay put. I don't remember how I handled it - I only remember the sickening feeling in the pit of my stomach that the cake was in trouble ... and praying that somehow it would be okay.
We finally got there and set up the cake. The girls smiled and were polite but I could tell they weren't thrilled. And it broke my heart. But at that point, it was still intact , so I left to make my other deliveries.
My Biggest Cake Failure
Less than half an hour later, they called... the cake was falling apart. I drove back to the venue - shaking and in tears all the way.
When I got there, the pom-pom had completely torn off the front of the cake - leaving the blue (gender reveal) cake exposed.
The cake was leaning and the bottom tier was full-out collapsing on one side. It didn't register with me at the time, but where I had adjusted the lips and mustache to try and keep them in place... they were smudged and ugly. It was a big, big mess. They were trying to conceal the problems but truth-be-told, there was no fixing it.
They told me also that the colors were wrong. In my inbox, the picture had looked like gray and a mossy-sage-green. In reality, it had been a different shade of gray and a bright, lime green (thank you computer screen).
I began to apologize and cry. I was embarrassed... horrified really. The cake was a disaster and there was no making it better. I went to my truck, got their check and tore it up - while promising to also refund the deposit they had paid by Paypal.
I told them nothing like this had never happened before (and it hadn't!) and I didn't understand why everything had gone wrong on this cake but I was as sorry as a person could possibly be.
I had ruined their party. Ruined their surprise gender reveal. Disappointed them when they were so excited to get one of my cakes. I was humiliated and just so sick over ruining everything for them. I didn't know exactly what had gone wrong with the cake but I knew it was 100% my fault and I was sure my cake business was about to be ruined too.
And then guess what happened next?
They began to console me. The girls' mom hugged me and said it was okay. One of the sisters wrote me another check and insisted that I keep the money, because at the end of the day... they'd all still get to eat cake.
I was overwhelmed with their grace and kindness in a moment where I deserved to be blasted. They had every right to be angry with me. They had every right to a full refund and then some.
But instead, they demonstrated love and kindness and compassion in the midst of their great disappointment.
As if that weren't enough, they never publicly mentioned what happened. They didn't blast the cake or my business on Facebook. They didn't bad-mouth me to other potential customers. They never posted a picture or complained on social media.
When they could've rightfully told others to not dare order a cake from me because of my huge failure with their cake - they kept silent.
As I sit here typing this ... more than 3 years after that horrible cake experience, I am crying again thinking about how extraordinary their actions were. How much they changed me.
In our current day and age where it's so easy to shame and tear down people publicly - to ruin reputations and businesses and make fun... it would've been easy (and justified) to post a picture of their falling-apart-cake and warn others away from my business ... but they didn't.
And I was astounded and humbled and brought to tears over and over again.
Initially, I decided to quit doing cake. I was not willing to risk ruining anyone else's event. I had no idea what had gone wrong that weekend and I was afraid of repeating it.
I barely slept for almost a month. I would lay awake at night thinking about all the things that I could've done differently to maybe have a different outcome.
In the meantime, I still had cakes on the schedule (that was during a time when I was taking sometimes 4-6 cake orders per weekend) so I had to keep working even though I didn't take any new orders for quite a while.
But with every cake, I was riddled with fear... fear of something going wrong - fear of it falling apart or decorations tearing off. I was a nervous wreck every time I started to work on a new order and I'd have nightmares about them falling apart.
I eventually came to terms with my mistakes that weekend. I know some of the places where I went wrong: heavy decorations were a major contributor and using a computer screen image without verifying the colors. I never did figure out other things, like why the cake began to collapse and fall apart, when I baked and built it the same way I've baked hundreds of cakes before and since then. I still can't explain it all - except to say maybe God had a big lesson in it for me.
You see, the experience also changed me for the good. The behavior of those sisters and that Mama - the way they treated me when I deserved so much worse - made me want to be a better person.
