Cake Ethics - Is It Ever Wrong To ....

Decorating By goodcakefairy Updated 23 Feb 2006 , 7:31pm by Lisa

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goodcakefairy Posted 22 Feb 2006 , 1:19am
post #1 of 36

Hey everybody,
A recent bridal consultation brought up an interesting post topic. My latest bride is sort of known for not being very adventurous with her food choices. During her consult, she says she wants white cake, white buttercream icing, white buttercream filling. Now, with the decorations, she's adding some color and it will be really pretty. But, personally, I'd like her to try some flavor, maybe an interesting filling.

So I was faced with an ethical dilemma, do what the bride wants or try to force my own personal preferances on her. I chose to shut my mouth and do whatever she wanted since it wasn't my cake or my wedding. Her happiness is what matters. The matter is resolved. She's happy.

I was wondering, for the sake of conversation and enlightenment for the rest of us, what your cake ethics dilemmas have been and how you solved them. Please share!

GCF

35 replies
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cakeconfections Posted 22 Feb 2006 , 1:24am
post #2 of 36

I go by "the customer gets what they want"...lol If that is what they want I would not push or you might not get the business. The time for her to try would have been at the consult. The only thing I would do is suggest but if she does not go for it I would leave it at that. The only other way to put it would be to suggest another flavor for another tier to give a choice for the guests. But do not force the issue on her...if white is what she wants...white is what she gets.

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cupcakequeen Posted 22 Feb 2006 , 1:26am
post #3 of 36

The best way to get your clients to try something new, is to offer it them! Why not have her sample a flavor that you were suggesting? I would approach it by asking if she would be interested in trying a different flavor...if you sound enthusiastic about it, she might be inclined...you can also add that her guests might also like a different flavour over than the traditional white cake/white filling.

When I have consultations, I first have the client look at the menu and then have different samples...samples that she requested and then maybe a different flavour that she might not have chosen.

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goodcakefairy Posted 22 Feb 2006 , 1:30am
post #4 of 36

Not to be snarky, because your suggestions are very thoughtful, but I've already settled it. She's getting white cake because that's what she asked for and that's what will make her happy. My question was what are some of your ethical dilemmas and how did resolve them? It could be anything, obnoxious customers, copyright law, pricing, health codes. Anything. I just wanted to get a conversation going.
Thanks!
GCF

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cupcakequeen Posted 22 Feb 2006 , 1:50am
post #5 of 36

well, I was not at all saying that you should impose a different flavor on a client. What I got from your post was that you really wanted to get her to try something new. And my suggestion for that dilemma is to actually offer a new flavor as a sample.
Hands down, what the customer wants the customer gets. But, I'm just saying, I've been in this situation before where clients were set on a flavor (and that's fine). For the fun of it, during a consultation, I offer also offer a sample of something they wouldn't have thought of in addition to what they were requesting. This way it opens them up to other ideas IF they are interested.
This wasn't a solution to your particular "ethical" question...it was just a similar situation I had been in and that's how I solved it......

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goodcakefairy Posted 22 Feb 2006 , 1:53am
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Actually I'm planning on switching flavors on her in the last minute and claim I "forgot." She won't know until her new hubby feeds it to her at the reception. Mwahahahaha.


Just kidding. icon_lol.gif

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traci Posted 22 Feb 2006 , 2:05am
post #7 of 36

Hi.

I recently did a large wedding cake for a bride that wanted all white cake. I am one that loves to have different flavors and fillings. I did offer the bride other flavors for all 9 tiers of the main cake...but in the end all she wanted was just plain old boring white!!!!

I am trying to think of other ethical situations that I have had. I know that I have copyrighted before(maybe not knowing at the time all of the laws)...but I have made edible images before using characters. I don't know really what my solution was other than it made it so much easier using that copyrighted image to decorate my cake!!!!

If I think of anything else...then I will post again. icon_smile.gif

As for your bride...when is her wedding??? I feel as if there is a while before her wedding...you could ask her if she would be interested in trying a filling. You can be really nice about saying that it is just a suggestion. That is what I did and even though she wanted the white cake she still appreciated me asking her. icon_smile.gif

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Phoov Posted 22 Feb 2006 , 2:05am
post #8 of 36

The customer is almost always right. In this case....I too love white on white. I think it's a very elegant look. It's not like she's asking for chocolate cake with liver pate' filling!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! LOL

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karennayak Posted 22 Feb 2006 , 2:14am
post #9 of 36

Hi,
The way I read your post, is that you are starting a thread on Everyone's Cake Ethical Dilemma's, and yours was just an example to get us all chatting. And that yours has already been resolved. Did I get that right?

