Would You Make A Cake That You Thought Was Really Ugly?
Decorating By jen1977 Updated 15 Mar 2007 , 1:51am by Janette
I've been asked to do a wedding cake, and they brought me a specific picture that they want. Only problem is, it's is really ugly. I have a few friends I've shown the pic to, and they don't believe it's really the cake that I've been asked to make! I haven't given an answer yet, I told her I would check my schedule, and get back to her. It's not a cake I would want in my portfolio. Would you do it?
Sure! If that's what they want and are willing to pay for it. Now, if it's really that ugly - I'd keep the picture tucked way in the back of my portfolio. I have some that I don't show everyone the pics of!
If you think you can make it look exactlly like the cake pictured, I would say yes.........just because it's not particularly the style of cake you would choose doesn't mean it wouldn't be beautiful to the bride and groom, after all they chose the photo right??? Nobody said you had to include it in your portfolio either...........someone on here had to do a horrible yellow and green monster of a cake and they HATED the colors (they were really nasty) but they did the cake anyhow and the bride loved it......I mean it's their special day and if that's what they want then I would do it for them if you think you can!
I know that to you the cake may be ugly. Although you have to think of your friend. It is their wedding and that is the cake that she has chosen for her special day. You do not have to add it to the portfolio of your cakes if you do not like it. But inevitably the decision is yours to make. Good luck with your decision.
I guess all of us have to do cakes that we particularly don't like. We don't have to put them in our portfolio, but if it pleases the customer then that is what we must do!
Now you have me curious....exactly how bad is it?
I would probably do it, but not put it in my portfolio. People know that the bride & groom usually pick the design, not the decorator, so you will just be making what she wants. Plus, it helps with wedding cake experience 
I'd rather not post the pic because I don't know where she got it, and some of my customers have come here looking for cakes they like. I'd hate for them to see it and know I think it's ugly. All of my wedding orders so far are for summer, so I haven't made any yet. My first is in June for my sister. I'm sure I can do the cake. I'm afraid others at the wedding will think it's ugly also, and find out I made it! Right now, all of my business is word of mouth, and I don't want to mess it up before my business really gets started. Is that awful to say? I guess I can do it, and hope that no one finds out I did it, LOL.
What is so ugly about it? the colors? the design? Maybe people can see the work that was put into it. Most people realize the cake was chosen by the bride. If the cake was ugly, and the bride didn't like it, she would definitely tell all of her guests NOT to go to you.
I saw kitty litter, poo and toilet cakes on cakecentral. Now I personally find them extremely ugly in the truest sense of the word, but would do one if someone was paying me.......and, I would put it in my portfolio. When I was in Art School, I had to draw and make copies from the masters and let me tell you many of them were VERY UGLY, but some people loved them....I'd look at it as a learning experience.
Oh jen1977, I know this as a fact, when you have a body of work and an odd ball piece was tucked into it, people would not judge you on that one piece but the body.
I had made some truly ugly pottery that sold like hotcakes, and I had people come back and ask for more! I kept it in my portfolio. Go figure some peoples taste......
I think you should make the cake and include it in your porfolio with the original picture you were given. This will show others that you are
1.) capable of recreating
2.) not the original designer of this cake
also I can understand the concerns about the word of mouth thing. All I can say is that those who go to the wedding will see how happy the couple is with the cake. Remember they chose that cake for a reason. I wish you all the luck and hope all turns out well for you.
I wouldn't. Just because it wouldn't be fun for me. And after all, it is all about me.
I have before! It was horrible and I didn't photograph it, but the customer did and emailed me some photos, they made me shutter.
I wouldn't again for this reason... even if you don't add it to your portfolio the customer can and probably will share photos with other people, not to mention the people at the event will no doubt ask, who did the cake.
If I'm asked to do something that is totally ugly, I'll try and work with the customer and convince them to make the necessary changes to improve the cake's appearance. If that doesn't work I'd probably pass on the order. Is that wrong?? 
I would make it because as the others have said, if they are happy with it they will continue to be customers. Besides, it is good practice. I would be more interested in pleasing the customer than if I thought the design wasn't something that I liked. I hope you do what makes you and the customer happy.
Best of luck.
Tabby
Once again, I must refer you to my ugliest wedding cake creation...
http://www.cakecentral.com/cake-decorating-ftopict-13480.html
I knew it would be hideous, but that is what she wanted, and she even called to tell me how much she loved it. I just never show anyone the photo when I do future consultations.
Been there done that. It was what they wanted and when I started to do it I got into it and probably to me made it worse than I thought it should be but they LOVED it. I must admit everyone else at the wedding thought it was pretty good as well. I had to do it it was for my nephew. It caused great grief because I could not get the blue dark enough but it worked in the end. Would I do another - if I was asked. I wouldn't want to limit myself and let someone knmopw I was not willing to do anmythinmg I was asked.
