I am talking about the cakes that will be bad no matter how well you execute them.

I am feeling guilty for turning one down today.

Nope, I'm just sooo fully booked......

like cake requests of a bad theme? Or bad color combo? I probably wouldn't turn it down because I personally need all the clients I can get (I'm new). I think the challenge of making it awesome despite a bad request would be pretty groovy

When I worked for a large grocery chain bakery, we did what ever people asked and kinda looked forward, with morbid curiosity, to see how these requests would turn out. My worst cake was a wedding cake covered in turquoise blue and orange roses. It could have truly been on Cake Wrecks without a doubt. When I delivered it to the reception, it was also where the ceremony took place- the bride was so pleased and she had a silk flower boquet with orange and turquoise roses, the bridesmaids were wearing these weird "prairie style" dresses- also in orange and turqoise, the tables were covered in alternating orange and turquoise table cloths....it was insane and bright and horribly gaudy...but they all looked so happy, sometimes you gotta do what makes the customer happy- even if it is not your taste or garrish. Most times I can talk a person out of doing something that just won't work or is "too busy" but if it's something they truely want and I can do it then why not?

ok so i cant help myself but i have to post this it has to be the ugliest cake i have ever made. but like MadameRaz said the bride was so pleased and that's all the matters to to me i have it set on my flicker page as private only i can see it that's how ugly it is........lol
http://www.flickr.com/photos/14511451@N05/4955587674/

the bride let the groom choose the colors and he is a huge Denver broncos fan.

oh my gosh Shelly, these people were Broncos fans too! the bride wanted to "class it up" by using turquoise instead of the usual royal blue/orange combo. I'd also like to add that the center pieces on each table was a spray painted orange or blue cowboy boot with daisies coming out...well, 'cause we all know how well silk orange and blue roses go so well with fresh daisies

The cake today was for a pink trailer and she wanted green grass around the trailer and it HAD to be tinted coconut. Then she wanted a gravel driveway and it HAD to be crushed cookies. And she wanted it frosted with bright pink buttercream, not smoothed.

It would have been a fun cake with fondant, but she insisted it be made the way she wanted. I tried to tell her it would look like the cakes my mom made me when I was 6, but she didn't think so.

So I sent her to the grocery store.

Geez I don't want to come across as snobby, but would you want your bakery name on that at her party for 40+ people?

Heck no!! What's ugly to some is not to others. Who am I to say what's nice and what's not? I have actually booked cakes off of pics on my website I thought were horrible cake choices. What can say? $$ spends on ugly cakes as well as pretty cakes.

Perhaps she wanted to pass the ckae off as hers?

I agree with OP. If someone would look at the cake and think that for some reason your taste level is questionable I wouldn't do it. I mean what you are describing sounds horrible. I would have turned it down too.