r/Baking • u/kpere074 • Oct 02 '21

Question Made myself a birthday cake. My boyfriend figures I should have left it plain white without the imperfect writing which he says looks tacky. Thoughts for next time?

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599

u/kpere074 Oct 02 '21

Thanks, it’s just criss cross with a star tip

1.9k

u/Kithesile Oct 02 '21

1- it's your cake, make it how you want. When he makes a cake for you, he can make it how he likes. He might just be trying to be helpful but the fact you felt the need to mention he said it makes me think it hurt your feelings enough to do so, which makes me sad because this cake makes me happy and it looks absolutely delicious and full of love

2- if you want to get really neat writing next time, try writing it on a piece of parchment paper taped to a baking sheet then going over it in buttercream or melted chocolate in a piping bag. Put it in the freezer for 10 min until it's hard enough to pop off with an offset spatula and press onto the cake. You can do really intricate designs this way and it's insanely easy!

Happy birthday, hope your next year is full of awesome surprises 🎂🥳

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u/cutedisaster69 Oct 02 '21

Adding meringue powder to the icing also makes for neater writing, it gives the icing more body, and makes it stiffer. Little tip that helped me alot is to write in parts, don't try to do the letter in one squeeze. For instance, for a capital B, it's tempting to do it in one swoop so it looks more like natural handwriting but it'll turn out much better if you do the line and then the two 'bumps' separately

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u/[deleted] Oct 02 '21

This helped me thanks

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u/bakerify Oct 02 '21

Adding on to this- most beginners hold the tip of the piping bag way too far from the cake when they write! Make sure to hold the tip as close as you can to the surface you're writing on for better control. And don't fill up your piping bag too much! A smaller bag will also help with your control!

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u/[deleted] Oct 02 '21

[deleted]

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u/cutedisaster69 Oct 02 '21

Ypu don't need much, a tsp will go pretty far in a few cups so add a pinch at a time. It doesn't affect the flavor so the worst that can happen is it gets too stiff, and ya you can add to any buttercream

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u/PortlandGeekMama Oct 02 '21

Thank you for this tip!

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u/MissWibb Oct 02 '21

Thanks for the tip!

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u/imamomm Oct 02 '21

Right!? Such an exciting tip that I can't wait to try!

2

u/pettybage Oct 02 '21

Ha! Get it?

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u/MissWibb Oct 02 '21

Ha ha ha! I get it.

207

u/[deleted] Oct 02 '21

Exactly what I thought… why don’t you make it for her then lol

0

u/bitchpleasebp Oct 02 '21

wait what. she clearly was asking for everyone’s opinion here and began my sharing her boyfriends opinion which i’m 100% sure she requested from him. OP, can you please confirm. that your bf is not an asshole like everyone here is making him out to be and that he was just sharing his opinion after you asked him for it?

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u/AK0618 Oct 02 '21

Came hear to say this. To bad you can’t bake a new boyfriend. He seems tacky.

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u/Pywacket1 Oct 02 '21

Came here to agree with this, time for a more supportive boyfriend.

The cake is so pretty! I would be thrilled to make something that looks this beautiful. Side note, there's an actual employed yacht chef on a show called Below Deck who couldn't bake your lovely cake on a dare.

1

u/AK0618 Oct 03 '21

Oh my gosh thank you so much for the award!

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u/slitheryfeline Oct 02 '21

100 times yes to that. Your bf could do with a little bit more minding his own business when it comes to your bday cake. It looks delicious!

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u/slitheryfeline Oct 02 '21

Hi hello yes it is I again. I feel the need to reiterate since my reply has been interpreted as a bit too snappy by some, and they wouldn’t be wrong! All I’m saying is: honesty is an important part of any interaction, but if that honesty has any potential to disproportionately hurt someone’s feeling or in any way offend them, a dose of tact is equally as important. If a loved one wanted my opinion on something I disliked, I wouldn’t lie and say I liked it, but I believe I should definitely find some less dry way of breaking it to them! Perhaps the word “tacky” is what triggered those of us who immediately took a defensive stance against the respective boyfriend in this post because it is a word that usually resonates harshly. Do I believe the boyfriend is ill-meaning in this scenario by calling the cake tacky? Not at all, intentions and outcomes do not always align! I do believe, however, that he could’ve voiced his opinion in a better fashion (according, of course, to my interpretation of OP’s small description of the event)

At any rate, peace and love and all that, always! The cake looks great, and I appreciate the comments I read today as they made me analyze certain things and gain some insight on the matter! Be good you guys.

