I have a bride who has no clue what so ever.
First of all, she inquired about the wedding cake a month ago, her wedding is in 2 1/2 weeks from now. She had no florist, no idea of the details at the facility, etc, etc. 190 people!
OK , It took forever for her to decide on the design but when it came to flavors....OMG!
After tasting the cake samples, she says she wants the top tier to be(I do 3 layers per tier) chocolate with orange creme filing, carmel with van custard filling, choc. with orange cream filling! So 3 cake layers with a filling in each...note...not between the 3 layers but like 3 layers, torted, sitting on top of each other.
The next tier she wants red velvet with cc filling, vanilla with custard and rv with cc...one tier, 2 flavors of cake, 3 fillings....
On and on for 4 tiers.
I even drew her a good diagram and showed her how the cake is 3 layers, 2 fillings...she still didn't get it. I then told her, like a 3 bread slice sandwich with 2 layers of meat...then I went online and got a picture of a 3 layer cake with the 2 fillings....DUH. Is it really that hard?

Then the combinations.....choc cake, orange cream, carmel cake, van custard and choc. cake in the same bite??? YUCK. Maybe I am missing something, DH says it may be like chewy choc. orange carmels. I am not a carmel fan so I don't know.
Then the 2 r.v cake tiers are going to be rv, choc, rv.

I finally got her to understand about the filling structure but she still wants those crazy flavor combos.

Sorry,I just had to vent, she is such a dingbat.

That cake sounds awful--sorry.

I'd just tell her that each TIER can only be one flavor of cake & one filling. If she didn't like it, she could go somewhere else.

I wouldn't put myself through all of that work only to provide a product that I'm not happy to have associated with my name.

I'd bet that one of the reasons she has so little done toward the wedding is because she's grossly indecisive...............

Just my honest .02
Rae

With 2 1/2 weeks to go, it's time to reign this woman in! That is just ridiculous and way too much time and effort for you! How about telling her that it's not the way you do your cakes and it may be unstable? That's a lot of filling for 4 tiers. If you do it, I hope you're charging for that monster.

eta" Wait, will there be filling in between the layers, as there normally would be?

It's a legitimate reason to charge her three times the price ... you have to mix up 3 different batters per tier, which is WAY more labor than making a white cake tier and a mocha cake tier, etc.

If you're going to order something stupid .. then you're going to pay for it one way or another.

And the other way she's gonna pay for it is when she has all that cake left over because her guests said "what the hell is this?"

Bet she doesn't have anywhere close to 190 people either.

No offense to you but what a horrid flavor combination! How old is this bride!!!!!!! Good grief!!! With 190 guests you'd think she'd have a clue as to the planning that goes into such an occasion. She may have been preoccupied with the other details and realized "OMG, we need a cake!"

I hope you can straighten her out. Even a game of Pictionary didn't seem to do the trick huh?

Good luck! She should just trust you! You're the professional!!!!


Amy

Indy~ You're funny!!!!

Boy, that Bride is as mixed up as her flavor combinations.

-Debbie B.

What awful flavor combos!!!! Geesh, most brides WANT their guests to enjoy their cake. This one doesn't sound like it so much. Definitely upcharge for the additional and completely unreal amount of cake flavor/filling combos. Bless your heart. I do believe that I'd be "booked" for this one, and unable to help her at all.

I agree with all the posts, either tell her you don't do that, or charge her out the wazoo. Maybe it'll make her whittle it down a bit. Reminds me of the twit I had that wanted "Funfetti" cake for her wedding despite my protests. Funfetti... If you look at my pictures, it's the Three-tiered one with all the intricate string work I had to redo over and over from the humidity. Cut it, and theres lovely little colored dots all through it....

Anyway, you could tell her that that combination of flavors has been known to cause seizures(from all the gagging) and you wouldn't want to put her guests at risk.

Well, one of my very favorite cakes is orange with chocolate fudge filling, kind of like the Toblerone orange.

But yeah, I don't get why she wants different cake flavors in one tier.

I've seen different fillings in one tier, so maybe that's where she got the idea? (A cake challenge on the Food Network).

What a pain in the tushie!

Were the baked beans prominantly displayed in the classic blue roaster pan? HAd a friend/cake decorator who did a wedding where the family placed this blue pan of baked beans on the same table with the cake, then in a Cousin Eddie voice (National Lampoon's "Christmas Vacation") said, "Don't that look (click with tongue) real ni-i-i-i-i-ce!"

OMG!!!!! <rolling
You'll never believe it, but there was a guy, total Eddie-style, that carried the beans to the table while I was there, all the while stating, "I better not mess up my $700 suit!!"(yes, he was dead serious) which consisted of a pair of blue polyester slacks and black jacket. Hey, at least he didn't ask to borrow money!

btw, you're killin me. My kids think I've lost it.

I agree, that all sounds gross. I've also mixed layers of cake and filling together, but not into that monstrocity : ). I wouldn't want my name attached to the cake either, think about how many potential customers you have at that wedding. They'll see a beautifully decorated cake and then when they eat it they'll think to themselves, gross. It seems like sometimes there's this stigma attached to cake that if it looks pretty, it can't taste good and people at the wedding may assume it's your lack as a baker not the choices of the bride.
actually, a thought just came to me... I read another post on here about something similar. The decorator didn't like the cake she posted but it was completely the bride's design, give the customer want they want, right? so I think she was hesitant to put her business cards out or something like that and someone suggested putting a little card near the cake, designed by "bride" or something to that effect, it makes the bride feel like she's being recognized for the creativity of the cake without holding the decorator responsible.
You can also tell her that you're not able to accomodate so many special requests for the entire cake but you'd be more than happy to do whatever they wish on the top tier since they usually take that home anyway.
Good Luck, I sure hope she changes her mind!