So, here goes:
1. I had a bride, whose theme colours were black and blood red! I thought the colour scheme was gross, (her brides-maids were wearing black too...)

She obviously wanted the cake to match. Initially I didn't want to do the cake at all... then I thought, OK, it will be a challenge, so I kept quiet, and did the cake in the theme colours... It turned out pretty well.

2. And then, one thing I refuse to do, is cake dummies. In fact, a lady asked me to do a dummy cake for her son's wedding and I refused. She got someone else to do it. It was a windy night .... The cake blew away! well, it toppled over. I am glad I stood my ground.


Looking forward to reading more in this interesting thread.
Karen

Edited once for spelling!

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goodcakefairy Posted 22 Feb 2006 , 2:16am
post #10 of 36

Yes, yes, that's exactly it. (Hugging Karen.) Thanks!

Do I just suck at thread-starting?

And wait, she just wanted dummy cake? What would people eat?

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Phoov Posted 22 Feb 2006 , 2:19am
post #11 of 36

KAREN!!!! IT'S A GREAT THREAD! lol It just doesn't take much to get this group going sometimes! LOL icon_smile.gif

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JennT Posted 22 Feb 2006 , 2:42am
post #12 of 36

Well...having not done a wedding cake & not really wanting to do one...lol...I haven't had the exact same experience. BUT...I have had this happen with birthday cake orders...in particular with wives ordering cakes for their husbands. Two wives both had husbands that like just plain white or yellow or vanilla cake and plain white frosting or plain buttercream with real butter. Okidokie, I thought...how boring!? lol icon_confused.gificon_razz.gif But these were birthday cakes for the birthday men, so it should be what they like, right? While one of these cakes was just to give to the birthday guy to have at home, the other was for a party....with 60 other people attending. I, like you, thought...'oh no - you've got to have some flavor some where!' lol So, to be sure I didn't offend the wife (person ordering & paying) and still be able to give the birthday boy the kind of cake he likes, I suggested to her that she may want to try different flavors on different tiers...reason being that the majority of people prefer something other than plain cake and didn't she want the cake to be eaten?? lol It'd be a shame to order this cake, which wasn't small, and have tons of it not eaten after she'd paid XX amount of money. It got her to thinking and she realized it probably wasn't best to have the whole cake be just what he liked. So I gave her a few samples of traditional chocolate with chocolate BC and a banana cake with pastry cream...she loved and chose all three! Turns out there wasn't a crumb left after the party and the husband (who only liked plain cake, remember lol) ate some of the chocolate and LOVED IT!

So maybe just suggest to her that she may get more of her $'s worth by choosing different flavors for each tier, or at least one tier a different flavor - due to the guests maybe preferring different flavors, etc. But I can imagine that doing this with a bride would be a little touchier than just a bday cake customer. Good luck to you!

***edited to add: ok...so I forgot to hit 'submit' and this post sat on my screen for awhile as I was bathing the kids! lol icon_redface.gif sorry...but now that I understand your point with the thread....I guess this could apply to anyone who has a customer order a plain cake!?! icon_razz.gif

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karennayak Posted 22 Feb 2006 , 2:55am
post #13 of 36
Quote:
Quote:

And wait, she just wanted dummy cake? What would people eat?




I live in India, and the custom here is that the weddding cake is not cut and served at the reception, but is later sent to close relatives and people who were invited but were unable to attend.

The caterer usually provides the ready sliced fruit cake and wine at the time of the raising of the toast. It tastes TERRIBLE!

Karen

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Cake_Princess Posted 22 Feb 2006 , 5:22am
post #14 of 36
Quote:
Originally Posted by karennayak


2. And then, one thing I refuse to do, is cake dummies. In fact, a lady asked me to do a dummy cake for her son's wedding and I refused. She got someone else to do it. It was a windy night .... The cake blew away! well, it toppled over. I am glad I stood my ground.





