Three years ago for my husband's birthday I asked Bellash for a cake that looks like a large Hostess HoHo (a childhood favorite of his). There was a bit of a language barrier that prolonged the ordering process. Luckily, their cake collection book included a Yule log - just about perfect...I thought. However, the resulting cake resembled a log with a few stubby branches off of it; no leaves, just branch stubs. I wondered who would order a cake like that. Do I look like a person who would order this cake? So, I performed surgery, and it looked good for the party. The cake was very good, and I shared the amusing story.
The next year I ordered it again and this time bring a HoHo to clearly represent. None of the stores I stopped at had any, so I showed a picture on my phone - the pic had a full one and a half one showing the swirled filling - and emailed the picture to the bakery. I also texted it to the assistant's cell for back-up. I believe I had the pleasure of her assistance on her very first day on the job. For instance, she was about to write down a vanilla cake with chocolate filling. (Obviously, she had a Hostess-deprived childhood, hence her failing powers of observation, hearing and focus. ;-) ) I had to correct her about three times as she scratched things out on the receipt. I told her 6-8 people. I should've said 4.
Upon picking it up, a different assistant was coming through the swinging door to the back room with a long white box in her arms. I could tell by her movements that this, oh this, was much more than ordered. Oh, how the universe conspires to provide me anything but a simple HoHo-replica cake! *sigh*
She opened the lid while my eyebrow was raised in anticipation. There it was. The second edition Ha-Ha cake! Enough to feed 15 and with a lovely splash of fruit because who doesn't love fruit? I buried my head in my hand. She asked if I wasn't happy with it. I smiled and said that it was fine; thank you. I mean, really. Should I have asked them to remove half the cake? (That would've given Them a story to tell about the crazy-lady customer who thinks less is more.) The cake looked ridiculous but was delicious.
Dare I try again? Would the third time be the charm? Is it possible to staple an order receipt to a HoHo? Perhaps I could wrap the order receipt around a HoHo with a rubber band?
The following year, I hunted down a pack of Ho-Hos and had them with me when I placed the order. My certainty that this approach would seal the deal and finally deliver what I wanted was wobbling against the same communication challenges and Murphy's Law breathing down my neck. The pick-up day arrived, and I drove with great anticipation to the scene of the crimes. Alas, as I stepped outside carrying the third edition of the Ha-Ha cake, I couldn't decide whether to laugh or cry. read more