Any particular reason you're using CakePHP? Frameworks tend to be a pain and if you want others to help you with your code it's a nightmare.
Frameworks are easier to understand, and it's good, you are using cakephp. You also can ask cakephp community for your problem
In most cases the frameworks are either limited in their abilities, or just about as much work as actual PHP and makes the pages have more dependencies and run slower. It's worth spending the extra few minutes to do actual PHP code than learn and try to use a framework. Not to mention that no serious, professional coding firm uses frameworks, it tends to be the mark of more inexperienced work.
I wouldnt mind learning and coding in a framework. However, how do I decide which one to chose? And what if I find out that I want to change my framework later? Hm, pain in the a... i guess.
I ran into the same issue., after I finally got it installed. I could only get it to work in one of the five servers (different PHP and MySql) servers I tried. I believe installation at a client site can be a major issue so be forewarned
I use Zend Framework and finding alot of weak point, I'm planning to give a try to PHPcake in the near future.