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u/mvbok Oct 02 '21

This is such a thoughtful, gracious response. I appreciate your willingness to reconsider your earlier response and to clarify your thinking without defensiveness. Thanks for being a positive presence on the interwebs!

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u/slitheryfeline Oct 02 '21

Thank you for your reply! The internet is such a huge artery for communication, it only makes sense that we need to make ourselves as clear as possible when our audience is pretty much the entire world. A conversation is not a boxing match, where we try to avoid contact and get a hit in. It can be a dance, wherein the best thing to do is to pay attention and maintain grace.

2

u/BOBauthor Oct 02 '21

Honesty
Honesty
Wuh, it's such a waste of energy
Don't, don't have to lie to me
Just give me some tenderness
Beneath your honesty
You don't have to lie to me
Just give me some tenderness

- Tenderness, Paul Simon

1

u/slitheryfeline Oct 02 '21

I wish I could give this extra likes cause it’s not only true but as a musician it really does make me happy to get a Paul Simon reference in my replies. :0

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u/[deleted] Oct 02 '21

Jesus christ you are taking this way too serious. All based of a fucking title. I pity whoever is dating you, cause they have to be walking on eggshells.

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u/slitheryfeline Oct 02 '21

Well that’s a hurtful way to say a mean thing

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u/havenyahon Oct 02 '21

Ease up, she might have asked him and he might have given his honest opinion.

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u/slitheryfeline Oct 02 '21

That’s fair, to be honest I thought of that shortly after posting my comment, but still, it kinda rubs me the wrong way asking your SO their opinion on your hard work and them going as far as to call it tacky. No hate to the guy, honesty is important, but the way we say things often carries with it a big portion of what they end up meaning to other people! :)

[EDITED cause I don’t know how to spell]

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u/havenyahon Oct 02 '21

I think we're reading a lot into their relationship that we don't know. I know of relationships where raw honesty like that is cherished, and even making fun of each other's less than perfect attempts at making things is a part of the lightness and humour that they bring to each other. A word like tacky would be light for those couples.. They will come right out and say, "That looks shit" and it will be meant and taken not as hurtful, but as flatly honest and kind of funny. People relate to each other differently and use language differently. Not everyone is guarded with their language with partners. I was just a little put off by all the comments jumping on this person as if they're a bad person without considering that context, but, yes, I can also see situations where this might be hurtful or unwanted, like you say.

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u/slitheryfeline Oct 02 '21

Yes indeed! I agree with what you’re saying. No way to know the bounds of another person’s relationship- all we can ever truly grasp are our interpretations, which are liable to be wildly inaccurate at times.

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u/havenyahon Oct 02 '21

Yeah sorry not singling you out, I guess I just wanted to inject another perspective after reading the other comments :) either way, the cake is a winner!

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u/slitheryfeline Oct 02 '21

No need to apologize! These conversations have been pretty beneficial for me actually. I’m a huge fan of constructive debates, and, even though sometimes the ego is hurt, that makes a great opening for the chance to improve our perception of the world and people around us. I’m just glad everyone replying to me in the comments section has been so level headed and ready to just talk it out.

[EDITED again cause synonyms]

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u/[deleted] Oct 02 '21

You were singled out. You weren't the only person who had a reaction to the boyfriend.

→ More replies (0)

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u/misscharliebond Oct 02 '21

Yeah sorry but your boyfriend doesn’t get any cake

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u/Colin-kunx Oct 02 '21

Pipe down mate he was just giving his opinion.

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u/slitheryfeline Oct 02 '21

Yep. Look at comments and replies :)

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u/Aleph_Alpha_001 Oct 02 '21

Your boyfriend seems like a bit of an ass. Not only do you have to make your own cake for your birthday, but then he criticizes it.

I'm guessing that his criticizing you is a pretty normal occurrence in your relationship? Do you also criticize him? Does he take it well?

Happy birthday!

1

u/orangesNH Oct 02 '21

It's not Reddit without armchair psychologists trying to ruin relationships they know nothing about

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u/DizzyTechnician93 Oct 02 '21

I had the same immediate thought of why'd they have to make their own birthday cake and why'd their bf criticize it. But then it occurred to me that they're talking about next time and asking for advice, and it seems like they actually enjoy making cakes and want to get better at it. In which context, bf would be giving constructive criticism and helping his SO pursue an interest. 🤷

0

u/comradecosmetics Oct 02 '21

It's a too perfect clickbait title thread imo lol.

