Baker backed out

shaylle26

We were to meet with our baker last Friday to hash out the final details and pay for our cake. We have been dealing with her for months now, and everything has been fine. We emailed her what we wanted so she could draw it up and she emailed back saying she thought the cake wasn't going to look good and she didn't want her name on it.  Not that I think it matters, but we want roughly frosted square layers, except the top which we want to look like a stump with our initial carved into it  Our cake topper is the barefoot couple that sits on the edge of the cake, so the "stump" would be behind them.  Then there would be flowers cascading down the corners.  Our wedding is rustic, and we think the cake will look and fit in great.  My question is- is it normal for a baker to deem someone's cake unfit and refuse to make it?  I have never heard of this before and frankly I am a little hurt by her attitude.

SD3194

Did she know what kind of cake you wanted when she agreed to do it? She may have canceled because she doesn't think she has the skills or time to do an elaborate cake like that.

I'm a chef for a catering company and I deny bride's requests alot, especially if it's something I think will hurt my reputation. For instance, a bride was insisting that I cook all of the beef tenderloin for her wedding to well done. I will not have my name attached to food that I think will taste awful. I would hate for guests to say "Yea that catering company made the worst beef tenderloin I've ever had! It was tough as nails!"

I would trust her judgement. She does this professionally and if she thinks it will look bad, it probably will.

Thea519

I agree with SD. I make cakes out of my home for all kinds of events and I've turned people down before. I don't do it often, but if I feel like the project won't look excellent, I won't do it. Most of the time, when I tell a customer their idea won't look good, they ask me what I'd do instead, so it usually works out in the end. 

It's important to remember that in the wedding business, everything travels by word of mouth. News about one "bad" cake travels faster than you know. 

My advice- Ask her if she could work up something similar that she'd be comfortable with. If you don't like her idea, you'd be better off choosing another baker.

shaylle26

Yes, she knew the entire time the cake we wanted, there was never an issue.  In the case of a caterer that makes since, people are going to judge you on the taste.  People are not going to assume the bride asked you to dry out all the meat.  If I were wanting an odd flavored cake, I could see it because people will judge on the taste.  Everyone that goes to a wedding knows the bride had huge input on the cake decorations, and the baker just carries it out.  I have consulted with 3 other bakers since then, none of them has any problem doing the cake the way I want it.  One of them said it would be nice to do a cake she can have fun with, instead of the "fondant covered nightmares" she usually gets.  So I will just go with one of them.  Whether it is common practice or not she has lost at least 6 cake orders over it, so I hope it was worth it for her.

031107

Why did she lose 6 orders?

shaylle26

I have four kids having birthdays before the wedding and she was to make them cakes, plus the grooms cake, and a friend that had ordered a cake for the end of this month has cancelled hers.   The more I talk to people about this, the more I see that I am not alone in thinking she was out of line.  Oh well,  I have found someone new, so we are movng on!