Many, many times since then, when I've received poor customer service or have been disappointed in something or someone, I've thought of those amazing women and instead of being angry or throwing a fit - I've extended grace and kindness... even sometimes undeserved.
I'm sure I haven't followed this 100% of the time, but I genuinely try to remember their kindness that day and extend it every chance I get. I don't publicly blast people or businesses even if I feel it would be justified.
They were a living example of the scripture, "Do unto others as you'd have them do unto you," (Luke 6:31) and I wanted to live that out the rest of my life. Because they way they treated me that day? That's the way I would've wanted to be treated even though I'd never have dreamed it would really come out that way.
From then until now, I strive to treat others the way I want to be treated - with love and kindness. Showing mercy instead of ugliness even when the mistakes are obvious. Not publicly tearing down someone even thought they might deserve it.
To the sisters and Mama... you know who you are. If you're reading this, thank you. You will never know how much your kind words and actions meant to me that day... and changed me for a lifetime. You are beautiful, lovely ladies that I will always admire. xoxo P.S. Please forgive me if I've messed up any details - it's been a long time and I'm sure my memories aren't perfect.
Heather
This made me cry! What an awesome post and I think it is such a wonderful thing to put out for your readers to read. I have had a similar experience where a date for a cake to be made was messed up and I had no cake for her when she needed it. I felt horrible and cried and tried to figure out how to make up for my mistake. She was amazing and was so kind to me. I brought her cupcakes after the incident. I was so lucky this happened with a woman with compassion and kindness, it could have gone so very wrong and ruined my business reputation. Thank you for sharing and thank God for amazing people like this in the world!!xoxo
Lisa Campbell
I stumbled upon this after seeing a pic of one of your great cakes. Your post hit me powerfully. First, because it made me realize we've ALL had a cake failure. I think that cake decorating is a very difficult business because it is so personal. Our work is a part of us and when it fails, we feel like a failure. It is incredibly difficult to not take it personally and to separate ourselves from the work. The cake is the focus of any event and when it fails we feel responsible for ruining the entire event and that is a huge responsibility. Wrongly I assumed that other decorators had no failures and that their work is always perfect and I am so hard on myself. So your sharing this makes me feel so much better knowing we've all been there. My biggest cake disaster is something I have never gotten over and didn't do any cakes for about 5 years. I had someone order a 4 tier wedding cake for their parents anniversary because they did not have one when they got married because they married at a courthouse and he immediately shipped out to go to war (WWII). They had a huge event/reception type party and the cake was supposed to be the big surprise because her mother always lamented about not having a wedding cake. I worked on that cake with such care, it was white buttercream with cascading red roses. I made several mistakes, the first of which was delivering a buttercream cake made with butter and no shortening UNCHILLED in 100 degree weather. My husband came with me to help me carry it. When I arrived at the venue and looked at the cake I nearly fainted. The cake had fallen off in clumps all over the car. I couldn't breathe and couldn't stop crying. I made my husband go tell them what happened. The lady came out and did what your client did - she consoled me and was so kind. I didn't know what to do. Luckily then venue had cake on hand and they tried to fix up what was left and make a smaller cake with the roses. It wasn't beautiful but it worked. I didn't accept any money and couldn't apologize enough and left devastated. A few days later the client showed up at my doorstep with a nice gift since I didn't take the money. Her kindness to me when my cake ruined this most important occasion I've never forgotten. To this day I cannot deliver a buttercream cake without obsessive precautions (chilled cake, cold car, dry ice, etc etc - ridiculous).
Thank you for sharing this.
Gabriela Higley
That is so awesome!!! We all should know and understand that mistakes happen! There is not a lot of people that will see it that way.
Wendy B
Thank you for sharing this! I had a somewhat similar experience with a HUGE cake fail. It is encouraging to hear someone that I look UP to as a cake decorator also has bad cake days sometimes seemingly for no reason. I am so glad the customers treated you so well in this situation. My situation was also handled well by the customer. Thanks again for opening up and sharing!
Tausha
What an amazing story! Thank you for sharing!
