man, oh man,i am so sorry for you. this situation could happen to any of us, so i am so glad you posted it so we can all learn and be prepared. im anxious to find out what happens in the end. agreeing with everyone else, you wouldn;t have decorated a burnt cake in the first place, and she's just wanting to get some money back. you need to see the left overs like yesterday, she is full of BS. do let us know though how it all pans!!!
DO NOT under any circumstances give this woman a refund!!!!
Be firm. When she sees that she cannot bully you, I bet she will back off.
As far as badmouthing you, well. she will do that no matter what. She'll either complain about how bad the cake was OR she will tell everyone how she pulled a fast on you.
PLEASE - do not give this woman any money back!
It's pretty hard to burn cake.....It would have to be baked for hours on 400....I would not give any money back....She's gonna say nasty things about you anyway whether you give in or not... so I say not!!
Don't give in! This customer needs to be put in the Wall of Shame! It was premeditated. If I paid lots of money for my wedding cake and it was "burnt", I sure as heck would ask the person who made my cake to come over and look at it- not wait 48 hours to have them see it. It's obvious you caught her in a lie because she keeps talking around her story and contradicting herself. Your cakes speak for themselves. I'm sure they taste as good as they look. If you have a website I think you should have a customer testimonials page where your past customers sing your praises, and a Wall of Shame area for customers who are trying to take advantage of you. We're all behind you! Stick to your guns and don't give in!
I would have her bring the cake to the hall today with the contact person there so that all parties are involved can conferm (or disprove) the cake is burnt. If it is there should be no problem if it isn't then b she will not show up. Chances are that you are not the only person she is trying to get money back from.
This is what I would do. Get a meeting with the hall manager and servers, call her up and tell her you have a meeting with all of them and to bring the cake. If she is not telling the truth and the other parties are involved, she wont show up. And if she shows up with the burnt cake, and the other parties deny they ever said anything to her, she scorched that cake. If the hall goes to the trouble of recomending you, Im sure they would have called you if there was ever an issue.
Just a question regarding contracts: say you meet with a bride/groom and they ask for a certain size of cake, and you determine that what they want would be too much cake for them, but they order it anyway, could you have a claus that states that you had suggested a more reasonable amount of cake but they refused?
Just asking...... 
Sounds like the old "spent more than I should have on my wedding, so I'll see if I can get back some money on the cake" scam again.
I like the tape recorder idea. Tell her at the start of the conversation that you are recording the conversation since their seems to be confusion on the facts of the case and then go through each issue. She'll get really flustered. Stay unemotional (though it is hard) and just calmly repeat back everything she says to you and then bring up any inconsistencies. If she says the thing about the wedding dress I would ask her what that has to do with the bottom tier, then I would ask her point blank (without malice) if she is trying to recoup her money for over-ordering the quantities and would probably go on to tell her that she made the choice to buy that wedding cake for the price agreed on and this is not a product you can return once you have gotten your use from it. I too find it exceptionally hard to believe that you wouldn't have noticed a burnt cake - freeze those scraps!
And I agree with meeting at the reception hall. If the server is there, they can confirm the condition of the cake that was served and you will quickly get to the bottom of what was said. If she doesn't agree to meet you at the hall, just say simply that since she is unwilling to attend, you will no longer entertain her request for a refund. Good luck
Just a question regarding contracts: say you meet with a bride/groom and they ask for a certain size of cake, and you determine that what they want would be too much cake for them, but they order it anyway, could you have a claus that states that you had suggested a more reasonable amount of cake but they refused?
Just asking......
Absolutely you can, I have this in my contracts:
#of servings needed
#of servings suggested by me
#of servings ordered
#of extra servings ordered
#of servings ordered below # needed
When I first started out I had a couple of brides say that I suggested WAY too much cake and that they had tons left over. In essence they thought I was trying to make money by selling them too much cake. Even when I would tell them at the consult the cake they wanted was too large for their needs.
I added this clause immediately and it's been there ever since. It shows them in black and white exactly how many extra servings they are ordering OR if they are not ordering enough. It also shows them how many servings I suggest they order. I have them initial each line too.
It's all about covering our butts and staying 1 step ahead of these type of people.
I would like to sheepishly admit that I HAVE burned a cake (threw it away immediately!) and there is NO mistaking the smell. It is not something you could have done and not noticed! Your whole kitchen would smell like burned cake for hours!
dkelly - I really like that part for the wedding cake contract, I am going to add it to mine.
I just had a bride that wanted to shrink her cake size - I used one of Indy's suggestions.....".sooo....which guests get to have cake and which ones don't?? " (worked like a charm ~ thanks Indy!)
It's Monday and I can't wait to see the outcome. I hope you stayed strong! I know how those kind of people can make you lose your composure.
