First a hug for you. I was heartsick for you and know that I don't think I could have recovered so quickly with that size cake! LOL You did an amazing job redoing her cake. Your email to her was gracious and just right...not groveling but contrite...just right.

She probably isn't happy but that doesn't mean she is upset with you personally. Yes, it is an upsetting thing but most people realize accidents can happen to ANYONE ANYTIME ANYWHERE. You recovered nicely and even though there was an accident, she still had cake and cake that was so similar to the other that I am sure she would have NEVER known had you not told her so or the flavor had not been different!

Don't be so hard on yourself now. I know your upset but you handled as well as anyone anywhere could have.

I think that you should invest in a Stress Free system. I love mine. I don't worry about my cakes falling or leaning but I RARELY carry a 4 tier cake stacked either. I am a clutz so I am too scared to carry them that way. Hugs to you and I hope you find peace about this soon!

I haven't read all the replies... but I commend you on the repair job, and providing her a beautiful wedding cake! I had the same thing happen to me, and after I saw the picture of the cake after it collapsed, I knew why.... You cannot (or I should say, "do not") use those skinny wooden dowels on a large/stacked cake, that you are transporting - especially if the cake is very moist, as you mentioned it was (carrot cake, definately!). It's not that your cake slid in your car, it's that the supports gave out (they shifted in the cake), which caused the cake to fall. The same thing happened to me - once. Never again though. I use Stress Free Supports which I absolutely love. Check into alternate methods, and I would almost guarantee you won't have this happen again. Worse case, even the plastic Wilton dowels (much wider than the wood) work great too. Don't skimp on the most important part of your cake - it's simply not worth it!

Don't be too hard on yourself - it was a really pretty cake! I bet her guests didn't know the difference!

You did an absolutely beautiful job and wonderful recovery. I don't know how you did it in four hours! The cake was stunning!

[quote="cakesbyallison"] You cannot (or I should say, "do not") use those skinny wooden dowels on a large/stacked cake, that you are transporting - especially if the cake is very moist, as you mentioned it was (carrot cake, definately!).

i've been using the 4" pre cut SPS plastic dowels (not wooden ones), and the bamboo skewers on every tiered cake (and i do a lot) and they've never failed before. I've transported all my cakes, 4 adn 5 tiers completely assembled using that method and haven't had a problem.

Thats what i meant by slid. i didn't mean that the cake base slid in the car, that the top tiers slid off the bottom one.

I don't use the SPS plates system because i've had bad experiences with it in the past, and now i don't trust it. i started using the combined methods and its been working great.

i responded to her last email, letting her know she can bring my stand by next week, and again apologizing. she said this:

"Accidents happen! No worries, it wasn't the worst thing that happened yesterday trust me on this... Ill get it back to you next tuesday. See you then"

so i feel much better that she isn't angry. though now i feel bad for her that her cake falling over wasn't the worst thing that happened on her wedding day

I am the odd man out here. I keep trying to see why people think we should refund. I'm really thinking hard here. She got her tier cake. She got her servings. She got her flavors. Not as originally intended for sure but in a valiant additional effort that should be applauded and if anything given an extra big tip for going the extra ten miles.

Once again good thing I run a bookstore huh.

But I mean I've been in food service for decades. I'm not feeling the refund here. The bride got way more than she paid for. Way more.

Was it late?

Oh and what are those long whonking bamboo skewers about?

I don't understand the long bamboo skewers either. I'm wondering how they were possibly in the bottom tier if there was a board under the upper tiers? I'm seriously not trying to be cocky-I'm just wondering for myself how this cake was assembled...please help me understand.

i also feel you jumped the gun on the refund. she got the flavors she wanted as well as additional cake. sure she is not upset se got a 500.00 wedding cake for around 150 bucks. i think you should have waited to hear from her in response to your reply and ee what she was expecting. maybe 150.00 if that much or 10% off future orders. she still got a beautiful cake .

I think you refund offer was more than generous. Maybe instead of offering the refund, you could have explained, and then asked what you could do to make it right. Maybe she would have asked for less of a refund (when we bought a freezer, there was a dent in it in the back, so I called sears to complain, and the guy I spoke to asked me how much I wanted back, and I said a hundred and he said I'm sending you the cheque). Since you brought the damaged but edible tiers, and since the repair job was just great, and if the bride wasn't cutting the cake herself, she might not have known anything was amiss except for the late delivery!

I would like to know how on earth you BAKED cakes and then iced them within 4 hours? I always thought you couldn't ice a cake unless it was totally cooled off. What a miracle worker!

You are truly a master at what you do((bowing down)) In 4 hours you baked and decorated Be proud i think she will be understanding. Unless she is some kinda bridzilla LOL dont hurt your head, you deliverd her cake! And don't you even think about FULL REFUND missy!! You did that cake TWICE.

It's a great cake, both times you made it! I'm not a professional caker, but as a previous bride, I feel that $335 is more than enough refund. And since you mentioned that they did get some carrot cake, I would have been happy with half of that refund.

Really, the cake looks the same. You did an excellent save, be proud of yourself!

I'm very curious what the final outcome will be. Will the bride be happy with the refund and a free or discounted anniversary or new baby cake? Or maybe just a 10% discount for her next cake order whatever it might be.

Please let us know how it winds up. I agree with the folks here, amazing recovery. But like most crafty, artist types, I'm sure you saw every flaw. The rest of us just see the beautiful end result.

Wow! When I saw the pictures I felt so bad for you but I agree the finished redo looks really good! I would hope the bride would realize you have a great deal of integrity to put forth such amazing effort to have a cake for her after what happened.

You did an amazing recovery! You are being very generous with your refund amount. If the bride is not appeased after all you have done for her, nothing will appease her.
Now I'm curious to hear what the WORST thing was on her wedding day...inquiring minds and all... LOL

oh, i didn't realize people were still following this thread! this is the outcome:

i met with her after she got back from her honeymoon (she was bringing back my silver stand) and she was so sweet! i again offered her the refund, and she told me not to worry about it. she said that the wedding coordinator was the one she was angry with adn that it was the coordinator she wanted a refund from. apparently the coordinator really screwed up. she cancelled a four hour meeting right before the wedding where they were supposed to go over everything, and it was never re scheduled. she didn't make sure that chairs were brought inside and it rained, so they spent the afternoon wiping water off the chairs. she caused them to be late to the rehearsal dinner, and she didn't cue the men to go out at the ceremony, so the bride was walking down the aisle with no groom waiting for her!!

i still feel bad that it happened, but happy that the bride wasn't upset.

That poor bride! Sounds like that coordinator better watch out! I would be upset too!

So glad that it worked out for you with the cake! That was very kind of her to be understanding!

I didn't post earlier but great recovery! Cake was beautiful!

and you'd never know there were any problems. It's amazing how you re-baked the bottom two tiers and decorated them in that short of time. I had a cake start to slide once years ago....a three tiered and had to go up this hilly driveway full of pot holes on a warm day. The cake was leaning a little by the time it reached the table so had to prop it up on one side and it survived. Ever since that day, I decided to never transport my cakes already stacked together. I assemble them at the venue and then finish up on the border work or whatever. Much safer that way. I'm glad the bride was so sweet about it.

Yikes! Sounds like this bride had the coordinator from hades!
Glad she was so sweet to you, you totally deserved it!

Great save on the redo!!

I'm glad everything worked out for you with the bride and I would definitely offer her something for a future cake (ie anniversary) as she was so understanding about the accident, plus this might make her feel a little better after the fiasco with the coordinator!

Kuddos to you on the save