LOL.. I am so LMAO right now. Too funny I can just imagine the cake blowing over. How horrible

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VACakelady Posted 22 Feb 2006 , 12:48pm
post #15 of 36

My dilemma was a bride whose wedding colors were gold an teal and she wanted the cake to match. She wanted the cake iced in a golden yellow with teal accents. I did my best to talk her out of it and even made a sample cake with the colors and she loved it. I was so embarrassed making this cake and delivering it. Wouldn't put my business name anywhere near it. In the end, what the customer wants, the customer gets.

See photo here:
http://www.cakecentral.com/cake-decorating-ftopict-13480.html

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sweetsuccess Posted 22 Feb 2006 , 1:08pm
post #16 of 36

I agree with you folks. I would give samples of cake flavors and colors..some people can't visualize it in their heads what the product will actually taste or look like. After that, if the customer still doesn't budge, the customer will get what they want.

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Cake_Geek Posted 22 Feb 2006 , 1:14pm
post #17 of 36

I go by what the customer wants, they get. I've not had a situation yet where the customer has defined exactly what the decorations should look like so I still use my creative preferences there. My honest opinion is, while I try to suggest flavor combinations, I am not the one paying for it or eating it. I only do my best to make sure whatever it is, it tastes delish!

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JamesSweetie Posted 22 Feb 2006 , 1:16pm
post #18 of 36

OMG VAcakelady icon_eek.gif You decorating was beautiful, but the freaking colours!! icon_surprised.gif Talk about biting the bullet on that one, I could only imagine having to stare at those colours while decorating and cleaning all that green from your decorating bags! icon_razz.gif

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karennayak Posted 23 Feb 2006 , 5:50am
post #19 of 36

Goodcakefairy, I know your issue is resolved, but I'm bumping this.

Great thread !!!

I'm sure lots of people have stories... waiting to read them and how you dealt with them...

Karen

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FunnyCakes Posted 23 Feb 2006 , 11:54am
post #20 of 36

Even though this particular issue is already settled - I feel it is important to a cake decorator because you, too, have something at stake. It is the taste of your cakes (plus presentation) that will generate new orders - or make folks look for another decorator.

I see nothing wrong with presenting the bride - in advance - with some 'sample cakes' that feature your favorite flavors. If you think you have a super recipe - she might think so, too.

I think eery decorator owes it to herself to 'put her best cake foot forward', so to speak.

Of course, if a bride has her mind made up - well, there is llittle you can do except create a fantastic work of art that she will swoon over.

Good luck - I know she will be thrilled with whatever you make. icon_smile.gif

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steph95 Posted 23 Feb 2006 , 1:13pm
post #21 of 36

VA cake lady: It reminds me somewhat of a mello yello can, the bright yellow with the green-ish accents. You did a fabulous job decorating. If you put it in your portfolio in grey scale, I bet those that look at it would think it to be just a black and white cake!!!

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Calejo Posted 23 Feb 2006 , 2:12pm
post #22 of 36

Ok, I think you're all going to get as big a laugh at this as I did....

My boss, bakery manager, fellow decorator and all around wonderful woman was decorating a cake in whipped topping for a rocket cake order. She had airbrushed a sky blue around the borders of the cake and decided to make the rocket "pop" by adding a little red to the icing (I'm not sure why red so don't ask me). It turned out flesh color (not pink, straight up flesh tone). So, filling up the middle of this 1/4 sheet was a flesh colored shaft of a rocket (it looked like a penis). I came to work with the cake at that stage. She didn't even realize how it could've looked to someone else. My dillema: Bring it up to my boss (who wants to point out their bosses mistakes to them?) and correct it or finish the cake along those lines (which she asked me to do) and potentially offend the customer?

I went with gently asking if she thought it might potentially be a problem for the customer. She said, "No, I don't think so, why?" So I had to point out how it might look to a "sick minded adult" (you know, like me :p) She thought no one would. So I had to call in our friend and fellow co-worker and ask her about it. she said that was the first thing she thought of when she saw it. (I was really having to kind of make my point) My boss had not even seen it that way! She said I should fix it if I felt it might be an issue. So as she was walking out the door, I had the tip of it on my spatula and was walking it to the trash can. We caught eyes, and started luaghing so hard and were beet red and crying! It was hilarious and we had a great laugh over that one... needless to say, I removed the "rocket" and did one in gray instead.

