I would offer a refund for the cupcakes. If they did not eat the cake they truly cannot attest to the quality of it so no refund for the cake. I cannot figure out why she took the cake home with her or why they did not sample it.

I just don't understand things like this...and why is SHE asking for a refund? I never know where people's heads are at, or what their intentions are in these situations.

Sometimes I think friends and family have nothing else to do than to stir up drama. Perhaps one of them started talking about the cake and put it in her head to call you.

If she brings the cake to you untouched then give her a refund. I doubt she is willing to do that. Anyone with a real problem would have kept proof.

One Member mentioned that you were the Christian that took the high road. I can't help myself but to say what in the blue blazes does being a Christian have to do with any of this. Non-Christians also take the high road.

First of all, PLEASE put aside Religion.. This is not a Religious issue, so those "Religion" people, don;t even think !!! GO AWAY and get lost ! Jesus died for us and not CUPCAKES !!

No retail store these days would even give refunds w/out a receipt and tags intact.. I think before you even start thinking of refund,, you need to see if her claim is true.. Talk to those people who were at the party and asked them how the cupcakes were.. Taste and look.. You are not a stupid baker that you would sell something burnt.. but that is what she is trying to say to get money back and to get a free cupcakes.. what a liar and a sucker !!

How is the person who never spent a dime asking for money?

She was not the client, she was just invited to the party. That's like me sending you an email or calling asking you for a refund for the cake. And I'm in Ohio.

C'mon now.

Don't talk to her anymore, she's just a pest who needs some gas money.

Two things...It IS possible to scorch cupcakes and not realize it, so they might have been burnt on the bottoms but not on the tops. That's why I don't do cupcakes. I wouldn't think that it would be possible to burn them so much that people thought they were chocolate and not realize it, though.

Having said that, the woman is definitely "an irritant," shall we say. If she wasn't the one who paid for the cake then she shouldn't be involved in this at all. Call the purchaser and ask if they had trouble because you're getting bad reports from someone who was at the party (no need to say who was doing the reporting.) If they say that everything was fine then you have nothing else to worry about. If the pest keeps emailing you tell her that you spoke to the purchaser, the situation has been addressed, and that she doesn't need to worry about it anymore.

I wouldn't talk to anyone who hadn't actually placed the order with you and if you do refund it should be a check sent to the person who wrote the check.

The OP never even said that she's a Christian, the only hint there is would be the comment about her grandma hearing about a problem at church. Having a grandma who's Christian doesn't automatically make you one though. In light of that a comment assuming that the OP is Christian shouldn't be made.

The whole implication that Non-Christians are immoral and DON'T take the high ground is generally offensive to all of us who don't practice that religion.

Okay, maybe I wasn't clear. The person who contacted me is the mother of the little girl and she placed the order. However, she did not pay for it.

Back to the cupcakes....

I think that you would have known if the cupcakes were so drastically overbaked. Did you try a new recipe or was it one you usually use?

I'm sorry this happened to you. In the future, I'm going to bake an extra cupcake and examine/taste it before I give them to anyone. At least with a cake you can see what's going on inside when you torte or level it.

To say they mistook it for chocolate is just absurd, though. And I agree, who travels with a cake they never intend to eat? I think you should check with another party guest and see what the real story is.

Good luck.

Do you have the contact information for the people who paid for it? I'd still ask them about it and see if they think they'd like something refunded. You've already received the feedback from the wench (uh, I mean the customer) so her position is clear. Ask the person who paid if they'd like any money back, and if they say they don't then you're fine. If they say that they would, then you have to figure that out then. It's better to be proactive in a situation like this and not wait around until they call you. Take care of it now and then you can stop worrying about it.