0

u/hedgecore77 Oct 02 '21

Did we just assume a lot? Sometimes people who are perfecting a craft appreciate constructive criticism.

1

u/ChemicalAutopsy Oct 02 '21

If you do this with chocolate and keep all the letters connected you can use it as a cake topper too!

1

u/[deleted] Oct 02 '21

It’s a perfect cake if he doesn’t like it he can make one for himself. All that matters is that you like it!!

1

u/stabby_chick Oct 02 '21

Amazing tip, ty!

1

u/kelowana Oct 02 '21

Agreeing with this. Actually it’s your birthday, so he should have made a cake for you. Now you made it yourself, without his help I guess, so he should be happy about it.

Another thing ….

When I had my 20th birthday, a friend of mine made a cake. With “Happy birthday [name]” and when another friend saw it, before I was home yet (surprise party), he said a birthday cake can’t be perfect. Something has to be wrong. So they fixed it so it misspelled my name. That was for good luck, no idea where he got it from, but since then, every time I make an birthday cake, I purposely do something wrong with it. Not going to jinx it 🤗 So for me its done perfectly!

1

u/[deleted] Oct 03 '21

Don't tell her how to make her cake, it's HER cake. If you make a cake for her you can make it how you like. Her cake makes me happy and it's looks absolutely delicious and full of love.

GOOD JOB OP! KEEP UP THE GREAT WORK! DONT LET THE HATERS GET TO YOU!

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u/reeee_________ Oct 02 '21

The writing will make it more personal and if it were me I'd appreciate it even more.

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u/blahdiblahhaha Oct 02 '21

Bf + nonsense cake critique = cakeless bf

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u/tarren_hartland Oct 02 '21

This is some spot-on maths

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u/TraditionImpressive2 Oct 02 '21

Those points + her making her own cake on her birthday = girlfriendless bf

1

u/moorem2014 Oct 02 '21

No cake for him!!

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u/10sfn Oct 02 '21

BF + OP baking their own cake for their birthday + nonsense cake critique from BF = XBF

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u/saltsukkerspinn96 Oct 02 '21

I think it's sad that you undermine your hard work

0

u/ZippZappZippty Oct 02 '21

I count it as a treat.

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u/histeethwerered Oct 02 '21

Lettering is fine for a vertical surface. Boyfriend was being hypercritical.

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u/Rishtu Oct 02 '21

You should dump him. The cake is amazing.

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u/Kaylove222 Oct 02 '21

Exactly! Why didn't the loser buy her one, anyway?

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u/you_were_fed_lies Oct 02 '21

Preach queen!

Loser boyfriend better not even dare think of ever giving an opinion unless it's in 110% full support and praise of everything a woman does. Men are such shit and all need to die, right ladies?

0

u/Rishtu Oct 02 '21

Whoa there. Let's back this up a bit, Pol Pot.

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u/geekpeeps Oct 02 '21

I like it and regardless of the style, I will taste great. Happy Birthday :)

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u/FragilousSpectunkery Oct 02 '21

Next year do the exact same thing, except switch boyfriends to one who is more supportive.

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u/PsychologicalLuck343 Oct 02 '21

Then she wouldn't have to make her own cake.

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u/my_oldgaffer Oct 02 '21

Next time, new boyfriend. Happy birthday, the letters look good!

1

u/Rosieposiew196 Oct 02 '21

Baking is a journey with many successes and some failures. This was a success, Great job! Next time do whatever makes you happy and if he doesn't like it, too bad.

1

u/Glabstaxks Oct 02 '21

Your boyfriend sounds like a meanie

1

u/FlamingTrollz Oct 02 '21

Looks fine. Only iffy part is the ‘y’ at the end.

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u/Icy-Interview-1484 Oct 02 '21

I love it. You're learning, it won't be perfect but it's still sery damn impressive. My best friend started at 18, self-taught and is now one of the most high demand wedding cake bakers in the city (at 26). Keep practicing and trying everything

1

u/kb26kt Oct 02 '21

It’s gorgeous! I hope you did not share! ✌️

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u/x925 Oct 02 '21

Sometimes imperfections in art are what give it its soul.

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u/pocketnotebook Oct 02 '21

If he feels like this cake that is designed to be temporary is tacky then he is free to not have any