Feeling Really Stupid And Desperate, Pls Help (Kind Long)
Decorating By karateka Updated 17 Sep 2006 , 1:52am by mkerton
I was feeling really proud of myself until 10min ago. I got the 14in dummy and 6in dummy for my replica wedding cake due Saturday all iced and bordered. I was thinking "Wow, I'm ahead of the game".
Then my DH said "Is that the color she wanted?". I just sat there. I mean, I had yellowish buttercream that I had added violet to to whiten up. It's ivory, but I figured that no buttercream is really white white, unless you use all crisco, which I didn't want to do on the real cakes, for taste reasons, so I didn't do it on the dummies either.
This girl hired me to replicate her mom's wedding cake from 25 yrs ago. I have a copy of a photo. The cake looks white. But it's hard to tell for absolute certainty, since the picture is a little whited out (too much flash?). The pic isn't that great, I can't even tell what kind of border it is on there, and what type of flowers, though they look like roses. The client didn't know, either.
Now I'm freaking out. Do I remake the whole batch of icing with only crisco (white crisco, not butter flavor) so it's as white as possible? I'm using white plates and pillars that are just like the ones used in the photo. I even bought pillars that were discontinued on ebay! I really want this to go well, but now I'm freaking out, somebody out there please help me calm down!! What do I do??? I've already called this girl today to ask where her check is, so I'm afraid to call her again to ask about the frosting.
it seems she's not really sure either. I think it will only eat at you if you keep thinking about it. If you do over you'll hate it but feel better in the end for feeling you did the right thing. If you think it's ok and can move on go for it. Good luck let us know what you decide. 
I would leave the dummies alone and present the cake as is, but make a batch of all-Crisco buttercream and bring it along with you. Let her look at the ivory cake, then taste the all-Crisco buttercream, and have her decide on whether appearance or taste is more important. My guess is that she won't mind the ivory tint because it'll taste so much better.
I agree with fuzzy - don't redo the cakes, but do make a batch of the all white Crisco icing and take it with. When it comes right down to it, I bet they don't notice or say anything. I'm sure it's just fine!! Tell your Husband to stay out of the kitchen! LOL 
I've done a few "replica" cakes for 25th and 50th anniversaries...all three of them requested an ivory or off-white icing, unlike the originals which were white.
Personally, I wouldn't mix a separate batch of all-Crisco icing. It sounds like you are getting things ready for the actual delivery and not a tasting, so I would definitely not take a sample of white-white icing. That would make you look like you are unsure of yourself and not sure how your end product will be received. That may leave you open for complaints, etc.
You did your best to replicate the cake from the older photo and you should be proud of and confident with the work you have put into it. The couple celebrating their anniversary will love their cake, and be touched that you put so much effort into creating a special memory for them.
Smile, breathe, de-stress!
Tina
Phew. Thanks everyone. I think I will just leave it. I might do it over if the girl had given me any indication that she knew any more about the cake than the rather poor picture she has of it. She didn't know flavors, what flowers those were, anything. So she can hardly be that picky, right?
What really makes this even more stressful is that she kinda called and popped by within the timespan of about 1 hour....so I was cleaning like a crazy person and forgot totally about preparing a worksheet and contract. I guess I'm afraid since nothing is in writing about how the cake should appear (other than "faithful if not exact rendition of the cake your mom had") that will give her or her parents leeway to gripe.
My DH reminded me that I'm doing all this for $120 when other local bakers gave her a price of $600 and she specifically went hunting up people who bake from home. So one would think she'd be ok, right?
I don't know what I'd do without you guys. How in the world did I ever bake before I found this site? 
Thanks so much for pulling me off the ledge!
I agree...bringing the extra icing will make you seem uncertain...and unprofessional. I LOVE the "antique" idea....and, although it probably won't happen, if they mention the color of the cake not being bright white.....say that you only use real butter which always gives the cream-color.
Yea I wouldn't worry about it. IF you are asked about it just confidentally tell her that you use a buttercream that has real butter in it and that you whiten it some but that is the color it comes out. I doubt they will say anything but if they do then your tone of voice will make them feel ok.
Ok, update.
