canned rainbow chipped icing... mmmmm heaven! :] I agree with chassidyg- I could eat it with a spoon hehe! That being said I'd do the cake for her even if I didn't like the icing! I love the picture that someone posted of the wedding cake that is actually iced in the rainbow chip icing! I think that is how I would go about icing your cake. I don't agree that adding candy chips to your BC would be the same, those rainbow chips have a very specific texture that I'm not sure you could find a candy chip that is equivilent! Make sure you post a picture when you've finished I can't wait to see what you do!

If you aren't comfortable with it then don't do it. If you are, then rough-iced is the way to go.
Perhaps tell her you would like to see some of the decor for the reception, so you can coordinate it best.
If they want a happy, cheerful party as the reception the cake sounds like it may be just the thing.

Golly, I can't believe some of you would consider turning down a cake because you can't do it exactly how you want to!

Maybe I'm just naive to the world of the cake business, and the wedding business, but I was always under the impression that the Bride and Groom are what come first on the day... and what they want, goes. So what if it's not the style of cake you usually do? You'll get paid for it; does it really matter if only the groom wants to eat the frosting or if people look at it and go 'ah, she hasn't used the normal buttercream frosting.... I wouldn't use her!' (besides, everyone there will know the couple and if they have that kind of feeling I'm sure they'd mention it - at which point the bride/groom would point out that it was a special request).

Don't do if you don't want to - but I see no reason to 'run a mile' or try and change her mind to as what she wants. I think black flowers at a wedding is a hideous act, but I wouldn't tell the bride that if she had a black bouquet. Likewise, I wouldn't tell her if I didn't like her dress... because it's her and her new husbands day, it's about them, it's not about anyone else.[/i]

I'd do it, too. I don't think it will damage your reputation. In fact, the bride and groom will be estatic and tell everyone how great you are to work with. And you really can make it nice looking if you use some of the suggestions given already. I love the chocolate curl idea. And the rough peaks in the icing would work, too.

Please let us know what you decide. And a pic would be nice, too.

Without reading through all the pages of replies, I would make your own version of the canned frosting and let her hubby come in and taste it. Tell her that you will use it for the filling only because of decorating purposes. If she really wants the outside of the cake to look like that, tell her that you can do something similar with black pearls on white BC or fondant.

If she isnt happy with that you can always refer her to another decorator, but I would not use canned frosting on one of my cakes. What if that can, heaven forbid, had salmonella in it (a lot of products get recalled every day)? You could be liable for that.

Oh my goodness, this is getting kind of crazy! The more I read, the more paranoid a lot of people are getting. I say go for it! As I said in an earlier post, it's more than likely the guests won't know the difference between canned and custom butter cream...unless it really tastes awful...which it doesn't..and honestly the guests could probably care less anyway. It's a wedding not a bake-off. If the cake is moist and tasty the canned icing won't detract. Plus you'll be the hero in the bride's eyes. I definitely would be more concerned about a brides word of mouth than a guest who won't even know who did the cake to begin with. I mean when the bride has a birthday, or anniversary, or baby shower, guess who she'll want to use? The cake baker who helped make her wedding day even more special!

Sorry I can't read the whole thread, I may be too late: what about putting fondant over it? Or just using it as a filling?

These are cupcakes, but you could do something similar with a cake, see how lovely they are?
http://www.cakejournal.com/wp-content/gallery/cupcakes/img_4689-ps_resize.jpg
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3605/3342793266_e90daf1916.jpg

I ran a little taste test on buttercream icing versus canned icing, which I think is kind of vile. This was a blind taste test and all but one of 25 preferred the real buttercream. Here's the story:

http://www.examiner.com/x-23850-Fairfield-County-Food-Examiner~y2010m3d11-Canned-icing-versus-home-made--is-there-a-difference

That is beside the point - THE CUSTOMER WANTS CANNED ICING.

The question is 'do it or not' and if do it, 'how to use it in a beautiful way'.

If you do choose to do the cake, if the question should come up with anyone and you are going to comment, just please be sure you don't give a reply with eyes rolling saying "(uh) It's a special request of the bride". Instead make it sound you are part of her wonderful surprise for her new hubby, "(bubbly), It's a special request of the bride.". I think people would respond very favorably (to you) if they see and understand you are helping the bride do something special instead of giving a negative connotation to it.

I'm curious...did she request any decoration? any "look"?, any flowers, swags, dots, anything? or just a cake iced in the candy flecked icing? It seems like that would be an extremely important consideration in determing how and where to put the requested frosting. What does she envision her cake looking like in the end?

Sounds like a fun project! I would first do a very thin crumbcoat so that the other icing will stick to the side without pulling on the cake.

I think the "foo-foo" method I used on the yellow animal B'Day cake would look cute with the confetti icing. You could put a different colored narrow satin ribbon around the base of each layer. Or go with black satin to tie in the formal part of the wedding.

