HI all,

I need some advice. I created a cake for a client; a 3-tier wedding cake with multiple flavors and fillings. The cake was beautiful, she even stated that. I just got an email from the bride telling me that the top 2 tiers on the cake were wrong flavors. I know in fact this isn't true.

She said the top tier is a yellow cake with butter cream and should be rum cake with butter cream. Well it is rum cake, she said she cut into it but didn't taste it. She also said that everyone at her wedding said the 2nd tier was a spice cake and it was supposed to be chocolate with Bavarian cream. I don't make spice cake.

She wants some sort of compensation for my mistake. But I didn't make the mistake. She was my only wedding/cake delivery for the weekend. The cake has been totally consumed except for the top tier in which she has at her house but has not tasted. I have no proof to advise her since the cake has been devoured and this wedding was on 2/12 of this year.

I have not emailed her back, but how should I handle this. Any advise is appreciated. Thanks.

If you know for sure that you don't offer a spice cake, that you did the order as requested, and she has absolutely no proof of something different, then you owe her nothing. Call her bluff, she is just trying to get a free or almost free cake with lies. Don't fall for this scam, happens all the time. Tell her if she really believes it was incorrect to take you to small claims court. Since she has absolutely no proof because the cake was completely devoured the burden of proof is on her and she will lose, then you can counter claim for any legal fees you have incurred (which when you are a defendant in a small claims court their aren't any fees unless you lose, which you won't.) You would have to take your order form and flavors menu as proof of what was ordered and that you filled the order exactly. If you are a one woman show then you know for certain the correct flavors were produced.

YEs, I did this cake myself and I know for sure they were the correct flavors. I work for this particular venue of where the wedding took place all the time and I don't want any grief or anything with the venue. I don't want my name slandered. I guess I will try and get a hold of the caterer whom cut the cake. She is trying to get something for free I don't really appreciate that. I don't make a lot of money doing cakes. ANd this cake took me a long time to do. I was really proud of it.

you need to have a clause in your contract similar to this:
Problems with decorations must be brought to the attention of the delivery person and must be photographed and problems with the cake must have a frozen sample returned for verification, no refunds on unsubstantiated claims and only credit on future orders for disagreements on quality of product.

if she hasn't even tasted the top tier then how in the heck does she know it's wrong? Every rum cake I've ever had has had a yellow color to it. Even my vanilla cakes have a light yellow color to them. And if you don't even offer a spice cake or even bake a spice cake then she's complaining about nothing. If the chocolate cake was a lighter color I could see that people might mistake it for a spice cake from a distance, but you'd definitely know the difference between spice and chocolate cake.

She's just fishing for a refund and I wouldn't give in to her. As was stated previously, call her bluff. I'd just tell her I'm sorry, but if you haven't even tasted the top tier then how can you complain about it because of the color, and as for the other, you don't even make a spice cake.

People never cease to amaze me at how low they will stoop to lie to get money back for nothing.

Thanks everyone.

I emailed her back and called her on what she said. I'm waiting to see if she replies. I really think she is just trying to get her money back. I was nice in my email, so we'll see what she says.

Why did she cut into the top tier of her cake and then not taste it? Very strange. If she mistakenly cut the cake instead of saving it and just saw the yellow color..that is really reaching!!!

And I laughed out loud when you said you don't even make a spice cake.

I'm amazed this bride complimented you and then accused you of nonsense!

I hope she replies with "oops, my mistake."

Please post the reply, I'm dieing to see what she said!!

1.  _______ Refunds: Cash refunds will only be given if cake was considered inedible/un-servable and 100% of the cake must be returned within 24 hrs. of the delivery time. No refunds will be given if cake is served or if cake is not returned for futher investigation.


here is what my contract says..........in this bride's case she wouldn't have a leg to stand on since she didn't save even ONE piece of the cake in question!

I'm so sorry you are having to go through this, I can imagine how I would feel. But I just think it's a shame that we have to write contracts in such a way to cover our butts that it would take 5 laywers standing on their heads to come up with it.......just to keep people honest! What's the world coming to???? Geez... next thing you know.....Brides will be sucking raw eggs on their honeymoon.......trying to get salmonella ......and blame it on the cake........wooohooooo free cake!

DTMC, did the customer reply to your email?

If you have worked with this venue and they know your work and level of professionalism and quality, then I don't think you have to worry about them. This bride is having buyer's remorse and wants to be slick and get some money back. How can she possibly know that the top tier wasn't rum cake if she didn't taste it? C'mon now. . . .

First of all, why would people tell her its a spice cake? That's odd in its own light. Who goes to a wedding and then goes up to the bride and says, by the way your cake is a spice cake....That just seems off in itself! Sorry This happened, I'm curious to know her response to your email!!

I made a spice cake once without meaning too, I had bought a new brand of clear vanilla, I got while on vacation in Mexico, I was enticed by the huge bottle! Anyway, the very next cake that I had to make I used my new vanilla and, it tasted different, like spice cake, it was just a simple white cake with buttercream icing, but everyone said it tasted like a spice cake, so now, that bottle of vanilla only gets used in spice cake or pumpkin recipes.

I have no clue (though everyone else is really knowledgeable so that's great!)...but I just wanted to say I am so sorry, b/c nothing hurts worse than having someone insult your hard work. Hearing their false claims make me so sad!!