Well, I should think that if white cupcakes were burned, you would have certainly known about it during the decorating process. I could understand if chocolate was burned because it's already dark. But white? Unless you used those thick gold / silver cupcake wraps, you'd be able to see if it was junk.
As to the cake, any parent dealing with any number of kids at a party is going to jump right in to cutting that bad boy up if the cupcakes cannot be used. That's always my goal - feed the kids and put them back out on the bouncy things until their parents return. No way. Story has way too many flaws.
If you're close at all to the bride for this other order, I'd go ahead and let her know there may be an issue so that she will not listen to whatever pea soup this woman is bound to spew.

Oh if I refund anything it will definitely be to the person that paid.

And projectqueen, I always make at least an extra dozen just in case any of them are too brown around the edges or anything. And I would've smelled them had they been that brown. It was the same recipe I always use for yellow cupcakes. And it's mighty funny that I had another order for someone who said they went so fast she didn't even get one!

She probably took the cake with her so that she could eat it on the ride home and now she wants money to pay for having the dried buttercream cleaned off her front seat! This lady, and her story, are just too out there. I wouldn't give her a dime, or any more of your time. Just deal with the person who signed the check, not Miss Looneytunes.

I wouldn't be discussing a refund with this woman if she did not pay for the cake. I would contact the person who wrote you the check and ask how things went, and if they were in fact the person who actually paid for the cake. Sometimes money flows privately back and forth between family members. If they were happy and had actually paid for it, it should be the end of the story, and I would let the woman know this. If they were not happy, then you can apologize and begin refund negotiations with the real payer of the cake.

It could be this woman is the family manipulator. She not only gets the party desserts paid for by someone else, gets to keep the free cake, and then makes some money off the refund to boot. This may be a way of life for her. Who knows!
I would treat her with kindness, and be polite, but not allow her to dictate your actions. You will know what is right and fair after you talk with the writer of the check.

If you leveled the top of the cake, you actually were able to see whether that cake was properly cooked, and whether it was moist. Based on this and any torting you may have done, you could honestly let her know that your cakes are tested for moistness and "doneness" before they are frosted. If that cake was just right for you, then it should have been just right for her.

Oh yes m'am, I know absolutely there was nothing wrong with the cake. Her story is that the cupcakes were so bad that they didn't cut the cake at the party. Says her husband didn't cut it until much later that night. She didn't allude to anything being wrong with it.

I'm with Deb, I just think she's one of those people who likes to manipulate situations to her advantage.

I believe that you said that you deal with the Mother-in-law quite frequently and that the check came from the Father-in-law. Assuming that this means they are husband and wife, perhaps give them a call to check up on "quality-control". I wouldn't get into all that has gone on with this woman with them just in case it gets back to her, but perhaps explain to them that you've recently decided to call to evaluate the satisfaction of customers. Of course then you might need to call sometimes after they order just to follow through, but that seems far less of an inconvenience than refunding or continuing to deal with this other woman. Good luck!

ok first of all she is looney. I've scorched cupcakes before just a little and they still dont taste bad. Especially with the frosting and kids will eat anything sweet. Tell her no under no circumstances will you refund her money that she never paid in the first place. I would actually tell the family that she was very unhappy with the product and I was calling to see if they wanted a refund. This way she would be embarrased and wouldnt try that one again. Tell her to kiss your CAKE!

First of all, a burned cake does not taste like chocolate. She's nuts and a liar to boot.

I'm curious to know if you've heard from her again. I agree with most: NO refunds! Maybe you should inform her that you always bake a few extra cupcakes so that you can taste them and make sure they're good. That should be a subtle hint, to her, that you know she's a liar.

Oh amia, I told her that from the beginning. That I always make extra to swap out any that I think aren't up to par. She's been talking to the bride, we're going to be in a wedding together, and my friend says that she's just one of those people who likes drama. She just wants to get on my nerves because I'm planning our friend's wedding and not her. I am not a drama queen! That's the only reason I've been nice to her from the beginning, because we have to deal with each other for this wedding.

Well you're a much nicer person than I am! Don't let her get you down anymore.

I would think you could tell by the smell that the cupcakes are over cooked.