Okay. Well she did actually show up. I almost didn't think she would. She brought in both the bottom layer of the wedding cake, and the groom's cake.
The wedding cake tier was a vanilla caramel cake. So a white cake with a hint of caramel flavor. There was only 1/3 of it left.
The groom's cake was a coconut cake that they didn't even cut into at the reception. She says it's burned too.
My husband stayed home from work because I no long felt safe being around this lady after the way she was yelling at me on the phone. She also brought her sister.
The sister also told a 3rd story about the cake at the reception. Basically they were plating 2 pieces of cake per every plate. One vanilla caramel and one either chocolate caramel or pink champagne. As she walked around she noticed that the vanilla caramel wasn't being eaten like the other 2 flavors. This just seems like people not really wanting to eat THAT much cake in the first place and wanting to have a chocolate or a pink cake rather than what they perceive to be just a white cake.
I cut out a section of the main cake and tasted it. Even though it was almost 5 days old now, it was still moist and did not have a burnt flavor that she said was though the whole cake. I told them there was nothing wrong with the cake and, they both started going off. The cake was a 13" square cake. I tried to explain to her that a cake that large does bake a little more on the edges before the middle is completely done, and being square rather than round, edges get done quicker to. I'm not God, I can't prevent that.
The coconut groom's cake was a denser, more moist cake with a higher sugar content. Again this was a square cake. She said, "Well it's has darker edges then the samples we got had." My samples are 6" rounds that are quartered. Small rounds bake faster in their middles.
I'm still finding it hard to believe she's complaining about a brown edge. I asked her if she could bake a cake without a crust/brown edge in that large of a square cake. I told her if she was really upset about the coconut cake being browner than the sample, I would refund her 1/2 of it. (I think 1/2 of a cake's purpose is to be visually pretty and the other 1/2 is it's taste. She got to display it at her wedding and didn't even need it.) But I would not refund her any of the bridal cake. She said no and began to pack up the cakes.
Well, I hadn't gotten a picture of the cakes yet, and I wanted my proof there was NO black, so picked up the piece of cake that I had cut, off the board and set it on my counter to take a picture of it. They then got irate that I was stealing a piece of their cake, and called the cops! I kid you not! I took my picture of the slice then set it back on the board and then was able to snap pictures of what remained of the two cakes. They told the cops to never mind. I spoke up and said, no I still want them here. I want a third party. (I know the cops can't do much in a civil matter, but these two were really getting ridiculous.) On a side note, I never once raised my voice with this bride.
She grabbed up her cake, repeatedly told me I'll be hearing from her lawyer, and left.
I'm so angry. Yes, the cake has a brown edge. So what. It's not burned and certainly not dry like it would be if it were over baked. Yes, the corners were more done than the center. Again basic physics/baking 101. Nothing I can do about it. I bake all my cakes at 325 until the center tests done. What does she want, a raw center to save the corners. I told my husband I should deduct the 4 corner servings from the cost of every square cake, so that if anyone ever complains again about the corners I can tell them they didn't even pay for those. He says not to let it get to me, but how can I not.
I'll see if I can attach pics.
It's beautiful cake!
I hate nasty, conniving people.
I am speechless.
She called the cops.
Omg ~~ I believe what you said but but I can't believe it.
Wow~~why ruin your own wedding day and wedding time of life with such bs.
I sure am glad your husband was home.
oh my gosh!! wow. im so sorry thats how it turned out with her, no one deserves to be treated like that!
and as for the cake "being burned to the point of almost being black"
hmmm... thats funny I dont see anywhere on your pictures that shows anything like what she was describing!!! 
Oh you poor thing! what an evil wench. the cake is NOT burned. i say let them take you to court.. when you win, make them pay all of your legal fees and charge them for the meeting today too 
I wouldn't give her a penny back.
NO REFUND,not one cent,the cake looks yummy.I want to steal a slice, she is a foolish woman.At least you got pictures let her take you to court.
I'm sorry you have to deal w/ this idiot!!
Two words JUDGE JUDY!!!!!!!!! She will be sure to put that nasty ____ In her place 
That is so stinking crazy! Gorgeous cake!
That darker edge of the cake is so delish..LOL Ever scrape out what was in the pan on your finger? I can never resist it..LOL Looks yummy to me and no where near burned. Sound's like one flavor was less liked by all and a case of ordering too much cake. Shame on her!
If it were me and she called the cops, I would have been arrested for shoving that cake so far down (or up depending on which end I started at) her throat!!!! Death by cake.....a whole other meaning.
Sorry you had to go thru that. You cake looks yummy btw.
Oh, and don't forget to save scraps of each cake, filling and frosting for DNA evidence to prove the &*(^% cake isn't even yours!!!
What does cake DNA look like? Is it a round, square, hexagon or maybe...petal-shaped?