Maria Tolentino
Thank you for this post, I myself had a failure about a year ago with melting chocolate and I had quit the opposite reaction, she didn't shame me on on Facebook but she did in front of her guest and since that day I have not been the same. Since that day I fear every order and I fear that I might mess up someone's event . Slowly but surely I have rebuilt my caking self esteem via the kindness of all the other customers that appreciate my talent. Just when I want to give up, God slaps me in the face and provides an abundance of referrals and business. Social media has built a fantasy world where it appears that no one makes mistakes and for those that do they are shamed, criticized to no end, creating unrealistic expectations, especially in young minds. Thanks again for this real and wonderful post.
JENNIE
*wiping my tears* I needed this. Thank you for sharing your vulnerable moment with us. Yesterday I had my first really bad cake fail, in the 8 years of doing this. It WAS a beautiful 3 tiered cake I was donating to the local Law Enforcement Appreciation Luncheon. Needless to say, I was embarrassed and completely devastated! I cried, cursed and wanted to pull over and beat the guy with my cake drum, for slamming his brakes making me slam mine causing my cake to fall. Much to my surprise and appreciation, my cake client was incredibly sweet, compassionate and understanding, and reassured me that it was ok. She too, could have but didn't blast me on social media, for not owning up to my agreement on the cake. She insisted that I still come to the luncheon, after some thought... I did. I wanted to personally apologize face to face. She hugged me tight and introduced me to her guests, who thanked me for my intended generosity and for the time spent on what was a beautiful cake. I left the luncheon with a smile, and a thank you card she wrote out for me (with a gift card enclosed.) I probably didn't deserve such kindness, but my well-meaning heartfelt intention was appreciated. And that's a great feeling. Best Wishes and Happy Caking to all!
Ck
Thank you for sharing. I only hope that if that happened to me, I would be fortunate enough to have customers with a heart of gold, displaying such kindness and understanding. I get so nervous about ribbons and flower decorations that I make them out of gumpaste and go light on the buttercream. Hugs
Christine
I think most decorators have had that moment when something horrifying happened. I'm glad they treated you with such grace. We are all human, things happen. In the grand scheme of things while it seems tragic, it is just a cake. Tragedy would be if the baby didn't arrive healthy. People should always stop to evaluate what really constitutes a tragedy. Us decorators take their work very seriously and truth be told we are harder on ourselves than other people are.
Dee Price
That is an awesome and inspirational story. I too had that cake failure day or days. I was asked to do an elephant baby shower cake. I had never made one and was excited and nervous to do it. I don't remember exactly how many this cake was to feed but I made it to what I thought was the perfect size. I will admit it didn't look exactly like the picture but it was close. The family picked it up and took it to the destination. Later that evening they called me and said the cake was not what they had wanted, that is wasn't as big as they thought it should be and they didn't feel the elephant trunk was right. they wanted half their money back. Ok that's fair if you are not satisfied with the cake I can give you half back. They came to my house, brought me the cake and then decided they wanted all of their money back. Ok again customer is always right. I was very upset but I could deal with it. Then I seen their shower pictures on facebook and low and behold their is my cake on the table with the mom to be holding another cake. I was then furious! I know my cakes aren't always perfect but boy did I learn alot from that one! Some people are not as honest as they should be either
Liz
Im crying here...God bless these women.But on the other hand im now a bit terrified of going ahead with making my daughter's 1st b'day cake in Sept..
Rose im a new reader and this is my first comment...thanks so much for being such a helpful humble person. I wish i knew you personally as you are an awesome person.
DeLoris Werner
The cake I baked, delivered & set up was Very pretty. When I left the delivery site everything was PERFECT!! Lots and lots of unsupervised small children playing around their. WOW did I ever hear from them via NASTY letter & phone call. They didn't think they should have to pay, I did learn my lesson from that, I now require payment in full 3 weeks in advance. These folks did their kind of justice, they told everyone who would listen. And yes did hurt my business. The most hurt was how they said they had to use an ice cream scoop to pick it up off the floor to serve guests. I also now get a signed paper before I leave that all was ok everything was as ordered. Have been in business for 38 Yrs now. thanks for all the other comments, it helps a lot. DeLoris
Mimi
Dear Rose, thanks for sharing, I cried too! Had a similar experience last year. Mistakes happen, we are human. Hugs to all fellow big-hearted cake decorators!