Sounds to ME like she couldn't make up her mind as to what flavor she liked, so she wants to throw them all in!

Weird kind of Neopolitan, though. That's too much going on at once! I wouldn't take even a small bite of that cake, and I'd definitely be thinking, "What was the bride THINKING, ordering this?" And, probably, "What was the baker thinking, allowing it? Maybe it's some kind of weird new Thing. I'll stick with the bakeries I know." So, yeah...you probably shouldn't do it, if you still have the choice to tell her no. (I mean. If there's been a contract signed...)

yeah i mean i mix and experiment. i mix chocolate with mocha, red velvet with chocolate, butter with mocha, french vanilla with coffee... normal flavors but this girl is either taste impared or retard-o!

Well if anything I hope you got the whole amount for the cake upfront. If she is just now getting around to doing the cake Lord only know's if she is going to be able to pay for it all. I wonder if she is having a "pitch-In" reception with all the guests bringing a covered dish

I would NOT bake all those different cakes and fillings. Give a choice for each tier...1 flavor cake/filling combo per tier...no more. If she doesn't like it...then " Hello...Walmart...can you bake a wedding cake for me. I need it for tomorrow..."

I'll add a little love for chocolate/orange combinations. I make a Gran Marnier cake that I either do as a cupcake dipped in dark chocolate ganache, or as a layered cake with ganache filling and chocolate buttercream - it's wonderful.

And realistically - yes, I'd charge her full cost for a batch of each type of cake, because what are you going to do with the leftovers? They'll chew your profit to pieces.

I do think that it's all indecisiveness - I have a relative like that. She's a wonderful person but she can't make any kind of decision on anything - new furniture, etc.

I'm the odd man out. I would kaching kaching like Indy said and I think the flavors would all work.

I mean orange and chocolate is a no brainer, caramel goes with that in a heartbeat.

Cream cheese chocolate and red velvet for sure.

But charge like crazy for that. She's essentially getting a flavor rich dobosch-ish tort.

I mean I've done strawberry and red velvet in the same tier--it's pretty! Pink red pink red.

tell her your concerns, give her what she wants, but charge what it costs you and then some. This should definitely be priced far above your normal per slice costs since the costs to make this will be much higher.

People like this need you to be more of an advisor, since you are the expert, and steer them from mistakes that can really affect the general outcome of their reception. You also need to be your own advocate and protect your reputation. People may think you're just there to churn out whatever monstrosity people come up with, but truly, as cake "experts", we are here to make sure people don't make mistakes in choosing flavor combos their guests will ridicule or spit out.

I'd definitely try to get her to either make the flavors of the same palette for each tier, or limit her to one per tier. Even if you charge her way more, the outcome may lose biz in the future.

i did a reception one time for a lady who went through cake decorating books and attempted to use EVERY single technique on the same cake. it was garish. i upped the price for each technique, she kept going.
i greatly discouraged it, she kept going. i did everything i could think of to try and gear her to 'less is more.' but she wouldn't bite.

the sad thing was that i was placed with her through a caterer.....so HE thought it was my idea! i had one shot to make an impression with him and she blew it for me! i regret NOT standing up to her....i pocketed great money, but at what cost?

all i can say is that i was younger and less wise....less assertive. i learned lots from that one experience,so it wasn't a complete wash....

DO NOT put your name on a cake that you can't stand behind! explain to her that you can't afford to ruin your reputation like that....maybe that will clue her in to the fact that her combination is downright zany!
sally

The only thing I think is odd is the caramel but even that sounds yummy. Like seriously, who ever gets a forkful of all the cake layers and frosting together anyway? I never do.

I've seen plenty of fancy cakes with multi-cake layers (all different). And I don't get what's wrong with Funfetti cake? If that's the bride's favorite cake, then why shouldn't she have it?

Sometimes I think we get so caught up in that weddings have to be this super formal thing that we forget that weddings are truly about the couple's personality.

Furthermore, what's wrong with baked beans at a wedding? I'd rather have hamburgers and hot dogs than some fancy catered chicken that I don't like. But then again, that's the kind of person I am. Down to earth and simple.

yuck don't think I'd like to a person that gets a slice of that flavor combo.

Good luck and I agree she would have to pay extra for all that extra work.

Double yuck! I would agree with some of the other posts: limit her to only 1 or two flavors per tier...and charge her extra!

And make sure you get your money up front!! Sometimes these clueless brides can be just as clueless about paying their vendors on time!

Check out artisan chocolatiers if you wanna hear some really strange flavors that totally rock!! I mean stuff you can't hardly pronounce y'know? But is magic in your mouth.

Stop in Godiva's or Fanny Mae's. Those flavor combos are common.

Okay..... time to step back.......I don't think this gal has ANY idea what she is talking about...... You could just chuckle in your "MOM" voice,and say, "Oh honey, do you have any idea what a cake like you are talking about would cost ?! And proceed to tell her...... THEN tell her ......THIS is what we can do.....ans THIS is how we can do it.....it is time for you to do your PROFESSIONAL job, ........give her three diffenent flavor combos, and that is that ! Put it into a contract, so she can see it in writing, have her sign it...... if she does not, then you must send her on her way..... remember it is YOUR reputation you are dealing with.....