The bride's mother called me to say the wedding cake was dry. I called the bride who said it was dry but that she hadn't wanted to complain. (The bride paid for it) The mother "makes cakes" but the daughter didn't want her to make it so she could enjoy the wedding.

I don't see how it could have possibly been dry.....not every tier. (I asked) I had 4 weddings that day. I called every one and asked how the cake was. Without prompting every one said moist and delicious. They all made a point to say moist. The cakes were mixed and baked at the same time in commercial mixer and oven. One other cake was round like hers and almost same size as hers. The layers were intermixed and none were over-baked.

I don't believe anything was wrong with this cake. If I hadn't had so many others that day I might think I had done something wrong. I feel I have proof for myself that it was good. She wants to know if I want to taste her top tier. I don't know how she has treated it and she lives an hour away from me. Soooooo, I don't know what else to say to her. What would you do to satisfy them?

How long after the wedding did the mother call? Had she tasted the cake at the wedding, or waited several days (when even the best cakes go dry)?

Well...Everyone's perception of dry is different!! To save your reputation and grief of arguing..I would offer 30%-40% discount back just to satislfy them.I know it doesn't seem fair but sometimes in business you have to lose money to make money!!

If the bride paid for it..i'd say if she wants any form of refund it's her choice (or offer to her rather)...not her mother's.

Well I think that if all the other cakes came out moist and no one else complained about them and they were all in the same batch then I really wouldn't worry about it. If the mother usually makes cakes then she is probably just judging by her cakes. I know that if I purchase a cake somewhere else I am very judgemental. SO they are probably just used to their cakes and taste. I really wouldn't be concerned, I would apologize and then just tell her about the other cakes you did and how you called them all and non of them complained.

I certainly wouldn't drive an hour to taste old cake. It will not taste the same as it did for the wedding, and to make her point she'd probably let it sit out to dry out more. She's being a bridezilla mom, and is probably a bit jealous that you got to make the cake and not her. Maybe she's trying to make a point to her daughter, too ("See, you should have let me make the cake."). You're going on the bridezilla-mom's word that her daughter thought the cake was dry. If the bride didn't complain, then don't worry about it! She could be making that part up, too. The green-eyed monster is the only one making an issue of it.

I'd just suck it up, appologize for the dry cake, and let her believe she's right. I'd offer a discount on her next cake, which she probably won't order, just as an olive branch to offer her.

Good luck!

Maybe the mom was jelous because you did a much better job than she would of .
Ok, that was mean. Do you think the Bride wants a refund? I would ask her, just my opinion though.

I think I might be tempted to offer a refund just to "stand behind my work" but certainly no more than 20%. However, in light of your checking with your other customers and no one having the same complaint, I certainly wouldn't blame you if you didn't.

Maybe Mom's idea of a "moist" cake is one that isn't fully baked!

Sorry this happened to you. It must be very frustrating. From what you've said, I have to agree that "dry" is their opinion only, since the other brides were more than satisfied.

Even if every guest thought the cake was wonderful, it is the bride and her mother that count on this one. I'd suggest refunding them a percentage-maybe 10-15%. They served and ate it....and you had a lot of labor involved....throw them a bone and hope that's the end of it.

I would only deal with the bride in this case. Tell the mother to have the bride call you as soon as she has the opportunity and want to talk about her cake.

I say apologize and offer a discount on her next cake.. make the offer to the bride and not the mom. Sorry, but it wasn't the mom's place to call. I'm thinking she was pissed that she didn't make the cake.. nothing was going to be as good as her cake would have been.. no matter how delicious it may have been.

i would do a small discount if i did any just for "the point of it" but if the mother does cakes...you aren't losing future business anyway

Very Well Said Jeanne!
The mother sounds like one of those bakers who believes that her cakes are the best and refuses to recognize that someone else could make a better tasting cake.

I like the idea of offering a free anniversary tier. How did you leave it? Do not drive out to taste the cake, not the same day=not the same cake. Who wanted you to drive out? The Mom or the Bride? Apologize, express that your cake is different from the Mom's, offer the free anniversary tier (of course I am sure Mom will want to make it anyway) and see what happens - if she asks for a refund work from there - I would not offer one unless she asks. She did not want to complain, so it could not have meant that much to her.

Is the cake in your photos?

I would ask the bride what it is you can do to make her happy. then you will know what you are dealing with then. I would offer up to 20% refund since her mom is a cake lady too she probably won't be using you that often. That way you can ensure you are making it right so they probably will still recommend you to others. just my opinion.