Heidi
Reading this just made me feel ill to my stomach, I could feel everything you were feeling, the panic, the shame. I have had a few fails, most minor, one which had me facing someone who was not kind like your ladies, and made me want to give up. Everytime I bake a cake, I remember her and what she said and think how much better I would feel if she would have been kind instead of hurtful. Here is to a year with no cake fails!
The Partiologist
Oh Rose, thank you for sharing this touching story, it truly brought tears to my eyes. What wonderful examples of how I want to live and this story is such a great reminder of how my actions can effect a person. I also believe if you were on the receiving end you would have been just as gracious.
Dene' Swearingen
Great reminder to be kind and graceful to others! And...not to be so hard on ourselves...even the best plans and greatest efforts don't always turn out.
Marsha
I loved you story...due to a domestic violent marriage, I no longer decorate but would love to..my ex. threw away all my equipment...airbrushed, copy cakes ( I had two of each) wedding cake stands, pans, books even pictures I had done over the years...I have been at cakes since I was 12 years old...always worked a t bakeries and had cakesbusiness on the side..but, he left me bankrupt and an epileptic...so, I am considered disabled...but, in all my years of decorating, I have never heard such a wonderful story as yours...it is amazing because we do live in a "let's destroy that person" type of world...it does my heart good just to,hear a good story now and then...it gives me hope and makes me smile..may god bless those sisters and mom for there kindness and understanding...and for you..if you learned from it...it wasn't a mistake, but one of lives lessons...you did. You learned and now you have helped others with your life lesson..thank you.
Theresa
Rose, thank you for sharing your experience. We never know how our own actions and responses to things change another person and this surely is a perfect example. Whether you make cakes, answer the phone, perform surgery or any one of a million other jobs we all need a reminder from time to time how our behavior shapes others. And how others' behavior shapes us!
XO
T
Denise
Oh Rose, as I read your story, I began to cry too. I think we've all had days like that, and if anybody says different, well then they are lying. I commend the sisters and their mother for how they handled the situation. They showed compassion towards you instead of kicking you when you were down. It is sad because in today's social media craze, so many are out to blast others. They don't try to talk stuff out first to find a solution but instead head to social media to do their venting and gossiping. I do know that there are several good hearted people out there, and you were so very fortunate to have done business with them. 🙂 Love ya, Keep up the good work!
Melissa Murata
Rose,
Thank you for posting your biggest and most difficult cake incident. We ALL have a story to tell, as do I. My own personal story was over a cake no-show because I had the wrong date, for a small wedding!!! With the help of wonderful friends across the bay, we scrambled to get something to the venu, but OMG, I will never never forget it. Like you, the thought of this haunts me to this day a few years later. I spent over $300 to purchase the decorated bundt cakes for the wedding so she had something to cut. Later, she called me to say she was so disappointed but thanked me for doing everything possible to get something on the table. She later even tired to order a shower cake but the timing didn't work out. It the most horrible feeling ever and I know we can't forgive ourselves, although we have to keep going which is a good thing! Thanks for your story and I know how you feel, and thanks for listening to my story. I, too, have learned a good lesson!
Melissa Murata
I also refunded all,of her money, naturally. It took awhile to recover but it was worth the lesson!
Oleta
Rose, I have had three cake "problems" I would not wish on anyone so I know where you are coming from.
My first was when I arrived at venue and part of the buttercream decorations on side of cake had slid off. Fortunately, I had supplies with me and I could repair it without noticeable impact and I did such a good job the couple had their picture cutting the cake in the newspaper! They were never aware of the problem.