....sad part is, I watch so many forensics shows, I know they could already use a mass spectrometer to tell if two samples were from the same cake. But I agree, it's a total shame that people pull this kind of crap.
I have a mass spectrometer...we can get to the bottom of this
Wow..........just wow!! Shouldn't she be on her honeymoon or celebrating with her new husband, to waste the first few days of her marriage obsessing with her cake is ridiculous.
I've done this for a long time and I'd like to share a useful tip with all of you guys for the future. I always carve away the crust on all of my larger tiers (white or yellow cake). So when the cake is sliced they just see the same uniform color from middle to edge.
From a customers perspective I can see why she thought the cake was darker on the edges they CERTAINLY WERE NOT BURNED, I'm not saying it was burned so please don't flame me.
When you slice off the edges i.e. sides, top and bottom of a layer, you don't get any dark color at all.
As the OP said it's hard to not get the darker edges (corners) whatever, when we're baking the larger layers, but you can get rid of them.
I seriously doubt this wrench will contact an attorney, she's calling your bluff.
Sorry this happened to you and please don't take my advice as siding with this lunatic bride because I most definitely am NOT.
that bride is nothing but a scammer! She ordered too much cake and now made up an excuse to get some money back. !. Don't allow yourself to be yelled at! If she can't talk to you in a sensible way, then she don't bother to talk to you at all!
2. She is acting crazy because she knows she is wrong. That is just a cover up to try to shame you into giving her a refund.
3. I applaud you in taking pictures, that way since she threatened you with a lawsuit, you have proof enough to win.
4. do not refund her one single dime. that cake was gorgeous. besides the fact, the people perferred the other flavors. She should have been more thoughtful of other people's tastes.
I just want to tell you that her wedding cake is so beautiful! You did a fabulous job. I do not think that those cakes look burned at all. My cakes always look like that on top. I think it is just part of the way baking goes on the outside part of the cakes.
Anyways...you did a great job! Don't let this crazy woman get to you.
I've done this for a long time and I'd like to share a useful tip with all of you guys for the future. I always carve away the crust on all of my larger tiers (white or yellow cake). So when the cake is sliced they just see the same uniform color from middle to edge.
From a customers perspective I can see why she thought the cake was darker on the edges they CERTAINLY WERE NOT BURNED, I'm not saying it was burned so please don't flame me.
When you slice off the edges i.e. sides, top and bottom of a layer, you don't get any dark color at all.
As the OP said it's hard to not get the darker edges (corners) whatever, when we're baking the larger layers, but you can get rid of them.
I completely understand and have been thinking about doing that. I really didn't think anybody would be so petty as to squawk about a brown edge!
I've done this for a long time and I'd like to share a useful tip with all of you guys for the future. I always carve away the crust on all of my larger tiers (white or yellow cake). So when the cake is sliced they just see the same uniform color from middle to edge.
From a customers perspective I can see why she thought the cake was darker on the edges they CERTAINLY WERE NOT BURNED, I'm not saying it was burned so please don't flame me.
When you slice off the edges i.e. sides, top and bottom of a layer, you don't get any dark color at all.
As the OP said it's hard to not get the darker edges (corners) whatever, when we're baking the larger layers, but you can get rid of them.
I completely understand and have been thinking about doing that. I really didn't think anybody would be so petty as to squawk about a brown edge!
Whew........I'm happy you didn't take this the wrong way.
Guess why I started *shaving* my cakes? Yup, I had a complaint and it wasn't a Wedding cake it was a Bat Mitzfah cake. Similar situation to yours, they ordered a huge elaborate cake.......way too much for what they needed.
I did refund a small amount I can't remember how much, this happened many yrs ago (over 15). She's still a client today. I have to admit, the edges on mine were a lot darker then yours.
Ever since that episode I put the #of servings clause in my contract and I *shave* em!
OK...number one: The bride is a psycho.
Number Two: Your cake looks perfectly NORMAL - all white/light colored cakes brown on top and bottom - that's what they're SUPPOSED TO DO! If it stayed completely white it wouldn't be done! See #1 above.
Number Three: Your cakes are absolutely lovely and she should have been thrilled with them instead of making your life miserable because she overextended her wedding budget. Again...see #1 above.
Number Four: Keep those pictures. If her lawyer sends you a letter, I'd fire one back suing her for harassment. You have the hall manager and staff on your side, plus the photos to prove nothing was burned. Make sure you document as much as you can regarding her changing stories, her conflicting story vs. what the hall manager/staff have told you. Oh yeah...see #1 above!
Number Five: NO REFUND! You held up your end of the contract and she has no grounds for a refund. In fact, next time you talk to her tell her you're now charging her an additional 20% PITA charge. Did I mention see #1 above???
Your cakes rock!
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