I called the bride to talk to her after the mother called me. The cake was April 5 and they called a week later. The bride said she thought it was dry but had not wanted to call and complain. They haven't asked for anything though I feel like they are working up to it. I make 3 to 7 wedding cakes every weekend and have been a decorator for 25+ years. Dry cake has never been a complaint. I really feel it is Mom harrassing daughter because she didn't get to make the cake. They said the guests were not eating it. The wedding was at 2:00 and I think they served a meal. Perhaps there was just too much food to want cake??

She said the cake was beautiful. I'm glad she liked that at least. I have a candid shot of the cake without the top tier, but that's it.

I don't really want to offer a free tier because it is so far away for me to deliver. I guess I could offer a small refund but this will just make me feel cheated. I guess there is no correct solution.

Thanks everyone for your encouragement and advice. It is so nice to have people to talk to who know where I'm coming from.

OH... it was the bride that asked if I wanted her to cut me a slice of the top tier. She sent an email. I haven't responded to that yet.

What are they asking you to do?

She offered to cut you a slice of the top tier??? How weird. Anyway, I agree with the other posters, don't deal with the mother at all. The bride paid for it, the bride should be your contact. Have her call you, don't do it by email. You could also call the reception site and ask to talk to the person who cut and served the cake, since they'll give you a third-party opinion. Once you get their opinion on it you'll have all the facts and will be able to make a more informed decision on what you want to do. The fact that nobody else had any complaints tells me that it was the people, not the cake, that had a problem.

That was a very pretty cake, and I'm sure it tasted great too! I'm 99.9% sure this is just a case of a green-eyed goddess rearing her ugly head. If you are 100% positive that there was no way there was anything wrong with that cake, I would stand firm by your work and not offer a refund.

I would deal with the bride only......Your cake ws beautifully done......and I'm sure "moist".

I would offer a refund. That way you are done with them and you don't have to contend with Mom a year later.....thinking the Anniversary cake is dry too.

We can't please everyone, I think we have all had a bride from H.......It hurts but if we didn't care and try to do our best, those comments wouldn't bother us.

They haven't asked for anything....yet justfrosting.

I think I'm going to send this response to her:

"I don't think that tasting the top tier will prove anything. It has been over 2 weeks since it was baked after all. I'm so sorry you were not completely happy with your cake but I am confident that the cake I gave you was a quality product. It was treated in exactly the same way as your sample. As I said before, I had 3 other weddings besides yours that day. The cakes were all mixed and baked at the same time. None was over-baked or I would have thrown them out and started over. Your layers were intermixed with one other cake of the same size, so it was a random distribution of layers between the 2. I called every one of my other brides to get their reactions. They all said the cake was moist and delicious.

I want to make you happy but I don't know how. I think I did everything possible to make a beautiful and delicious cake for you."

This is pretty much what I told her on the phone. What do you think?

Jenn, I'd say no refund...only a promise for discount on next purchase, for "opportunity to please her". No one should be rewarded for coming 2 weeks later with a vague complaint like this.

Sweet cake, btw - just lovely!!!

That cake is beautiful. I think mom is definitely jealous. Again as everyone else has said. Deal with the bride, who paid for the cake.

One thing that no one has mentioned... Did the caterer cut the cake and leave it sit for even 10 minutes before it got served??? This can EASILY take a moist cake to a shingle within minutes. I just think the cake probably sat for a while before the MOB actually took a bite of it (for example: MOB is chatting away with friends as the cake is put down, without realizing that a half hour to 45 has gone by, she then goes for a bite of cake and finds it's not up to her cake snob standards...)..

The Mom putting doubt in the bride's mind is what's going on with the bride not wanting to complain. The bride probably tasted it during the "feeding" portion and thought it was fine, by mere suggestion from a credible source it cast doubt in her mind about the cake's moistness for better or for worse.

I honestly think it's a case where the MOB makes DH mixes and isn't used to scratch cakes or there was a massive amount of time between when her slice of cake was cut to when she actually ATE it... There IS a definite difference. I guess my thought is, offer her a 6" anniversary tier (delivery NOT included ), and be done with it.

If they are not asking for a refund do not offer one, and even if they are that doesn't mean there is always just cause to give them one. I know people will say well give them one because you don't want them to bad mouth you, but giving a refund when one wasn't really deserved can lead to advertisement you don't want either. Oh order from her then tell her the cake was dry and you will get a refund.

If you want to offer her something the offer her a discount on her next cake purchase. Not a whole free cake but such and such off of it.

I think the content of your reply is correct but I would consider re-wording it. It sounds a little harsh.

The cake is absolutey beautiful.