The second was when I was delivering my niece's wedding cake and she came to the parking lot to see the cake and most of the decorations had melted off! The look on her face I will never forget. Again, I had my supplies with me and could repair the damage so no one was aware of it except the bride and her mother!
The 3rd time, I had made a cake for a good friend's daughter and they had designed it very carefully. I sat up the cake at the reception and went to park my car. When I went back in, the topper was laying on floor 6 feet away, the top tier was upside down on the floor, the middle tier was sitting on the edge of the table and when falling had taken off the front of the bottom tier. I had used plenty of support and it could only have happened if someone hit the table but of course everyone denied doing that. I went to a friend's shop, got frozen tiers out of her freezer, thawed them, frosted and put basic dec. on them and took to church and got there as everyone was coming down to reception. Needless to say, the couple realized it was not their original cake but had their pictures taken cutting it. They refused to serve that cake to their guests and served the undamaged area of the original cake! They gave the substitute cake to a shelter for homeless men!
Carmen Jack
As I read the tears came. I do understand the embarrassment. It only goes to show us that we're not infallible and must always remember as you have written to "do unto others as you would have them do unto you" (and me) and be extremely careful and get verification.
The love of God always shows itself in strange ways and from strangers.
Keep baking and loving.
Caroline
Rose, this story was so incredibly moving. I know that sick feeling when something is going wrong with a cake and you don't know why! I made a copy of your white lace on white 3-tiered wedding cake with roses on top for my sister's wedding - her wedding was on a Sunday and I covered the three tiers in fondant Thursday night. When I went to check on them the next day the 14 inch bottom tier was LEAKING buttercream right out from under the fondant. I spent Friday night and Saturday panicking and making deals with G-d :). If G-d would make the leaking stop and the lace go on well and the three tiers stack up, and the whole monstrously heavy thing make it to the wedding hall perfect and in one piece, I would light candles 10 minutes early the next Friday night. (Jewish custom. And I NEVER light on time :). There's 18 minutes leeway, and I'm always in them :).) It took three of us to get this cake safely to the wedding - my husband to drive and keep my sanity, my big little brother to carry the cake, and me to freak out in the back seat and make sure the cake stayed steady as we drove about 10 miles an hour ;). Thank G-d it wasn't too far. The next week all my friends called up to check if I kept my side of the deal! I had. I was so grateful.
Rose, you are such an inspiration. Thank you so much for sharing this story. I know it means a lot to so many of us who follow you to know that even the best decorators (you) sometimes have something go unexplainably wrong. And as another commenter wrote, at the end of the day, after all of our tears if something is not going right, or that sick stomach feeling when fondant won't smooth, or buttercream is melting, we have to remember: it IS just cake, not the end of the world. Hard to remember that when a cake disaster is unfolding at 2am :).
Thanks, Rose.
DARSY
Your post made me cry. Amazing post. The amazing thing is that you dare to share the incident.
“Do unto others as you’d have them do unto you,” (Luke 6:31)
We all always expect good from others, we seldom care how we react to others in such unexpected situations. Really those God loving sisters & Mom are role model to us. They showed one of the gifts of God"Self-control" and showered LOVE.
God bless
Sharon Dodds
A very good story and testimonial!! Go God!!
Thank you for sharing it too!
Anne.
What generous, loving women these ladies were! We should all seek to see life's experiences like this. What an inspiration to us all who try and sometimes fail to have our cakes ( and everything else) be perfect. Rose, your attitude toward them is what also encouraged their generous attitude
Lela Luster
Rose, your disaster confession couldn't have come at a better time for me...I lived thru my cake nightmare about two weeks ago. I (like you) had made a three tiered round cake for my cousins 25th Wedding Anniversary. I had fears about this cake the morning after I got it decorated too. It was extremely heavy, and I had put buttercream roses on it which added to the weight! I had used jumbo straws as support in all my tiers. When I left to take it to the venue, I didn't get a block from my home when the entire bottom layer cracked in half. I rushed back home and tried to salvage the top two tiers so they would at least have a bite of cake. Forty five minutes later, I painfully entered their venue with the cake remains. That was the most embarrassing and shameful moment of my life. As I sat it on their cake table, the middle tier also collapsed. My cousin was so sweet and compassionate but it did nothing to relieve my stress and sick feeling. I too felt like seriously never doing another cake, EVER! So, I just want to say thank you for sharing your bad experience with all of us who appreciate your website and all that you do to help us and encourage us! God Bless
3Jays
Thank you for sharing this. This is really humbling and a reminder to be kind to people irresepective of their mistakes. I've had numerous cake disasters too. Well done!
