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Original poster

Would you be happy with the finding of this cake for £80

431 replies

forfoxsakee · 26/07/2020 11:00

I ordered a graduation cake from a lady who I have used for years and all of the cakes have been beautiful which is why I've returned every time. However I picked up this yesterday and I'm a little disappointed in the size and finish compared to the picture I sent of how I would like it. I've messaged her to tell her I was a little disappointed with it but she hasn't replied so am I being unreasonable? She wasn't in when I picked it up she left it with her teen son to hand over so couldn't really say anything there and then.

Would you be happy with the finding of this cake for £80
Would you be happy with the finding of this cake for £80
OP posts:
Thread gallery
17
CakeWarrior · 26/07/2020 17:20

That is disgraceful. I would send her the side by side comparison, point out that as a professional she would be aware that a much neater finish can be achieved with buttercream, and you are surprised that an average person is having to point that out to a "professional". Also state that as she has clearly stated it took three days to ice then she has admitted she has sold you a stale cake. The images are not similar and it is not only sloppy, her response is unprofessional. Tbh i would have refused to take it on collection and informed the son to inform his mother you have refused to accept it due to poor quality - but hindsight is a wonderful thing.

PatchworkElmer · 26/07/2020 17:21

No, that’s not an £80 cake. I would’ve been really disappointed!

Floralnomad · 26/07/2020 17:23

@forfoxsakee send her the 2 pics side by side of what you asked for and what you ended up with as they are really not comparable and she should have told you if she couldn’t actually reproduce what you wanted .

Turkeydrumstick · 26/07/2020 17:24

I bake cakes for friends and family (would never charge as I’m not that good), even I could do a better job with the buttercream! The edge across the top just looks shoddy. I’d leave the review- if I looked at reviews and saw that I wouldn’t buy from her.

perfumeistooexpensive · 26/07/2020 17:24

Is she elderly? Could be failing eyesight or dementia starting.

Thisismytimetoshine · 26/07/2020 17:27

@perfumeistooexpensive

Is she elderly? Could be failing eyesight or dementia starting.
That's quite some reach...
SixesAndEights · 26/07/2020 17:28

That is not a nice cake.

Livingoffcoffee · 26/07/2020 17:32

@forfoxsakee

I just sent her the picture and she gave me a price. I wasn't aware that it was buttercream on the picture, she didn't point that out or specify. Maybe it's partly my own fault but even so the proportions and colour and finish are still off.
She didn't ask you what size/how many servings you needed? I'd find that really questionable from a professional baker...

That's always one of my first questions when someone's ordering a cake - as it should be a matter of taking their inspiration picture and customising it to them (size/tiers/colours/flavours).

rockingthelook · 26/07/2020 17:34

Tbh it's crap, I'd be gutted, considering she is supposed to be professional you were robbed, and I would be embarassed for her, sorry you have been so let down

EwwSprouts · 26/07/2020 17:34

Doesn't everybody just send a picture of something they would like for inspiration?

Plenty do and not implying it's a bad idea. But if you are in a hurry and have two cakes to get out which would you palm off to the not so skilled assistant?

Alsohuman · 26/07/2020 17:36

@perfumeistooexpensive

Is she elderly? Could be failing eyesight or dementia starting.
Wtf?

I can’t even begin to imagine paying £80 for a cake. My standards are low as far as appearance is concerned though. All I care about is what it tastes like.

hoxtonbabe · 26/07/2020 17:37

Lol @WhattheHhashappened

I agree there Grin

@forfoxsakee the cake maker is having a laugh. I was about to say “the flowers would be the bulk of the cost and time” as was assuming they were sugar flowers but the fact they are artificial is an insult to charge £80. And 3 days for a buttercream is worrying. Iced with and 2 or 3 tiers I can understand as you need the fondant to set overnight before decorating, but buttercream of that size and no pipework or anything fancy can be done in one day. You bake @ 9am in the morning, it will cool by 1pm, fill with buttercream and crumb coat, chill in fridge , and then coat one or two times is no more than 3 hours. The lettering isn’t handmade so will be simple stamp outs/stencils so let’s say another 2 hours ( I’m being very generous with the timings here) and then sticking in the “flowers”

That cake could have been finished the same day by 6pm at a minimum but certainly within 24 hours. Why it took 72 hours is beyond me.

Livingoffcoffee · 26/07/2020 17:40

OP how big is the cake you got?

redbigbananafeet · 26/07/2020 17:41

[quote EmbarrassingAdmissions]Cakes down south are very expensive. Some are hundreds.

There's a YTuber called Raphael Gomes who has a series of videos where he sends the same recipe to a 1 v 5 star bakery and then does a comparison - I'm sometimes startled by just how much the cakes cost even by London standards.

[/quote] I wish he gave the price difference
hoxtonbabe · 26/07/2020 17:42

@Livingoffcoffee

I Doubt she’s professional as no self respecting true professional would send a cake out like that and as you said, not even ask how many servings?!?! Now that is strange ( and not professional at all)

Original poster
forfoxsakee · 26/07/2020 17:44

She is quite well known in the cake world, has written a book, made cakes for celebrities, used to have a shop on a trendy street in town. I'm not lying about her being a professional without outing her!

OP posts:
mumwon · 26/07/2020 17:48

2 photos on twitter & facebook with your feedback & her comments (& any other platform you can think of

RhubarbJelly · 26/07/2020 17:49

I would put a review up with the picture of the cake so people know why you are unhappy!

Thisismytimetoshine · 26/07/2020 17:50

@forfoxsakee

She is quite well known in the cake world, has written a book, made cakes for celebrities, used to have a shop on a trendy street in town. I'm not lying about her being a professional without outing her!
Shock. All the more reason she shouldn't have let that one out of the gate.
shinynewapple2020 · 26/07/2020 17:53

I wouldn't be happy, no, but I have no clue what the going price is for hand made celebration cakes. I agree it looks amateurish.

Whatthebloodyell · 26/07/2020 17:58

@redbigbananafeet good cake 70 quid bad cake 45.

TidyDancer · 26/07/2020 17:58

That is definitely not professional standard! I wouldn't even be proud of that myself and I'm as amateur as they come! How can a pro possibly think that's worth £80?

hoxtonbabe · 26/07/2020 17:59

She is quite well known in the cake world, has written a book, made cakes for celebrities, used to have a shop on a trendy street in town. I'm not lying about her being a professional without outing her!

Then I can only assume her apprentice did it and she didn’t quality check it! That’s even more of an insult if she’s well known.

If she’s sending cakes out like that, no wonder she no longer has the shop.

GeorgiaWeLoveYou · 26/07/2020 18:00

I'm assuming someone else did it OP and she's failed to check it. Very unprofessional on her part and I would not be happy.

Alloverthegrapevine · 26/07/2020 18:01

A well known celebrity cake maker is doing them for £80?

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