A Mariah Carey fan was surprised with this unusual cake

Sometimes even the best-laid plans can go a little bit awry, but in some cases, that's what makes them extra special.

Such was the case for one UK-based woman who told her colleagues that she wanted a Mariah Carey-themed birthday cake. Because what she got, wasn't quite what she was expecting.

Apparently, her colleagues misunderstood her request, and instead gave her a cake with Marie Curie's face staring back at her.

Yes that Marie Curie, the first woman to ever win a Nobel Prize, who discovered radium and polonium, and made a huge contribution to the fight against cancer.

So, frankly, why wouldn't you want a cake with her stalwart eyes boring a hole into your very soul?

Author Harriet Lye posted the photo on Twitter, accompanied with the caption:

"My cousin in England told her colleagues she wanted a Mariah Carey birthday cake. They misunderstood, and is the cake they made her instead. It’s Marie Curie, looking very festive."

People are loving the mix-up on Twitter, and are even sharing their own bakery mishap stories.

"This is the best! It’s even better than the time the bakery woman asked my son what he wanted written on his cake and he replied 'Down with Capitalism'," one commenter posted.

Someone else replied: "Frankly I don’t think they misheard her at all. This is so much better than…Mariah Carey…"