Kimberly
Thank-you for sharing this moment. I have also learned from it. Those ladies were definitely being used by God to reveal Himself to you in that moment and now to each and everyone of us that gets the privilege to be apart of your great site and this life lesson story.
God Bless these ladies and yourself.
Rose
Thank you!
Katie Goodson
It was so brave of you to share your story. I made a wedding cake for a former student only to see the top tier topple to the ground before it was ever cut. 90 degree heat and buttercream are no match! I was so embarrassed and humiliated but the bride and groom were so gracious. They knew it was only my second wedding cake but they were willing to take a chance on me. They bragged on how good it was and never shamed me at all! I was humbled to see a bride and groom be so loving towards me when I could have potentially ruined their special day. I know God used that special couple to show me a fraction of His love. Thanks for sharing your story, have a blessed day.
Rosemary
Hi Rose. I'm Rosemary 🙂 A client ordered a mercedes tyre cake and I was so thrilled to do something like that. But the final product looks so rough and ugly. I'm so ashamed to give it to her in a couple of hours. I started doing cakes just 3 months back and ao all the others have been fine. Some quite good for a beginner and the others look like a beginners cake. But this one so rough looking. Like a child made it :-(. Thank you for sharing your experience.
Rose
Awww, I'm sorry Rosemary!!
Lindsay
I thank you for this testimony! I've been doing cakes since March 2010 and have a home based business. I have had little to no sleep this week due to numerous orders. It is 5:30am where I am, and I haven't been to sleep yet . Well, yesterday I delivered one cake and came home to start on another. The day before I had baked and iced a 3 tier wedding cake, but had not stacked it. It was just solid white and in the fridge. I had messaged the bride earlier in the day to ask a question regarding the finished look and she answered with "yes, if you still have time". First clue. My husband got home from work as I was finishing the cake I had been working on so I was talking to him and picked up my phone to realize I had a message. This was at 6:15pm...message was sent at 5:38pm. It was from the bride who asked me to call the grooms mother. Clue two. I immediately had this thought of "why? Wait. Wait a minute...." as I scroll up to our very first interaction and see the wedding date. Then I looked at the date on my phone and realize I was suppose to deliver the wedding cake at 5:00 pm! I thought thr 26th was the next day (today)!! I immediately call the grooms mother..mind you the wedding started at 6pm and it is 6:15pm and I am 47 minutes away from the venue. She answers and is obviously speaking quietly BECAUSE THERE IS A WEDDING GOING ON...HER SONS WEDDING!!! I ask "is the wedding today?" "Yes". I can only imagine the horror in her mind and on her face. I go to the kitchen literally scrambling not knowing what to do first. The cake is suppose to look like birch tree tiers. It is solid white and not even stacked. So I stuck supports in that cake and stacked it in 3 minutes. I grabbed my icing color and paint brush and headed for my van. My husband drove as I sat in the back of my van and hand painted that thing between the twists and turns and bumps. I get car sick often so this was fun. We were almost out of gas in my van so we had to stop to get that or we wouldn't have made it. I am praying the whole way for God to please let this cake get to the venue in one piece. We are 15 minutes out and I start feeling very sick. I'm sweating like crazy and feel like I am about to get really sick...then I do. I tell my husband to pull over and open the back hatch. I jump out and you can guess what happened...twice. I get back in and we finally get there. The grooms mother comes out and meets us, my husband (God BLESS that man) carries the cake to where it needs to go. Guests are eating dinner. I am completely humiliated because this sorta thing does not happen to me and is so not like me...but it happened. My worst cake nightmare to date. My husband is gone a while, I can't even show my face...not to mention I looked terrible. He finally comes back and who is in front of him? The bride! In that moment I wanted God to come back. Im thinking take me Jesus! I