I was asked to make an inperfect cake. A customer (a very good customer) her bday is at the end of the month. Her husband is having a surprise party for her. He wants an ugly cake. She always has to have everything perfect, when she has parties and he is doing everything backwards. I need help making an ugly, gaudy cake, any ideas? This would be for about 50 people. They also ordered decorated sugar cookies, choc chip and cupcakes(All Ugly). I know I can count on all of you for some ugly ideas!

Thanks!

You could try and cut them so they are uneven and crooked. and then cover it with and ugly baby poo green fondant or buttercream with brown and dark red designs on it?

Sounds pretty ugly to me?

There is a website that is train wrecks for cakes...there are some UGLY cakes. Also you could try using google...or even have on of the toddler neighbor hood toddlers come over and help you!

I must say if that were my hubby he'd get an "ugly" look! LOL

check out the cake wrecks blog and maybe even do a replica then you can also give him the picture of the cake wreck you were replicating for your client.......as for the cookies...the chocolate chip ones.....I have no idea how to make them look ugly.....I mean how can a chocolate chip cookie look bad?

Thanks for the ideas. I will see what I can find. I am sure the hubby will get a very ugly look. I told him to let her know it wasn't my idea. I dont want her mad at me!!

make your cake then hit it with a hair dryer for about 5 minutes- that should sufficiently ugly it up!

it should be off balanced/tilting with the icing melting on one side, words mispelled, definately not smoothed out properly, maybe a finger smudge like someone tok a swipe at the frosting to taste it...Have fun with this

Are you sure you want to do this? If she's the good customer and she doesn't find his "joke" amusing, you could lose her. Sounds rather mean-spirited to me.

I like the idea of using Cake Wrecks for inspiration, maybe cover with fondant and let it fold, tear and bunch - you can be stress free when frosting and covering your cake . For the choc. chip cookies, what about just serving them broken and piled haphazzardly on the platter?

Make sure there are crumbs in the frosting if you do buttercream!

I know she wont be mad. She will probably think its hilarious. She is a teacher and was my kindergarten teacher, my daughters and hopefully my sons next year. He told me to do whatever I want and he knows it might not look nice but it will taste good. No way I am giving up this order. Good idea about making some nice cookies or cupcakes, I think I will do that - thanks for the idea!!

this will be a fun party and a fun cake.. she will love it.. her husband wants this for her for goodness sakes.... you can do it.... just get an idea of your own and go for it... look at some ugly cakes and combine what you want out of them... hth

I think there is a difference between "ugly" and poorly done. Ugly would be bad color combos, poorly done would be the crumbs in the icing or cakes sliding off each other. I would make sure which one the hubby wants.

Just a thought and I cant wait to see how it looks!

~Alicia

I think there is a difference between "ugly" and poorly done. Ugly would be bad color combos, poorly done would be the crumbs in the icing or cakes sliding off each other. I would make sure which one the hubby wants.

Just a thought and I cant wait to see how it looks!

~Alicia

He said ugly/glaudy. Mispell birthday for example. Tacky. I think it will be fun to do!

He said ugly/glaudy. Mispell birthday for example. Tacky. I think it will be fun to do!

I would go more for tack myself. Like an orange cake with green swags that have pink polka dots.

Couldn't you make a perfectly "messy" cake? Like was suggested - tilted tiers/layers, if writing - make some letters backwards and off center, but still neatly written, two different borders - as if you didn't know which to choose, odd colors you wouldn't normally put together ...but keep the quality of the decs good - you don't want people to question whether you are really a bad decorator & it just happened to fit his theme or whether you are a great decorator who can fit any theme! This way you'll hopefully please both the hubby & the b-day girl!

I would go more for tack myself. Like an orange cake with green swags that have pink polka dots.

sorry duplicate post.

You could still do a beautifully executed cake just put it it garish colors and maybe even gilt it. It could be a beautifully ugly cake. Maybe even over decorated as that makes a pretty ugly cake too.

Judi

duplicate post.

How about a beautiful cake for another occassion obviously altered to make it a birthday cake, as a joke I have used Christmas cards and tippex-ed out Christmas and written birthday you then get to make something gorgeous but make it look recycled.

EDITED TO ADD: I just checked Tipp-Ex is a European brand, just to clarify it is correction fluid, the white stuff you paint on paper and can then write over!

What about doing the decorations backwards. Like pink/red leaves with green flowers. upside down swags, i don't know, interesting cake, can't wait to see what you do with it.

I think I would take a cake that I normally make and change the colors around so they are really hideous... so a very well made cake but in colors that really clash. She will be able to tell that it's an expertly done cake designed to look ugly.

I would at least try to do it in good taste. Like crumbs in the icing is gross to me not ugly....
You could do it in fondant with mis-matched colors, a large tier on bottom and a very small tier on top that is decorated completely wrong compared to the bottom one. Sounds to me like she is a perfectionist, so he wants it imperfect.....
Maybe 80's style or 70's style decorations....lol
Anyway I would definitely have fun with this cake!

How about a leaning cake or a topsy-turvy cake decorated in tacky, gaudy colors?

i was going to suggest topsy turvey cake too! in my head, id thought like cans of paint on the top, spilling their colours down the cake. or wobbly blobs, http://cimg.sourceforge.net/img/ss_blobs.jpg -this was the only pic i could find online with the shae im thinking of! but maybe thats more mess tha gaudy? good luck!
xx

I agree with Alicia on the difference between ugly and poorly done. I think a topsy turvy cake in crazy colors would be a great idea! Just the fact that it was topsy turvy sounds like it would throw her since she likes things "perfect"!