Okay...so, I have been making cakes for about 8 yrs (short time to many of you, I know!) and my husbands aunt has always raved over my work.

She will ask me for birthday cake, anniversary cakes, etc...EXCEPT for the really important things like her childrens wedding cakes!

1st example...Her sons bridal shower(party), she had originally asked me to do the cake...we went back and forth with ideas...all of mine which were turned down! It was a martini themed shower and she didn't want black for fear of it looking like Halloween. Next thing I know, her daughter told me that she didn't want to bother me with it. She knew I was busy, blah blah blah! She ended up going to another lady...Turns out the other ladies cake was ALL OF MY IDEAS AND COVERED WITH BLACK FONDANT!

2nd example...I had offered to do the same sons wedding cake free of charge b/c I knew they could use the help...they agreed...time got closer to the date, I didn't want to mention anything to them b/c I didn't want them to feel obligated to me, but I finally asked his sister, she informed me that they were going with someone the bride found! TURNS OUT MY AUNT IN-LAW WENT TO THAT SAME OTHER LADY!

Now jump to this past weekend...Her other sons wedding! No one asked me, everyone acted very wierd around me, and at the wedding was another on of the other lady's cake! Miraculously, the day of the wedding everyone was normal again!

Now the kicker is...She has always RAVED over my cakes, has even offered to give me the start up cost to a business!

Why am I good enough for everything else, but not for the big things! Part that gets me the most is how she goes about it, very sneaky and NOT COOL AT ALL!

I would feel the same way you do, I am very paranoid in nature but I would wonder why she wouldn't want me to do the big ones. I am a little self consious too.

Well I would come right out and talk to her about it. Ask her the same questions you have been asking yourself and tell her to be totally honest about her reasons. It's best if you talk it out so you know where she stands. She may feel bad to have you make such a big cake for a wedding and not take money for it. that could be the reason. Good Luck

I probably wouldn't be doing any more cakes for her. Sometimes its not about the cake being perfect. I've only been doing cakes for 2 years so I still need a lot of practice but my sister insisted insisted I do her cake. I was so nervous and stressed about this since I was MOH as well but she insisted that she didn't want her cake to be perfect she wanted it made by me. The cake ended up looking good (not perfect) but everyone loved it. Family should stick together!

Your cakes look VERY profesional to me, I have the same thing if it's free they take it if not they go to the bakery. The only thing I can figure is are they worried I might make more money than them? Don't think so , I have teachers, nurses and lawyers in the family. All I can say is go figure?????????????????????????

My guess is this....When I make the cake..I get all the attention...cause everybody is talking about the cake..sooo..if you dont bake the cake..then you dont get all the attention..
Thats how it feels with my and some people I know..The thing is I dont care for the attention. More than that..I am happier not having to make the cakes..Is less work and usually very underpaid...
Edna

Thanks to everyones comments so far! Honestly, this is typical her! I sometimes feel like it must be "Cheap" looking or sounding to say..."The cake was done by my nephews wife" I guess it sounds better to her to say she got it from a bakery and it cost her $1500!

Oh and just for b***hiness sake...the cake this past weekend was BEAUTIFUL, no doubt, but unbelievably Horrible in the taste department! Supposed to be chocolate, but way too sweet and it only had BC in between 2 layers of cake, and not enough to call filling...basically two layer of cake stuck together! That's what gets me...$1500 for a pretty cake that tastes gross! I guess if it makes you feel better to say you spent that much then whatever!

You know this happen to me, of course back then when I had offered to do my honeys...nephews wedding cake. I didnt know as much as I do now. Ive improved alot. But I had offered. And I got:...ahhh, how sweet, ah thank you, but we're going with so and so...there only charging 2000.00. I said ok whatever.

Do you realize that the day of the wedding I looked at that cake, and I could see it was not centered, and it was crooked, and there was just so much wrong with it. I thought, wow, thats a 2000.00 cake!! Now I look at the same cake in pics...and I see that they shouldnt have paid more than 300.00 for that cake.

I just dont offer any longer. Especially since I made one (boxer cake in my photos) recently for free...and then I got hit with alot of family orders and they all wanted free cakes!!! Now they pay if they want cake...

You Aunt is nuts....Your cakes are great so don't give up hope. Just write her off and don't make any more cakes for her. I would always be busy when she needs a cake for something.

"My guess is this....When I make the cake..I get all the attention...cause everybody is talking about the cake..sooo..if you dont bake the cake..then you dont get all the attention.. "


Tonedna...that's exactly what my husband says! (And it's his Aunt!) LOL The funny thing about that is, I get very embarrassed by all the attention, and I Have never overplayed someone elses day with hoopla about the cake...I normally say thankyou and discretely answer questions or what have you for a second, but I don't stand there beside the cake taking pics with it! Especially on his wedding day, my family should know me better than that to think I would try to take the attention...I don't want it!

Thank you so much CakeRN...I needed that!

tonedna...just visited your website...WOW! You do absolutely AMAZING work!

I agree with tonedna and the poster, I HATE attention, but it just erks me that they for some odd reason family and some friends so called would rather pay someone else for their cake that isn't up to parr rather than a family member. Weird.