Uncooked Wedding Cake...what To Do.
Decorating By anorris3 Updated 14 Sep 2006 , 5:10pm by RisqueBusiness
The red velvet I really cannot tell as alos the chocolate. The last tier does look like tons of simple syrup was added???
I bake in 3' pans and I have never seen this before. Sometimes when you multiply recipes they will be off. I have a recipe that if you half it turns out real bad. Sorry about what happened.
You've got a killer smile/dimples...you looked gorgeous in your wedding pics, -just curious w/ the cakes turning out like they did...um which cake did you guys "feed" each other or did you bypass this once you discovered the problem? I hope you get the cake issue resolved -keep us updated.
Hurry up an contact this decorator and let us know how it works out!
But beware when she posts her horror story of how the primadonna bride called 4 days after the wedding and said that the cake was UNDERCOOKED!
Then we will all shout, "BRIDEZILLA! She's just trying to get a discount on the cake because she didn't get enough cash gifts to go on a carribean cruise for her honeymoon!" 
By the way, georgeous pics. Glad your photographer didn't underwhelm!
We fed each other the red velvet cake. That is my husbands favorite but you should of seen the look on his face. Even he knew something was wrong.
I haven't called her yet because she went on vacation after delivering my cake. She is supposed to be gone until next week. I will probably call today and leave a message. I believe I am going to tell her I have pictures of the cake I want to give her and see if she wants her dowels/pillars back. I will then take pictures of the cake before we cut it and then after we cut. I am also going to take the cake that I saved (its in the freezer).
I really hate that it turned out this way. I was really looking forward to sending business her way not to mention a few more orders of my own.
I wish I could say it will turn out to be an honest mistake but the amount of icing on the cake seems to make me think otherwise. We shall see.
How convenient for her to go on vaca right away lol
and LOLing at Leta's post about her turning around and saying Bridezilla!
Sheesh
And awesome wedding pics- they're gorgeous and you're gorgeous- I love the dress!
That one cake looks more like bread pudding... yuck!
Be honest with the lady. Don't go in with both guns drawn, but don't allow yourself to be walked upon either. You want to tell her that she did a great job decorating them, but that the baking part fell short and you feel that you need to be refunded some cash.
If the small tier was good, tell her so. On the other tiers I would just ask for what was above the cost of supplies. AT any rate, I would lay odds that she isn't enjoying her vacation (if she actually did go on one) right now knowing that you will be approaching her.
First of all I have to commend you for keeping your cool. Id have been LIVID if that happened to me and completely embarrassed that I had fed that junk to my family and friends. You attitude about his whole situation is wonderful and this decorator is very lucky to be dealing with you.
As for the cake I dont think youll have any problem convincing her she messed up. I think its abundantly clear from the amount of icing she used on the cakes that she knew something was up. I tried that once (yeah yeah shame on me). I baked a cake and it was done but it sunk in the middle. It was an expensive cake to make and very time consuming to mix up so I figured Id just slop some extra icing in the cave in the middle and nobody would ever know the difference. It was a free cake for a family members b-day thankfully. I was sooooo embarrassed when they started cutting slices and the closer they got to the middle the less cake you got lol. They all noticed it and gave me a much deserved ribbing for it too. Occasionally when they order a cake from me Ill get a and go easy on the icing this time okay.
Good luck and let us know how it goes.
Beautiful wedding pictures- congratulations!
You seem very sweet 
. I think it's great that you're concerned about the right way to go about approaching your cake lady. That said, I really hope you are able to come to some resolution here without anyone feeling walked on- and that includes you! Good luck, and be sure to let us know how it all turns out!
Amber
OH. MY. GOBS.
I'm really sorry this happened to you!
All of the threads about bad wedding cakes are just freaking me out! I've got one to do for the 16th, and I'm a nervous WRECK! I'm not sleeping well, and I'm actually DREAMING about this dang'd cake.
The top one looks ok to me. The other two look "sunken" for lack of better terms. I'm with Doug, a little. Could that be a simple syrup disaster? Mmmm...nah? Wouldn't have caused the cake to sink like that. 
When they're done right--they RISE...right? I've never had a cake NOT rise--unless it wasn't DONE enough. Perhaps her temps weren't high enough for fear of burning.
I just know that it's every baker's WORST FEAR to get that dreaded call... 
Oh--Maude be with me for this wedding. PLEASE be with me... 
--Knox--
I don't see why the customer should pay even for supplies.
She didn't contract for a few pounds of butter and some flour.
I don't see why the customer should pay even for supplies.
She didn't contract for a few pounds of butter and some flour.
I agree! And by the looks of those pictures that's exactly what she got!
I'm so sorry this happened to you! It breaks my heart!!
Also you and your pictures are beautiful! I LOVE your dress!! Congrats! Getting married and having my son are the best things I have ever done in my life, so I am always soooooo happy for others when they partake on those journys.