I have made plenty that I hated and regreted it....
if its just a general dislike I would do it but if you hate it then I wouldn't......
making cakes is for money and JOY and does not sound like you will be getting any joy out of this one... so either charge heaps for it and do it for the money only or tell the cust your schedule has just become full.
I understand how frustrating it is to make a cake you don't like, I just recently made a cake that I struggled with because it was so old fashioned.
However, the customer should be able to have what they want if they are paying for it, beauty is in the eye of the beholder, etc, etc. Look, we all have different ideas and tastes, but at the end of the day if a bride wants a pink cake with purple polka dots, and wants to pay me hundreds of dollars for it, I'm ok with that 
At my wedding, a friend of my MIL made the cake. I wanted to have a very modern cake, for 1994 anyway, I didn't want any piping on the cake,and I wanted really strong coloured flowers, to match my bridesmaids bouquets. The cake decorator flatly told me I was a silly little girl and that bright coloured flowers would look hideous and she wouldn't do it, I could have pastels. She also piped around the cake sides with royal icing. I went along with it because I wasn't paying for it and I was young and stupid.
I remember that experience and, even though I have my own ideas on what will look good in cake design, I try to make sure the customer has what they want, and not what I think they should have.
I have MANY cakes that are not in my portfolio, not every cake is worthy. But I'm not showing any to you guys either 
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Cheers,
Fran
well i can see both sides of the story. But personnaly I would probably do it b/c the customer usually knows what they want. If I didnt' care for the design then it wouldn't go into my portfolio. You also have to remember that if they are going to have decorations that go with the cake, then it won't look out of place, it will look like it was suppose to be there =)
I have done cakes that I thought were hideous, but I did as the customer asked. I either thought they were still hideous after they were made, or i liked the way it came together. But the customer was always happy.... except in one case.
This particular customer requested a 7" double layer white cake (yes I remember all the details even after a few year... it so sticks out in my head) They wanted lots of pink on it. Here are their details of the cake... and it was made to specifications.
1) white base-white shell border
2) 4 large pink roses around heart
3) heart in middle of cake
4) Happy birthday _______ (in the middle of heart)
5) Cornelli lace around outside of heart on the top of cake only.
6) Two tone pink ruffle swags on the side of cake
7) white shell border on top of ruffle swags
small pink rose on the border where the swags came up and touched
9) Background of top of cake sprayed a bright pink
She wanted the Bright pink and pastel pink no shades in between (she came in and picked out the colors)
I did suggest two tones closer to eachother and loose a few decorations, however it is what she wanted. I thought it was going to be ugly, and well it was ugly.
Customer had a friend pick up the cake. Got a call a couple of hours later from customer it was the ugliest cake she had ever seen!! well i had no doubt it was. But it was what she ordered. The bakery manager looked over her order and had seen the cake herself and told the customer we had made the cake to her specifications, but would be happy to correct the cake anyway we could. Customer hung up and we never heard from her again. Good Riddance!
So a long story short i guesss... Can you make a small practice cake for them to see? It might look good in the picture, but they might not like it in person. Also you may be able to suggest a few changes IF they seem they are open to it.
Hope this helps and let us know what happens.
Leily
I made a preview cake with a topper of the same coloured flowers that were on the rest of the cake to show the bride. You see she had her mothers topper from her wedding cake. Her answer to me was I like what you have done but I need to have my mothers topper. Even her mother thought what I had done was better than her old topper. Ok so we compromise change the bows on the old topper to make it look better. No difference.
After the bride had said she wanted the topper of her mother with the new bows on it, she asked me for what I had done as well, she didn't want to pay the extra for it. Answer No! I can use it for someone else. I still have it and even today it still looks better than what she had. This was the daughter of my eldest sisters friend.
Moral of the story I guess would be with some people it makes no difference and everyone has different ideas as to what looks good as Fran said.
The problem I'd have with doing a cake I truly thought was ugly is that so many wedding cake orders come from people who go to weddings. Young people all go to one another's wedding and talk about what this one did and that one. If the cake is really ugly, they're not even going to ASK who did the cake. And if they DO ask, they might shy away from even looking at your stuff, because you do ugly cakes! I'm not sure that's clear. But, anyway....if I was trying to build a business and not just doing one here and there for friends, I'd be concerned about putting something ugly "out there" for all the world to see (you never know who's going to come to that wedding!).
VAcakelady - beauty surely is in the eye of the beholder.... and is that a golden dog bowl in the background to the right of the cake?
As for making the cake I have to say I think you may well have a little lee-way in the design of the cake because in all sincerity you can say to the bride that you cannot reproduce that cake design exactly since you will be ripping off someone else's design, which as we all know is a big no-no. Just an idea.
even though it may bot be your taste,,i say if you can do it then go ahead and do it...everyone is going to always like something different. I say go for it....i agree with a post about putting the pic in the back of your portfolio if you really dont like it that much.
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