Cake with a custard filling was apparently responsible for an outbreak of 12 cases. Symptoms were acute gastroenteritis with nausea, vomiting, diarrhea and prostration, with severe muscular spasms in some instances. The predominating organism in the filling was a Staph. aureus from which a nitrate toxic for human volunteers but not for rabbits, guinea pigs, mice and cats was prepared. Other microorganisms isolated appeared to have no significance.