get out of my van and am balling my eyes out apologizing over and over and telling her that it has never happened before (as if that will make her feel better). I tell her I am refunding in full and just keep apologizing. She began to console me. She was the absolute sweetest bride and customer I have ever encountered and kept telling me not to even worry about it. She said it was beautiful and just what she wanted and she would give me 5 star reviews, period. I can't even fathom that amount of kindness when I know I deserved anything she could have thrown my way. I have not forgiven myself yet and have vowed to no longer do wedding cakes. I honestly don't even like to do them because they stress me out so bad. I am so thankful for her grace. I am still completely humiliated but I know it was a lesson to humble myself and show grace to others. God sure does have a sense of humor! My family is in the same homeschool group as the grooms family and I will forever be remembered by this. When they think of their wedding day they will say "remember our cake was an hr late!" . Anyway, me still thinking about it, I googled "I got the customers wedding date wrong" and your website, this post, showed up! Thanks again for sharing and for the reminder that we are all human and all make mistakes!
Emma Dedman
That's a lovely story. I hope I will be treated with the same respect and humanity if I ever have any catastrophies.
Zhareen
A big thanks & loads of kisses from me for zis post. Last Friday i was craving so much to eat a white vanilla cake. I searched on youtube. It seemed so easy. I tried it late zat evening after a hard day at work. The cake baked into a disaster. It didnt rise & the taste was too sweet. I had to throw it away. I was soooo much depressed zat i didnt sleep zat night. It was such a horrible experience & wastage of ingredients zat i made up my mind of not cooking a cake again. It broke my heart. A feeling i cudnt describe. But today when i read ur post of ur cake failure. I can understand wat u felt. And it now motivated me to learn from my mistake & continue my dream.
Its a fact zat we do learn from our failure. And we should always keep fighting for something better. Thank u..
Roseanne Pickering
Some times you have to exercise a little patience and understanding. I was ordering a cake for a co-worker who was turning 30. I phoned in the order because, quite frankly, I didn't have time to go in and consult with the baker myself. The bakery was known for its beautiful (and tasty) cakes and I was sure it would be perfect, including my message which was supposed to read, "Oh no! Look who turned the Big 3-0! Happy Birthday Debbie" When I got there, I of course wanted to see the cake before I paid. I'm not sure exactly what it said but when I told the man at the counter the message was wrong, he was really embarrassed. He said that his mother had taken the message and she didn't really speak English. I told him, "That's okay. My grandma lived in this country for 40 years and she didn't speak English well either." He gratefully fixed the cake for me and it was perfect!
Adesuwa
Oh my!!! This story really did touch me. I literally searched online for anyone with a similar story because I had a cake fail yesterday! I cried so much! I haven’t been able to sleep and I have an exam in about 2 weeks from which I took 2 days off studying to make this cake, and It failed. Everyone said the cake was nice except the client, and I understood her, because I tried to make some variations to the cake as earlier discussed with her, but it didn’t come out as I had planned and it was too late to make any changes as I feared doing anything might alter and spoil the cake further. Looking back now , maybe I should have adjusted something. Anything.
I offered a part refund and she took it, but she was unhappy and even angry I heard her even telling someone in the background how unhappy she was and how much she had paid for the cake. Eventually I called and kept apologizing. She eventually said she had gotten over it and it was fine, and that I should get over it as well. I hope she has really gotten over it, because it still bothers me. I have been doing cakes for about 6 years and this is my first cake fail and I really feel like a mess. I pray and hope I get over how I feel soon and get back to studying and ace my exams. Thanks for this once again. I needed it.