Hope this helps with ideas. Be sure to post a pic for us to enjoy. Have fun!

You know there is nothing wrong with saying "I don't make those kinds of cakes." If the bride goes somewhere else then that's okay.

Some decorators choose not to make naughty cakes. For whatever reason. Maybe it's because they have a moral objection to them. Maybe (like me) they have young children in the house and don't feel it's appropriate due to the age of the kids. Whatever.

If you are not comfortable decorating a particular way -whether that's a naughty cake or canned icing or whatever - then it's okay to say so. You have the right to do that and not worry about it. And if the customer doesn't order from you then so what? Another order will come along.

This has been an interesting thread. I'm just curious to see what the op decides to do. To the op please do keep us informed.

Here's what you do....

Painstakingly remove all the chips from the canned icing and rinse, then set aside to be used later. With the now-chip-free icing, ice the cake. If you can ever get it to crust, use a diamond impression mat on all tiers. Insert the chips at each of the diamond intersection and there you have it. Best of both worlds.

Couldn't you talk the bride in having the canned frosting as a filling. That way you can still decorate the cake and the groom will really be surprised once he bites into the cake.

I dont think the real issue is the taste. I mean brides choose whatever flavor they want, if shes nice and has half of a brain she will choose something that will be generic and please her guests. If she is not, she will choose something that her or her groom like, like say for example coconut cake with pinapple frosting. There are some people at the wedding who will say, what flavor is that? Find out that its coconut and not eat the cake. It happens all the time.

The real issue is the legalities of 1. breaking a contract if it is already drawn up with the inclusion of the canned icing.

2. the repercussions if someone gets sick from eating a product that is not made by you.

3. the final look of the cake, and if it will look as asthetically pleasing as the brides envisions it in her head. Without really knowing what the design is, I cant envision how the cake will look with the colorful icing.

I would say tread lightly with this one, because bride has very specific ideas about her cake, that much is apparent. If it comes out looking weird with the icing, you can bet she will be back afterwards looking for a refund, whether or not if it is exactly what she ordered. If its one thing that I know its that brides thing their ideas are the greatest, until someone points out that they are not so great, then the decorator gets the blame.

Good point about the contract. I wasn't exactly sure if this was a done deal contract or not, but if the wedding is soon, I'm assuming this is not a last second surprise and the bride is not gonna have time to go elsewhere of the OP backs out.

In regards to points 1 and 3 - what is gonna keep this from becoming a disaster and the decorator from taking the fall is honest, open communication between the bride and OP. That's why I like the suggestion someone tossed out there about doing a test cake and another consult with the bride to give her a realistic idea of what she is asking for. I don't think the bride is being dumb in her request. We've -all- had ideas which look and sound good in our heads which become "ugh" once it's excecuted. She needs a visual BEFORE the wedding day.

As for point 2...she has a lesser chance of feeling legal repercussions is she uses canned icing. If people get sick from canned icing, then the OP can turn around and pass the buck to Betty Crocker. It's their product and they will be the ones to take the fall in that case. She can't be held accountable if she is sold bad product. If it was too risky to use manufactured icings, then bakeries would not use stuff like Rich's Bettercreme or Satin Ice.

I don't think this will end badly if the OP and Bride work together.

CeeTee, this has nothing to do with the original topic, but I LOVE your avatar. I am literally LOL right now.

You really have to decide what you're comfort level is.

If you're worried about your reputation, artfully decline.

If you see this as a challenge of your skills as a decorator, go for it! The most important thing is to give it as much polish as possible. As someone else said, you can put small fondant butterflies. Or big swirls of shaved chocolate.

Put your head together with the client and see what she has in mind design wise and let her know what's feasible. Do the aforementioned test cake and let her see. If it's a disaster and she still insists on the canned, you can always walk away. (Put that in your contract)

You'll never know what you can do if you don't try.

I personally would request that she let her guests know that this was a custom cake and not your usual frosting. Maybe you could even put it in the contract! LOL

bunnypatchbaker,

Now that you've had pages and pages of ideas (and opinions ) what did you decide to do with the bride and her special request?

Did you get to meet with her and offer some ideas with that canned frosting?

If you really want to do this cake then make 2 small sample cakes for the bride-to-be. 1 the way she wants it and another 1 using the canned frosting in the so many ways that have been recommended. If your lucky she just might change her mind.

I would do it too - if that is what she has asked for and you have talked to her about pros and cons and pricing and she still wants to go ahead then have fun with it

Ok here is my idea, lol. why can't you ice the cake with reg buttercream and go to the bulk and buy the candy coated chocolate bits that the put in the icing. I know they sell them at the bulk barn in Canada. Some how add then to the cake after it is iced. I don't know it might work.