So I'm making a baby shower cake for a friend. Her mom made the icing (b/c she claims she makes the best icing and calls herself the "icing queen". I just got it out of the fridge so it could soften up, and tried a little taste. Let's just say....it's not good. It has a weird taste, not even the crisco taste like a lot of icing has. So what do you think I should do? I'm hoping to get some business at this baby shower, but if the icing is nasty, no one is going to want me to do their cake!

Sorry I forgot to add it taste like butter!

Every one's tastes are different.
I would NEVER agree to putting someone else's icing on MY cake! NOR ice/decorate their cake OR .......well you get the idea.

You want to create a business then you have to make everything!
But since you agreed to it use the icing and pray That taste is what they are used to. It may not be what YOU like, but if that's what they want so be it. (Sounds like SMBC or IMBC.)

Well, do you know if this is the icing your friend loves? If it is, I guess you could use it just maybe make a point to say you weren't the one to make the icing. You could even say, "Well, I can't take all the credit for this cake (Friend's mom's name) made the icing." Surely, that won't hurt anyone's feelings. If the icing is that bad and hard to work with though you could just use your own and tell her the icing wouldn't hold up for the decorations you intended to use or something along those lines...

Sorry you're having to deal with this and good luck!!!

Thanks for the advice. I think my best bet is doing what kilikina said....make sure everyone knows it was Katies fault, lol jk. I am defintely going to start making my own icing and doing trial and error to find what I like the best. Even my sister thought this icing was nasty, and mine and her opinions in icing taste is very different. I like the sweet stuff, she likes the more crisco tasting stuff. My mom, dad, sister and myself have all tried it and everyone makes a bad face and says.....gross. I guess I will just have to go with the flow.

But, is there anything you can add to icing that taste too butery to make it better?

vanilla

Yes, flavoring like K8 said - lots of it Probably up to a tablespoon.

It sounds like it's a meringue buttercream. Those taste more buttery than the stuff a lot of us are used to. Her family probably loves it. It may be harder for you to smooth if you don't usually use that kind.

You could use it for filling and then use your regular buttercream on the outside.

Ask her what kind of icing it is! If it's IMBC or SMBC, add some vanilla like Kate said and maybe even some melted and cooled white chocolate.

Also, if it is IMBC or SMBC you are going to have to re-whip it. It won't work just by letting it soften up. You should really ask her what it is.

Start working on what you are going to say to let everyone know..its not your icing!

Just tell'em you dropped it! OOOOOOOOOOOPPPPPPPPPSSSSSYYYYY

Just a different perspective...

For the future, you might want to implement a policy whereby you provide the total cake package, i.e., cake and frosting decorated to order.

That being said, you did agree to use the customer's frosting. The fact that you don't like the frosting is irrelevant, it's obviously just the way the customer wants it.

I wouldn't add anything to the frosting because if you flavor it to your tastes, the customer might hate it - and then you'd be in the uncomfortable position of having to admit you altered/ruined it....

And if the customer doesn't get what she asked & paid for - then some amount of refund will be in order.

I'd advise that you make the cake with the frosting provided, as agreed upon. Then share that the completed cake was a joint effort, with the frosting supplied by the customer.

After all, it's not necessary that you be happy with the frosting - only that the customer likes it. (And she must since she insisted on making it for this special cake).

HTH

I am in total agreement with JanH on this one. Just because you find the frosting "disgusting" doesn't mean that everyone will. It does sound like IMBC or SMBC, which I happen to find delicious whilst I dislike the American style buttercreams.

Also, remember if it's SMBC or something similar, it will taste different (much better) at room temp. so ensure that it's not served cold.