We little girl said your shoes looked like Cinderella's and she loved your dress. Congradulations on the wedding. Sorry to hear about the cake.
I do agree with the others call the cake lady. If she was unaware of the problem she should be mortified and offer your $$ back, but if she knew what she was doing she may try to advoid you.
I wonder about the smiple syrup too. Cause the cake does look cooked to me, except where the pillars where inserted(i guess i'll have to go back and look again at the pictures). it almost looks to me like the cake was so moist that the pillar compress the cake. The icing now thats a different story, I like icing (think its the best part of the cake)but thats just too much.
When you call her, I would mention that you would like to discuss some issues with the cake so that she is not bombarded when you meet. Also, so she is knowing that there is a problem. If you avoid mentioning it, it may look a little odd, like you were fine with it, but now have a problem.
BTW, I am a novice cake decorator, yet I even know not to use THAT much frosting. Yuck! I can possibly understand a slightly undercooked cake, but not a sunken in middle. She knows, and is just hoping to pull a fast one.
I don't know where you live, but I am sure any CC'r would love to make you a replacement cake. I would!
Stephanie
Thanks for all the compliments on the pictures. I think they are way amazing and they so took my mind off the cake.
I paid $350 for both cakes which is a good deal I know for what I got. She originally quoted me $250 for the cakes and then later told me she miscalculated. I told her to tell me what would make her happy and we decided on $350 which works out to maybe $1.50 per slice.
I called her today but it went straight to voicemail. Her voicemail says she will be out until the 11th. I left her a message saying I wanted to let her know how the cake turned out and see if she wanted the pillars back. So hopefully I will hear from her next week.
I am still not sure about a refund. While I am not close to being rich-the money will not make much difference. She put time and money into the cake and I hate that this turns out to be such a loss. The money is not going to make up for me not having cake on my wedding day. Maybe I will just ask for a partial refund and see if she will do a smaller sheet cake for us using the flavors that we asked for. I just want some good ol cake.
I am still not sure about a refund. While I am not close to being rich-the money will not make much difference. She put time and money into the cake and I hate that this turns out to be such a loss. The money is not going to make up for me not having cake on my wedding day. Maybe I will just ask for a partial refund and see if she will do a smaller sheet cake for us using the flavors that we asked for. I just want some good ol cake.
Oh you're such a beautiful, good hearted girl, and im so sorry your cake turned out badly. I wish all my customers were like you. I have seen what happened to the base cake, the white cake before, it's from having too much liquid in the mix, i've had it happen to me a couple of times, but because i tort most of my cakes, i have seen this before i decorated, and i've just gone ahead and baked another cake. Im so happy that your photos turned out beautiful, i hope that at least you have a beautiful picture of the wedding cake, and that you're able to come to some satisfactory resolution with the cake lady. She is very lucky to have had such a wonderful customer.
take care
Nati
Girl, you have SUCH a good attitude about all this! I don't think that a partial refund and a sheet cake is unreasonable at all! Hopefully she makes this right.
Stop thinking about it. On 11th, call her right after breakfast and get the issue over with. I have wasted time worrying about confronting people and it usually is not anywhere near as bad as I made it out to be. Her stomach must have been in knots worrying it you would notice how awful the cakes were. Good luck.
beautifil wedding pics!!! very unique. love the kids in the limoo and your slippers!~!!!! would love to see pic of complete cake.
The grooms cake is hard to tell from the pics but the reason there is more icing in the center is because the cake was starting to cave in so they tried to remedy it with more frosting.
The red velvet wasn't too too bad but it was really dense and it didn't taste good. Definitely not anything like it did in the tasting.
The bottom layer more than speaks for itself.
I have so tried to find the humor in this but I was so looking forward to the cake...and leftover cake. Oh well the look on my now husband's face when he saw the Yankees themed cake was worth it.
a few things could've happened..
1. She is a scratch baker and her recipe is not geared for quantity, so the "tasting" cake was fine, but the larger cakes ..not so fine...
2. she cooked all the cakes at the same time and pulled them all out when the smallest tier was done...thinking that a larger cake doesn't need more time in the oven
3. She doesn't have experience baking for wedding cakes?
4. She doesn't have enough experience?
I know it was your special day and that you were looking foward to your cake, but...if any or all of the above are conditions that applied to your baker...then ..sorry to say, but some of the fault can be laid at your feet!
Where you the young bride that posted on the forums about "not wanting to be one of those brides?"..if I remember correctly...you wanted a Champagne cake on a Beer budget...not to shabby if you can get it...but....I always say....you get what you pay for.
Don't mean to hurt your feelings, or trying to be mean...but, it's very easy to point at others and lay blame on them.....but remember...when you point at someone......there are 3 fingers pointing back at you.
