I have to make a topsy turvy cake next weekend for a friends daughter's birthday party. For the top tier she wants lemon cake made with lemon juice not water with no filling but a lemon glaze made out of lemon juice and powdered sugar. The bottom tier she wants German chocolate cake with German chocolate coconut frosting in the middle frosted in butter cream and covered in MMF. I think she is picking what she wants not the kids. I tried to hint that nuts in a filling for a kids party might not be a good choice with nut allergies and all. She said then the kids can eat the lemon. Yuck no filling just a glaze. The girls are 7 and 12 and the 7 year old told me that she wanted chocolate. She didn't say anything about German chocolate frosting. Then the mom says don't you want German chocolate frosting for the filling and her daughter replied no mom chocolate. The mom is sticking with what she wants. How can I try to change her mind or should I just let her pick what she wants not what the kids want. I can just picture these kids turning up their noses at my cake.

Poor kids...but unforunately mom is paying for it. If it is a close friend, I would be straight up and tell her those aren't kid friendly flavors, but if she doesn't care, there's not much you can do.

This is a freebie. I have to use her recipe for the lemon cake and when she brings her cupcakes to work nobody will eat them. Our boss told her last time she brought them that they were horrible. I couldn't believe that she said it to her face. I gave my boss a bad time and she told me what do you want me to lie of course I said yes. I just don't think that German chocolate with German chocolate frosting is kid friendly.

Bskinne I had her and her 7 year old over helping make the decorations for the cake. I figured the little girl would have fun making decorations for her own cake. We made fondant stars and balls in three different colors on wires and numbers for the toppers for the ages of the two girls. I colored some fondant glaze so she could paint the stars. She was having so much fun and then her mom would take the paint brush from her and start painting. I felt so bad for her it was supposed to be a fun project for her daughter not her. And when her daughter was picking the colors guess who made most of he decisions? Then she would ask me what I thought. I told her that it was her daughters birthday and she should be the one to decide.

Awwww....well good for you for at least saying that!! And it's really cool you had her daughter over to help, I bet she really enjoyed it. As for the mom, she sounds like a little bit of a control freak. I would have reminded her that's it's her daughter's day, not hers! Hope you post some pictures of the creation!

[quote="sweettreat101"]This is a freebie. [/quote/]

For future cakes I suggest that you institute a "free cake, my decisions" policy. That would allow you to take suggestions, but still have the final say... allowing you to go with what you know the kids want.

[quote="miss_sweetstory"]

Ditto! If i do a freebie cake i ask the guest of honor what cake flavor they want and what theme they want. Then if there is another option for a second cake flavor i give it to the parent (depending on the size of the cake) Then for the theme i get to be creative and i'm not limtied.

Great Idea. I think I will send her an email and suggest that she needs to change the filling on the kids cake. Her daughter wanted chocolate filling. The mom doesn't like mousse but she won't be eating the kids cake anyways so why should she care what the kids choose.

If she is substituting lemon juice for ALL the water in the recipe, I can tell you why it's awful!! That is WAY, WAY too much lemon juice. Lemon juice is very potent and you don't need anywhere near that much. I'd guess closer to 4-6 T and maybe a little extra sugar.

She wants me to use lemon juice for all of the water. Plus cover and fill the cake with a lemon powdered sugar glaze, butter cream and fondant. Yuck. If she wants a nasty lemon cake that's fine but the German chocolate for the kids has me stumped. How can I tell her that's not the best choice for small children?

I can appreciate that you are making this for a friend but I would not make someone elses recipes. You have your own, and they are tried and true right? You don't want others thinking that that is a recipe you normally offer-yuk! You are doing someone a favor, don't let them run the entire show! Good Luck!

just tell here with a topsy tury cake you can't use slippery fillings and the only thing that works well with these cakes is buttercream. If she want you to use all lemon juice, just tell her you did and do what you know will work.

I had a lady order a topsy turvy cake and she wanted chocolate cake torted so there was 4 layers of cake and 3 layers of filling and she wanted 1 filling bavarian cream, 1 raspberry and 1 german chocolate coconut stuff all in the same cake! She said it was amazing, I thought it seemed kinda gross

I sent her an email telling her that German chocolate frosting is not a good idea for a small child's birthday party and suggested either a vanilla or chocolate mousse or even whipped ganache. I know she likes ganache. I'm sure she will brag that it's her recipe for the lemon cake. She tells everyone at work that her family just loves her lemon cake. Our boss was the only one with the guts to tell her that it sucks. She still swears by it. At least I don't have to eat it and I don't want any orders from the people attending the party so I'm not to worried about if people like it or not. I just don't want some small child getting sick because of the nuts.