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LNW Posted 23 Feb 2006 , 3:30pm
post #23 of 36

I have one client who always orders marble cake. I have tried to get her to do something different but she is convinced marble is the safest route. I dont get that. If someone doesnt like white cake they still arent going to eat it just because the cake does have a little chocolate mixed in or vise versa. But that is what she wants and she is one of my biggest clients so I continue to make them for her. One of these days I think Im going to make her a little 6 inch cake in one of those fabulous flavors Ive been trying to get her to try and just toss it in with her next order.

I do have a horror story of sorts. My dh and I attended the wedding of one of his assistants last summer. Their main cake was 5 tiers of carrot cake covered in white fondant. The grooms cake was decorated like a giant (and I mean giant) Recese peanut butter cup and tasted like one too. When the MOB announced it was time to eat cake everyone lined up for the grooms cake and on a handful of folks nibbled on the brides cake. I felt sooooooooo embarrassed for them. The groom warned my dh not to eat any of the main cake. He said the fondant tasted like Elmers glue. They had done a tasting with their decorator but she didnt have any fondant for them to taste. Besides the few slices that were eaten the rest of the cake was thrown out. Can you imagine throwing away a 5 tier cake!!!!

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ellepal Posted 23 Feb 2006 , 3:36pm
post #24 of 36

I don't know.....white cake is a standard for weddings, which is why people want it. I like flavor too, but I find that different customers run the gamit. Some want white, and some want stuff I've never heard of. I tell them I'll do my best to accomodate.

I think the biggest ethical dilemna I face is the pricing. I'm never sure if I'm charging too much or not enough.

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cakefairy18 Posted 23 Feb 2006 , 3:38pm
post #25 of 36

Ok, i wouldnt PUSH them to get something with flavour, but i'd definately suggest it. These ppl don't do cake, so if they get a suggestion, they may reconsider and say, look, i'm getting a suggestion from someone who does this stiff all the time, maybe I should listen, maybe not, but i think it's ok to offer something different to your customers.

Most of my customers ask me, whats the most popular, or what do kids like more...and i answer honestly...and some ppl call and say I want x, y, z...and i say, okie dokie

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Cakeman66 Posted 23 Feb 2006 , 6:02pm
post #26 of 36
Quote:
Originally Posted by goodcakefairy

Actually I'm planning on switching flavors on her in the last minute and claim I "forgot." She won't know until her new hubby feeds it to her at the reception. Mwahahahaha.


Just kidding. icon_lol.gif




If the just kidding wasn't there, you would have gotten a big unethical answer from me. Though part of me wants to think you might actually try to switch it, since you seem to think that she needs some flavor in her cake. It's HER day to shine, not yours.

Sorry, but the fact that you would even "joke" that you were gonna switch it, makes me wonder. Just my thought.

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Calejo Posted 23 Feb 2006 , 6:21pm
post #27 of 36

I thought it was funny! I could almost picture her rubbing her hands together maniacly! Gave me a scare, and then a good chuckle.

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Lisa Posted 23 Feb 2006 , 6:23pm
post #28 of 36
Quote:
Originally Posted by Cakeman66

Quote:
Originally Posted by goodcakefairy

Actually I'm planning on switching flavors on her in the last minute and claim I "forgot." She won't know until her new hubby feeds it to her at the reception. Mwahahahaha.


Just kidding. icon_lol.gif



If the just kidding wasn't there, you would have gotten a big unethical answer from me. Though part of me wants to think you might actually try to switch it, since you seem to think that she needs some flavor in her cake. It's HER day to shine, not yours.

Sorry, but the fact that you would even "joke" that you were gonna switch it, makes me wonder. Just my thought.




You might have missed an earlier post in this thread.

Quote:
Originally Posted by goodcakefairy

Not to be snarky, because your suggestions are very thoughtful, but I've already settled it. She's getting white cake because that's what she asked for and that's what will make her happy. My question was what are some of your ethical dilemmas and how did resolve them? It could be anything, obnoxious customers, copyright law, pricing, health codes. Anything. I just wanted to get a conversation going.
Thanks!
GCF


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Cakeman66 Posted 23 Feb 2006 , 6:26pm
post #29 of 36

Nope, I saw it.

I stand by what I said. Even if it's an unpopular answer.

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Lisa Posted 23 Feb 2006 , 6:40pm
post #30 of 36
Quote:
Originally Posted by Calejo

I thought it was funny! I could almost picture her rubbing her hands together maniacly! Gave me a scare, and then a good chuckle.




It was the Mwahahahaha. LOL! Too funny. Reminded me of something Dale would say. I can always use a good laugh around here.

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