So I agreed to make my girlfriend's wedding cake and I'm quickly regretting the decision to do so. She has changed her mind a thousand different times, is unavailable for tastings when I asked her and now wants a cake that I'm not sure I want to put my name to.
She purchased a 3 tier pan set from Michaels. She wants me to bake the tiers with no filling and just ice them in buttercream. Maybe this is the way to go for wedding cakes but I pride myself on filling my cakes with ganache and mousses, etc.
I'm terrified that with 3"+ of cake covered in buttercream it will be somewhat dry and tasteless. I got off the phone with her frustrated and completely discouraged! HELP :0(
What about using buttercream as the filling as well as the icing? Then she won't have any flavors she doesn't want. I've never heard of someone not wanting at least some sort of filling. I'd tell her that in your professional opinion the cake will most likely be very dry without a filling and that for such an important cake she should maybe reconsider.
She wants me to bake the tiers with no filling and just ice them in buttercream.
This "no filling" request has been discussed previously, and a lot of members feel this means no fancy filling - just the default buttercream to keep the layers together. 
Maybe this is the way to go for wedding cakes but I pride myself on filling my cakes with ganache and mousses, etc.
If this is the BTB's favorite way to eat cake (if it's her style) then your responsibility as the cake baker/decorator is to provide the cake of her dreams - even if it's not the cake of your dreams.
As to her being a bridezilla and making your task more difficult... I'd recommend that you email her (so there's a paper trail) and advise that you need certain info by such and such a date or you won't be able to accommodate her (because beautiful and tasty cakes don't just magically create themselves).
Additionally, after the tasting and details are provided - she needs to know there's no changing the order (at least after a date you set - if you want to allow ANY changes).
Don't know if this is a gift, but just because she's your friend doesn't mean you should allow her to take advantage of you.
Good luck!
Thanks for your advice...I think she keeps changing her mind when she speaks to different friends. She said that nobody really eats the cake anyways....to which I replied well then why am I making you one?
I think she is now concerned with the cost of something she thinks nobody will notice and wants just cake and buttercream to alleviate some of that cost...
As JanH has said, others have discussed the requests for no filling. I would tell her that because a standard piece is 1x2x4, with only buttercream as an icing and no filling, there will be guests that only have a little strip of icing on the top (if they don't get an outside piece) and that it will just be a mouthful of cake. As a guest, I wouldn't be happy with this kind of cake. Suggest that would put buttercream between the layers so that every mouthful can have a bite of cake and icing together. Much more enjoyable as we all know. And she may think that no filling means just buttercream between the layers.
I agree with a previous poster that when she says she doesn't want filling, I think she is still wanting a layer of icing in the middle of the cake. Just nothing fancy. Not a 3 inch layer just iced on the outside.
Don't know who her friends are, but I couldn't disagree more. 
I always look forward to seeing AND eating the wedding cake. 
If she's worried about the expense (maybe she shouldn't have invited so many guests but that's just my humble opinion)... But it's definitely not your responsibility to provide cheap cake to make up for her poor planning or lack of budget.
But if she DOES want a cake, she STILL needs to provide you with the info you require - or there won't be any cake! Problem solved for you! 
I think she is now concerned with the cost of something she thinks nobody will notice and wants just cake and buttercream to alleviate some of that cost...
This is why in general you would price your fillings in with the cake price. If they don't want a 'fancier' filling then you make a little extra money by putting in just buttercream.
As far as a tasting, if she has had your cakes, I'd skip that. She knows what they taste like.
When is the wedding? Is it soon and you need to start making plans? If so, pick a date and tell her you need such and such questions answered by then.
If it isn't until later in the year or something, then let her work through all these ideas, give her a date (later in the year, but still early enough for you) to settle up plans with.
Her wedding is late July and when I spoke to her today I did mention the idea of at least buttercream between the layers and no way did she think that was a good idea.
I should tell her if anyone asks who made the cake...pleassssse don't tell them it was me :0#
If your cake tastes good and the icing tastes good, then why wouldn't the cake taste good?
