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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

AIBU to not pay for the slice of cake?

233 replies

bananafish · 03/12/2015 18:13

This isn't a big deal, really, but I'm somewhat bemused, so here goes.

So, we had a bake sale at work to raise money for a local charity before Christmas.

I baked a carrot cake with cream cheese frosting. New recipe, newish oven. It looked good when I put it out, but I was a wee bit nervous it might taste horrible, so I cut a small slice to test it.

The woman who organised the bake sale smiled at me and said: "That will be £1.50, please."

I smiled back and said nothing, as I assumed she was joking. She wasn't; she asked for the money again.

I said that I was just making sure it was OK and I didn't think I needed to pay for the slice of cake? She tutted that it was "bad form", and walked away with her nose in the air.

I appreciate we were raising funds but that's a bit weird, isn't it? Or should I have coughed up?

OP posts:
Laquitar · 03/12/2015 22:30

How can you steal your own cake?

Lets say the cake is 10 slices. You eat one slice, you donate 9.
She should thank you for the 9 slices lol.

Tbh i would have rebelled and eat another one in front of herl! With some loud 'MMMM YU.MMY'!

Gasp0deTheW0nderD0g · 03/12/2015 22:34

Lots of assumptions here. For what it's worth, here are mine.

OP is a bit nervous about baking a new recipe for the cake sale, especially in a new oven. Takes cake to work. At appointed time, delivers cake to stall. Looks at it doubtfully. Is it really all right? Will she be a laughing stock or an object of pity amongst her colleagues if it isn't cooked in the middle? Could she actually cause an outbreak of food poisoning?

Overcome by her fears, she slices the cake and tastes a bit. All is well. Immense relief until twat organiser accosts her demanding money for the cake she has baked, donating the cost of the ingredients and fuel for the oven.

So, no, YWNBU. She was.

edwardcullensotherwoman · 03/12/2015 23:19

I don't see what difference it makes whether the OP tried the cake at home or at the stall?

It would be different if she'd donated the cake say, in the morning, then someone set up the stall lunchtime and she stopped by, saw her cake and decided to cut a slice, but it sounds as though she put the cake on the stall and immediately decided she'd better try it, just in case.

Some people are so petty! And clearly misunderstanding the situation as far as I can see.

FlowersAndShit · 03/12/2015 23:21

PMSL at 'punch the cake' Grin

arethereanyleftatall · 03/12/2015 23:22

Yanbu.

Unreasonablebetty · 03/12/2015 23:51

I always hate these bake sale type things.

I always feel like I've spent more making the bloody cake than it ever gains the charity.

A few years ago I made a triple layered cake, chocolate, with jam between each slice and Nutella- I used the biggest jar I could find, then I sandwiched them all together and decorated the top with raspberries, sugar butterflies and white chocolate drops (Dds idea) and I was really quite proud, until the teacher said, is that Nutella? Yes I said quite proudly. Then she said, well this will go to the staff room at break time, we will appreciate it more anyway.....and I remembered shy Nutella is called NUTella.

I think they gave a fiver for a cake which they apparently enjoyed very much but I felt like a plonker, and as if I would have just been better off donating the money.

TheDowagerCuntess · 04/12/2015 00:05

According to a recent bonkers thread on here, the ONLY acceptable cake for a bake stall is a simple sponge, so YA apparently BU for going to all of the effort of making a carrot cake.

Taking a slice of cake once it's actually on the stall to test is weird, sorry, but it is.

Equally, the orgnaiser was a total jobsworth.

Neither of you come out of this looking good.

AndNowItsSeven · 04/12/2015 00:21

Shy Nutella? I am very confused Betty.

RhiWrites · 04/12/2015 02:02

"Why Nutella"

Fratelli · 04/12/2015 02:44

You know what to do next time...cupcakes! If the woman didn't know it was your cake then fair enough but it sounds like she did. I have never met and hope to never meet anyone who uses the phrase "bad form". It's not like you licked all the icing off it then sold it!

AnUtterIdiot · 04/12/2015 02:58

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

mathanxiety · 04/12/2015 03:08

You should have taken a tiny piece at home, from the bottom. Taking a whole slice after it was brought to the sale to see if it was ok was a bit Hmm If you ate a whole slice, then you should have paid.

That being said, around here I know it is hard to get people to bake for sales and nobody would have risked alienating an enthusiastic baker for the sake of the price of a slice.

spillyobeans · 04/12/2015 03:30

Mixed reactions from everyone but i think yanbu if its your cake! Agree that woman is jobs worth.

futureme · 04/12/2015 06:45

She's not checking its OK really though is she. You wouldn't take a cake that was poisonous/soft in the middle/whatever.

She just wanted to see what it was like. It would pretty much be the done thing to pay I think but I can see how odd that sounds.

coconutpie · 04/12/2015 06:58

YANBU. I probably would've withdrawn the cake after her ungrateful comments. What a miserable cow. You had already donated your time to bake the cake and the cost of ingredients, etc. I wouldn't be participating in another bake sake organised by that woman again.

cantmakeme · 04/12/2015 07:17

Aah, funny thread!

Do you think there are two basic personality types: those who would eat a slice and those who would not?!

YANBU in my opinion OP. And that woman was rude and kind of authoritarian to make a fuss like that after you donated your time and money!

StealthPolarBear · 04/12/2015 07:23

Slice a very thin layer off the bottom nXT time to test

paulapantsdown · 04/12/2015 07:31

YANBU at all.

I would have taken my cake home! It would have cost you about a fiver to make - you get a slice for free after that contribution I reckon.

PenelopePitstops · 04/12/2015 07:44

£1,50 is fine for a slice of cake.

Ingredients for a carrot cake can be £7, charge 50p a slice and you're lucky to make your money back. Homemade cake in a cafe would be £2.50 per slice at least. People have unrealistic expectations.

KakiFruit · 04/12/2015 08:07

Oh my god, this thread. People questioning the legality of this. "Poor form." "I wouldn't dream of doing that!" Get. A. Life.

wonkylegs · 04/12/2015 08:23

I'm on the committee of a charity and often have donated cakes for sale at events. We always give volunteers a free cup of tea and 1 slice of cake/biscuit and that would include those that donate them. It is a simple way to keep people happy and keep them donating their time and skills. its hard enough to get people to help without putting them off by being petty. We suffer no net loss but gain a lot of good will.

ClancyMoped · 04/12/2015 08:27

I NEED to know how big the small slice of cake was. Angry

Was it a 'tasting' slice or a normal but small slice.

ThisOldFool · 04/12/2015 08:46

Bans,
The woman is one of the hoity-toities, ideas above her station. Ignore her, You've donated time, money and effort to a charity and she wants to to charge you. Get out of it! Find another charity to support. I'd have thrown the money at her, and stormed out.

RamblingRedRose · 04/12/2015 08:59

I would have just paid for a slice. It is for charity after all.

I also think it's a bit weird to cut a sliver for testing.

villainousbroodmare · 04/12/2015 09:06

Not rtft but YANBU, would have been odd to turn up with a round cake with a wedge missing, no matter how modest.
I think if it had been me, that dear lady would still be washing cream cheese out of her eyebrows.
However, for future reference, it's easy to just put a bit of cake mixture in a cupcake case and bake it alongside. Gives you a chance to taste and enjoy your cake without cutting it.

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