Home-made cakes thread 2

Mamascakes

Every morning I read every single post that you all make, so never miss a thing. I rarely post though, but hope you could be as kind as to give me your advice.....

I sell cakes & have never had a complaint until Friday & the lady is bring very nasty. I remain polite & co-operative in all my replies as its not my nature to be rude, nor is it professional.

Could you all tell me how you cover your cakes? The most recent email is telling me that I cover then incorrectly & a cake shop she took my cake to has told her that "regal icing/royal icing is the norm," my icing was not stuck to the cake correctly & it was soggy.

I used buttercream & roll out icing/fondant.

Thank you all, you are all amazing & make amazing cakes. This has really knocked me & I know you cannot please everyone but I will not be baking for customers anymore :0(

nat82

Mamascakes, I'm so sorry that you're feeling this way.

Is regal icing not just a brand of sugarpaste?? I use buttercream and sugarpaste/regal ice. I did a course as well a few months back and the guy that ran it is a proper pro cake decorator and he uses sugarpaste too. The under part of the icing that is next to the cake is always a bit soggier as it's next to the buttercream and the top is exposed to the air. Sounds like she went to alot of trouble by taking your cake to another shop? I'd contact her back saying that this is the way you always decorate cakes and have never received any complaints before. Can she return any leftover cake to you so you can examine it? If she's such a cake expert, maybe she should have made it herself!

My hubby got me a birthday cake from M+S and the sugarpaste came away from the sides when the cake was cut.. What does she mean it wasn't stuck to the cake properly?

Big hugs x

VfM4meplse

Monkeymagic wrote: »

Thanks girls. yes Nat it did take hours but mostly because only 5th cake have made so learning as i go

Which makes your result even more of an achievement :T:T:T.

Mamascakes wrote: »

This has really knocked me & I know you cannot please everyone but I will not be baking for customers anymore :0(

Sorry to hear this (((hugs))). I've got no technical advice to offer, just to say that maybe your customer's reaction says more about her than you? People in Romford can have a way of expressing themselves, as I'm sure you know .

becs

Mamascakes wrote: »

Every morning I read every single post that you all make, so never miss a thing. I rarely post though, but hope you could be as kind as to give me your advice.....

I sell cakes & have never had a complaint until Friday & the lady is bring very nasty. I remain polite & co-operative in all my replies as its not my nature to be rude, nor is it professional.

Could you all tell me how you cover your cakes? The most recent email is telling me that I cover then incorrectly & a cake shop she took my cake to has told her that "regal icing/royal icing is the norm," my icing was not stuck to the cake correctly & it was soggy.

I used buttercream & roll out icing/fondant.!

Thank you all, you are all amazing & make amazing cakes. This has really knocked me & I know you cannot please everyone but I will not be baking for customers anymore :0(

I always use buttercream and sugarpaste except Xmas when I marzipan instead. Sugarpaste should b let out in the open so it "dries". I spent ages doing my beautiful Xmas ribbon cake this year and learnt the hard way when I put it in an airtight container and everything went soft again and drooped

MummyOfTwo

well i dont know ANY cake makers who use the old royal icing technique these days! its only really for fruit cakes as it takes such a long time to dry out properly for decorating. very much the norm to use a fondant/sugarpaste for most occaision cakes, and yes it is 'softer' than hard royal icing. sounds like a chancer to me....

nat82

MummyOfTwo wrote: »

well i dont know ANY cake makers who use the old royal icing technique these days! its only really for fruit cakes as it takes such a long time to dry out properly for decorating. very much the norm to use a fondant/sugarpaste for most occaision cakes, and yes it is 'softer' than hard royal icing. sounds like a chancer to me....

Yip, sounds like she doesn't really know what she's talking about and what she's oredered and what it will be like in her head are totally different things! x

becs

MummyOfTwo wrote: »

well i dont know ANY cake makers who use the old royal icing technique these days! its only really for fruit cakes as it takes such a long time to dry out properly for decorating. very much the norm to use a fondant/sugarpaste for most occaision cakes, and yes it is 'softer' than hard royal icing. sounds like a chancer to me....

Flipping good job too if you ask me, I have many memories of nearly breaking my teeth on my Mum's royal iced Xmas cake! :rotfl:

Golden_Anemone

I'm with the others Mamascakes and agree it sounds very much like she stored the cake in an airtight container which makes icing sweat and go soggy.

Please don't let someone like her put you off.

awesome2_2

Hi Ladies

Could I have your opinions please? I am toying with a few ideas for my dd 16th birthday cake. First of all I was thinking of doing a two tier the bottom oink and the top mint green both done with thishttp://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/20-square-FLOWER-SWIRLS-Embossing-Mat-/270995795063?pt=Uk_Crafts_Cake_Decorating_MJ&hash=item3f189bac77 then putting some diamante numbers and feathers etc on the top tier.

Now I am thinking of the bottom tier white with thesehttp://www.cakescookiesandcraftsshop.co.uk/acatalog/Sugar-Sheets.html cut as strips various thickness placed at intervals around the edges and the top tier in pink with the orignal floer design, and a modelled figure sitting on the top incorporating a 16 somewhere along the top

Sorry if its a bit muddled have until Aug to decide but just want to get it right in my head

Thanks:D

VfM4meplse

awesome2 wrote: »

Sorry if its a bit muddled have until Aug to decide but just want to get it right in my head

What does DD want or is it to be a surprise? The sugar sheets are cute, but personally I much prefer the embossed effect. A 16 yo might have a completely different opinion!

I've always think one of the best things about an August birthday is being able to take advantage of the seasonal fruit available - fresh strawberries and cream on a cake may not be original, but it's a lovely combination ! - but cool storage will be an issue if you're making a large size.