Welcome to the Cake Decorators Q&A

Hi all, i was asked way back in May ,could i make a Disney Tangled tower cake, 10″ bottom tier,rice krispir treat tower,then a second tier 6″sponge cake on top, then a rice krispie treat pointed roof, all hand cut tiles, windows, different sizes of blossoms,vines, cobbled path,and all the figures non edible ,for the little one to keep, i duly did so, the 2 sponges were made today 25th june, cooled,filled,buttercreamed and covered with fondant,the tower was added, then the top tier fondant covered cake was added, it was boxed for safety, i have made all the decorations etc and these will be added tomor, 26th, then once left to set up will be boxed again and ready for the person to collect on the 27th, i told person how the cake was coming along and she has said , she has spoken to her partner and that if its made today the 25th it wont be fresh for the party on friday, have the funniest feeling she wont collect cake, also she would want her deposit back, Help, what do i do? this has never happened to me before, i am thinking of honouring the cakes i have and then packing it all in, 🙁

Hi treacle

The cakes will be fresh enough for Friday and a couple more days beyond. Most sponge cakes have a shelf life of 5 days unless they are whisked sponge like Swiss rolls which give about 3 days or less. The customer has a
contract with you, You have baked and decorated what was asked for in a more than acceptable time frame. I
don’t think the deposit should be refunded if she wants to cancel the order. You’ve paid out for all the
ingredients and spent a lot of time creating the cake. I would speak to the customer and make clear that the
deposit will be lost if the contract is not honoured. I know other members will advise too. I don’t know whether
you are in business, the Pro membership course is designed to teach all aspects of business including this very
type of scenario. I feel you would benefit from the comprehensive education the course offers and may be well
worth considering. You’re obviously a dedicated baker and decorator so please don’t give up because of this
person.

If you’d like to discuss pro membership you can email [email protected] for really useful information or go to the pro courses section to learn more. Good luck treacle and stand your ground. X

I believe this happens a lot…if you look at the cake community on Facebook they can be a great source of information and support…please don’t give up, if you enjoy doing it then carry on. Don,t stop because one person is being a pain…xx if you have a Facebook let me know what it is and I will find you. Alternately mine is called www.facebook.com/bijoucakes

I fully agree with both of the answers and especially the advice.re the deposit. I’ve had something similar and you need to stand firm on this. You have put in a lot of work and spent money yourself. As MIWL points out they entered a contract. Don’t give up because of this 1 person treacle x x

Be careful how much info you share with a client.they don,t understand what is involved.just say everything is coming on well if you are asked.that’s all they need to know

Thankyou to everyone for their kind words, the lady got in contact and after 2 days of constant messaging, all her concerns have been resolved, the lady collected the cake,was in her words, amazed at the size of the cake and all of the detailed work,she apologised for not realising how much work was involved and how long it would take, but i did draw up the design which she loved and the cost of the cake was agreed, i have done many cakes for the lady’s family and friends,and it seems she contacted them just to make sure it would be good cake, (i dont do anything but good cake, heheheh), the lady concerned was quite taken aback by the construction and the support to hold up and take the weight of such a large cake, it stood over 2ft tall once all the elements were put together, think my blood pressure is back to normal, in future i will make sure whom ever is looking for cake knows, you just cant fling together such a large ,demanding,time consuming cake in 24hrs, i love caking and baking ,but sometimes it is so stressful, without the support here i truly would have walked away, Thank you all 🙂

Hi, Glad everything worked out for you, it would be lovely to see your cake. Have you put it on Pauls facebook page ?

Hi treacle

‘All is well that ends well’! I think your client has learned a lesson that artistry takes a lot of thought and time. Pleased and relieved for you. xx

I have just posted The Tangled Tower cake on Pauls Facebook, thankyou for all the kind words and encouragement, i am relieved myself Madeitwithlove xx