I agreed to make a birthday cake for a family member ( not really family). I made the cakes, there were 2 cakes as this was a 1st birthday including the tear up cake. The grandparents of the baby picked the cakes up for delivery to the party. They "accidently" toppled the cake over before they got it out of the driveway. So, I spent the entire Friday night and Saturday morning working on these cakes tot again have them destroyed before my eyes and for free. But, I relectantly spent the entire day making this cake presentable and edible yet again only to have it destroyed again before it makes it's destination to the party. I couldn't believe it when I received a call from my inlaws telling me to bring my repair tools. I arrived at the party site to find the cake in pieces. this would be the 3rd time I "fixed" this same cake and without pay. This cake was for a baby's first birthday paarty that the mom had placed the order for and I agreed to make it for free for the baby. The parents of the father (which are my inlaws) stopped by to pick the cake up for delivery.Seems they didn't like the theme the mom had chosen and had intentionally destroyed this cake. later when we arrived home, I recieved a message from the mother asking why they had delivered the cake and why I didn't deliver the cake. I explained to the mom that the grandparents came to pick the cake up and deliver it and that this is what her husband had agreed to. She informed me that she knew nothing about them picking the cake up for delivery and that she thought I was going to be delivering the cake. So now I'm speechless, not only that they would jeopardisenthier grandbaby's 1st birthday but also my business, as I have never met the mother of this baby nor her family. Was I wrong in speaking up at the party when this baby's grandmother spoke up loudly and announced that "this cakke sure tastes better then it looks" with my reply that" this was not one of my deliveries and that this was also the very first cake disaster that I've had since I've been making cakes"? I don't think I was wrong in letting these family members know what had happened with this cake. I did apologize to the baby's mom and family but I DID NOT apologize to my inlaws for destroying this baby's first birthday nor will I apologize for thier planning and plotting of these actions. Turns out the grandmother didn't like the theme the mom had chosen and so she wanted to pick the baby's first cake. You would not believe what she had in mind. Skulls and Crossbones.I had refused to make the Skulls and Crossbones cake for them to take to this baby's birthda, especially when I think it should be the mom and dad of the baby to make the decision foor the cake of choice.. Am I wrong? Besides, this was a free cake and I spent an entire 24 hours making these 2 cakes as a gift for the baby. As it turns out my husband and I were late because we stopped on the way and bought the baby some gifts anyway knowing that the cake didn't arrive in 1 piece as planned. My inlaws haven't spoken to me since the party and at this point I'm not so sure I want them to. btw this was my husband's brother and his wife's grandbaby but the mom and dad of the baby aren't married nor are they liiving together, so in a sense, these people that I mmade the cake for have no idea who I am nor what kind of person I am and thiis was the first time I'd ever met them. I hope they dont think I messed thiis baby's birthday up on purpose. I've apologized moore then once for this but I can't afford to spend another 24 hours making a cake for pictures and add the cost of the ingredients of the cake. This was a gourmet cake so it wasn't just another cake from a box that looked nice. My husband thinks they didn't do this on purpose, but I'm not so sure. We've delivered many, many cakes and have traveled far with them stacked and I've never before had a disaster with a cake twice in one day to the same cake....

It would help if you would edit your post and enter some paragraph breaks... it hurts to read something so long.

I think your efforts have been amazing. It really is shocking when family does this to family and then wonder why they don't get along. Your emotions are normal to feel so responsible and wonder what you could have done more but you did all you could do and didn't know there were saboteurs. I bet your cake was beautiful!

there is obviously some weird family drama going on here that I think you'd be best not to involve yourself in any further. You made the cake, they messed it up. You don't have any further obligation to them to create a photo op with remaking a cake for a 1 year old to smash. Realize that what happened at the party wasn't about your cakes or your work...it's a personal thing within your family that the cake became a vehicle for their dysfunction.

Just walk away from it....

No good deed goes unpunished, at least this is what i've learned from experiences like the one you've shared.

As for your inlaws; I usually don't like to give an opinion, when I don't personally know the people in question. For example maybe your MIL just made the comment to lighten up the moment, or you know she has a track record of making snarky remark.

I didn't even bother reading the whole thing, I couldn't. After the I see you mention you fixed it three times, that's all I could tolerate. Whatever you continued to write after that, if it didn't consist of them thanking you and being so appreciative and putting a tiara on your head after all of that work...I don't know what.

You can "fix" this cake as many times as you want, it will continue to be destroyed. Tell them you do not participate in family drama and walk away.

Your only response should be 'you get what you pay for' and walk away. This kind of sounds like an episode from My Name is Earl complete with Baby Mama's and biker Grandma's. You owe these people nothing. 'No more free family cakes' is what you should be saying to yourself now.

I let my customers and family know that when cake leaves it is no longer my responsibility to drive slow now sharp turns. You went above and beyond to help so I wouldn't worry about what your family thinks. Just remember to tell them that you are booked every time they ask for a cake from now on. And as for freebies they are just that free if they don't like it then let them go pay for a cake elsewhere.

Wow! So, if I understand this correctly, you made a cake for your nephew's one year old baby. Your brother and sister in law (nephew's parents) picked it up and then promptly destroyed it 3 times on purpose because it wasn't decorated the way they wanted. The Baby's mama, who you've never met, was upset because you didn't deliver it and it got ruined by her future mother and father in law (maybe). Your mother in law said it tasted good but looked bad. Wow again! Who ordered the cake from you? The baby's mother? If so, what delivery/pick up arrangements did you agree to when she ordered the cake? And how in the world do you fix a cake that toppled over 3 times without rebaking and decorating the entire thing? The layers shifting or even one toppling off is probably fixable once, but the entire cake toppled over 3x and you were able to fix it? Good skills there! I agree with everyone else - the family drama is over the top in this whole scenerio and I don't think I'd be making a cake for any of these people again. Walmart sounds about right. . . . .

You know that vodka we all have to paint with dust?

Drink it.

mombabytiger - too funny!!!!

I don't think there is anything else you can or should do in this situation. You've done what you offered to do, and that was to make a cake, and if other family members decide to pick up and deliver the cake, that's up to them and it's their responsibility to deliver it in one piece!