Relax, take a deep breath, and sit down with the woman and talk about what could've gone wrong and what the TWO of you can come up with to "FIX" it. Not that she can give you ..your wedding memories back...or...would you want her to give you any more cakes..lol.......but, what civilized solution the 2 of you can come up with.
I know if It would've been me to make those cakes....I would give you back your money...no questions asked!
all these things have to be taken into consideration.
I have to respectfully disagree for two reasons. One, anorris3 has had, from the beginning of this post a GREAT attitude and has from the get go been planning on sitting down and fixing it like you suggested.
Two, if any of the above listed items applied, I cannot see how it would be the brides fault. If the baker agreed to do the cake, then if she didn't have the recipe, time, or experience for the order, she should have either planned on a possible failure or she should have declined. I have only done 2 big cakes and one of them failed. I offered a refund without even being asked, they didn't want it and I still gave them a free cake for whenever they wanted (they took a B-Day cake). The other was for my first wedding and I was prepared for failure including having the full amount of the payment available just in case.
A bride, even one wanting champagne for beer money, still has to find someone who will agree to give it to her. If she doesn't then she either gets beer or pays the money for champagne. If she does find someone who agrees to give it to her, than she expects champagne because that is what she paid to get, regardless of the price.
anorris3 I agree with the above posters who stated that you seem to be handling all this beautifully. Good luck and congrats on the wedding.
I have to respectfully disagree for two reasons. One, anorris3 has had, from the beginning of this post a GREAT attitude and has from the get go been planning on sitting down and fixing it like you suggested.
Two, if any of the above listed items applied, I cannot see how it would be the brides fault. If the baker agreed to do the cake, then if she didn't have the recipe, time, or experience for the order, she should have either planned on a possible failure or she should have declined. I have only done 2 big cakes and one of them failed. I offered a refund without even being asked, they didn't want it and I still gave them a free cake for whenever they wanted (they took a B-Day cake). The other was for my first wedding and I was prepared for failure including having the full amount of the payment available just in case.
A bride, even one wanting champagne for beer money, still has to find someone who will agree to give it to her. If she doesn't then she either gets beer or pays the money for champagne. If she does find someone who agrees to give it to her, than she expects champagne because that is what she paid to get, regardless of the price.
anorris3 I agree with the above posters who stated that you seem to be handling all this beautifully. Good luck and congrats on the wedding.
Very well said!!!! I agree completely.
anorris3 ... I'm so sorry for what you've been through with your wedding cake. I hope that once you finally get to talk to / meet with the cake decorator, things will go well. You have an amazing attitude and seem so sweet. By the way, your wedding pictures are wonderful. You were such a beautiful bride, and you and your new husband look so nice together. 
I am truley sorry you had such a bad experience with the wedding cake. Hopefully when you celebrate your 50th wedding aniversary your cake will be better! Now I must be going blind, cause I've looked thru this thread 4 times and the only pictures I see are of mushy cake, not a bride or dimple anywhere! LOL
I'm sorry, too. That chocolate one would not have sank had it not been underbaked. 
I know there are very few brides with enough cake decorating experience or confidence to take on their own wedding cake, but I am one of those insane brides. I am a firm believer in "if you want something done right, do it yourself". My wedding was six years ago this coming Saturday, and I made my own cake. I was working for the top wedding shop in Phoenix at the time and they offered to give me my cake for free as a wedding gift, but I declined because I insisted on doing it myself. I just didn't trust anyone else. I do not recommend this, or say that brides should make their own cakes, I'm just sharing my experience. No one else could see my vision of my dream wedding cake but me, and that is exactly what I got. Who makes cakes for the cake decorator??? 
I have to make my own birthday cakes, too! 
(Everyone knows I won't be happy unless I do it!) 
So what happened? Did you manage to call her again? I think you handled this very well and you seem to be a lovely person.
I would think after you explain what happened and show her pics she could offer a partial refund and maybe offer to give you a cake for your aniversary.
Thats what I would do if I ever found myself in that position! Hopefully I don't!!
cheers
Jan
Risque Business you have got to be kidding me. How in the world can this bride take responsibility for this happening? I don't care if her budget was one dollar. If this baker took it on and said she could do the job then she accepts responsibility!!! COme on now did you look at this girls pictures- She wasn't trying to get a cheapy cake- she paid attention to the details and her character is obviously great. Thru all of this she hasn't ranted or carried on- she conducted herself with dignity and grace- TO put any blame on her or to tell her to point three fingers at herself is just crazy- It sounds to me like she did it all right. SHe tasted and developed a relationship so the lady would know her tastes,she checked in to be sure everything was on track and she trusted this lady to come thru.
These cakes were under cooked it is plain to see- call it simple syrup or testing the wrong cake- one thing remains this lovely girl deserves a refund and I pray she gets it!!
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