I had to call the girl anyway last night since she didn't bring the check like she promised. So I mentioned the frosting. She was ok with the cream color. Now this morning she calls and wants white. She did say if I've already started it's ok, since I did ask her first but she and her brother think it should be white.
How am I ever going to get ahead in this business if I keep having to do everything twice??? Am I hopeless, or does everyone go through this?
Once I got clearance from her, I even dyed frosting and started putting rosebuds on the top dummy tier. Her brother is bringing the check over, and she's going to ask him to look at the cake. But I know what he's going to say. Sigh...gonna be up all night. I have a tasting this afternoon, drums/piano and religion for the kids tonight. Wanna shoot myself.
that stinks....and here you try and do the right thing by asking and then they keep changing their minds...who knows if they would have even noticed the slightly off-white color before.... is the icing too cream to add a tiny bit of violet to (to whiten it up) I hate that you would have to make all new b/c in addition to redoing all the work you have already done.
Yep, it's fairly cream....and to me next to the stark white plastic plates looks even darker.....
I guess I could use the rest of it on the birthday cake I have due, but all that time spent icing and smoothing is totally wasted. I sure wish I didn't have to work Friday.
i wouldnt have mentioned a thing about the colour...and personally, i would stop working on the cake until the cheque clears or u have cash in your hands...
good luck, and let us know how it all turns out....I have (and will in the foreseeable future) only do cakes for family and friends....so they get what I want to play around with! My husband thinks I need to try and sell cakes, but I am just not ready (nor talented enough) to do that....and with all the stories I hear about on here...it just sounds like too much stress!
Try not to stress out until he comes by and gives his verdict. You never know, it might turn out ok for you and then you would have stressed for nothing. Also, she did say if you'd already started you were not to worry, so there! It's all done now, so I would give it to them that way... with the loveliest smile you have...
Well if they want all white and you do it with all Crisco just be sure to add some butter flavor in it so it will taste better.
I've never heard of putting violet in to make it more white. I will have to try that. I have used the Wilton whitener to tone down colors.
Hope all turns out well for you and you don't have to redo the cake. I wouldn't put the pillers on until after the ok is given with the icing color.
Be sure to post a picture for us.
Joanne
I'm confused - this is just a dummy cake? Then why not do the All-Crisco icing? If no one's going to be eating it anyway....... just tell them that you used a different type of icing then you would normally for cakes that are to be eaten b/c you wanted it to be very white...
How in the world does violet make buttercream whiter?? I've always used that whitening stuff from Wilton and I think it works okay but violet? huh??? Wouldn't you add that to make purple icing???? I mean we're not talking about mixing light here - we're talking about icing..... so I don't get it!
just a tiny dab of violet makes buttercream whiter (if you are using a butter buttercream)....only a tiny bit...you would be really surprised...its cool.
Edited to say, I learned it here on another thread....tried it and was so impressed....must say though a little is all you need...the time I forgot I didnt do a double batch I had pale violet (good thing I was just doing a practice cake so it didnt matter)...........
It's a 4 tier cake, and 2 of the tiers are dummies. I wanted to use crisco on the dummies since it's cheaper than butter, but they have to match the frosting on the real cakes in color. So, gotta use butter. And I'm getting madder by the minute, she called at 10:20 and it's 12:20 and he's still not here. I've got a tasting at 3pm, and I need to wash my hair and change, but I can't be in the shower when he rings the bell....
I could be charging her about twice what I am since I'm decorating dummies, but I didn't because she's a college student, and doing this as a surprise for her parents. I must be a real twit.
My head is KILLING me. Where's the Advil?
Jelligirl....don't know about that with mmf. Because all of the ingredients are white anyway. But you could test it on a small batch. Let us know what you find out.
YAY!!! Donovan (client's brother) just left. He thinks the color is fine. So I don't have to do it over!!
Somebody up there is looking after me, and Thank You to Him and all of you great people!!
I'll post a pic of the bloody thing when it's done.
I think that they shouldn't even say anything. Because it's too late for that work to be done all over again. I think that they should be happy and deal with it! Don't worry about it. It will turn out great. 
. I bet they'll even like it after they see it.
Good Luck *******DALLAS4
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