Not everyone likes the fancy stuff. It is her wedding day, and if she is paying, she should get what she wants, with in reason.
If you think it really is a money issue, and you are okay doing so then tell her if she wants such and such for a filling, it won't be an 'additional' charge and see if she bites.
If in the end you are going to be embarrassed to do the cake how she would like it, then you need to be honest with her now, so she can make other arrangements.
I would put my foot down on the no bc between the layers thing. That's just not done, she doesn't know what she's talking about, and her guests are going to wonder "what the heck??" when they get a hunk of cake with no icing as a filling.
Bottom line, YOU are the professional, not her, and there are some things that are just an industry standard. If you don't feel comfortable doing what she asks and feel it will be detrimental to your reputation, I would tell her you can't do the cake. Sounds like a headache to me.
Thanks for your advice...I think she keeps changing her mind when she speaks to different friends. She said that nobody really eats the cake anyways....to which I replied well then why am I making you one?
I think she is now concerned with the cost of something she thinks nobody will notice and wants just cake and buttercream to alleviate some of that cost...
Then they have not had good cake, that's why they don't eat it. I would tell her to find another baker, I would not make a cake for someone who keeps changing their mind, sounds like she will not be happy with anything you make.
So I agreed to make my girlfriend's wedding cake and I'm quickly regretting the decision to do so. She has changed her mind a thousand different times, is unavailable for tastings when I asked her and now wants a cake that I'm not sure I want to put my name to.
She purchased a 3 tier pan set from Michaels. She wants me to bake the tiers with no filling and just ice them in buttercream. Maybe this is the way to go for wedding cakes but I pride myself on filling my cakes with ganache and mousses, etc.
I'm terrified that with 3"+ of cake covered in buttercream it will be somewhat dry and tasteless. I got off the phone with her frustrated and completely discouraged! HELP :0(
I'm actually one of the few cakers on island that actually fills my cakes. Most of the cakers do like what your girlfriend is asking ( or I think she is based on your post, I hope I got it right). They bake a 3 inch cake and ice it as is. I've tasted some before, and never experienced any that were dry, so I don't think it would be an issue if you did this. I hope that helps!
Who doesn't want buttercream between the layers?! That's crazy!
So I agreed to make my girlfriend's wedding cake and I'm quickly regretting the decision to do so. She has changed her mind a thousand different times, is unavailable for tastings when I asked her and now wants a cake that I'm not sure I want to put my name to.
She purchased a 3 tier pan set from Michaels. She wants me to bake the tiers with no filling and just ice them in buttercream. Maybe this is the way to go for wedding cakes but I pride myself on filling my cakes with ganache and mousses, etc.
I'm terrified that with 3"+ of cake covered in buttercream it will be somewhat dry and tasteless. I got off the phone with her frustrated and completely discouraged! HELP :0(
I have to disagree with the other responses stating that she probably means BC filling for at least a small amount of BC. I would definitely ask her about this. I happen to like plain cake without filling. Many people do not like icing (although for a wedding that probably would not mean everyone in attendance). We have also seen the cakes that are stacked without any icing on the outside as well. So I would ask her specifically what she wants and make her cake the way she requests. If your cake is well baked and moist this should not be an issue.
Does she realize that if she goes with just slabs of cake with frosting on them the tiers are going to be quite short? It'll just look like round sheet cakes stacked on top of each other.
Has she been showing you pictures of cakes she likes? If so, then it's your responsibility as her baker to let her know what you can and can't do. Yes, it is her day and she should get what she wants, but if she's showing you pictures of regular wedding cakes with 4" tiers then she needs to be informed that those will be two 2" layer cakes with some buttercream in between them.
This comes from 4 years of working in a grocery store bakery where people would order a certain cake design, make a bunch of changes and then when they pick it up they say "Well, I didn't think it would look like that. . ."
If anything, take out a ruler and show her what it's gonna look like. Lots of people ask me "how big are your 8" cakes?" Well, they're 8 inches. Lots of people just have trouble visualizing that. But if you take out the 8" pan, they get a better idea of the size of cake they're ordering.
Quote by @%username% on %date%
%body%