Help...so Frustrated....ugly Grad Cake
Decorating By jewels710 Updated 9 Jun 2010 , 3:17pm by jewels710
Making a red Velvet/Cream Cheese sheet cake for a grad.
No Prob...until we get to their requests:
Cake frosted white. Ok.
White Grad Cap. Plain (a lot of white), but ok.
Daughter's name, class of 2010, congrats, good luck...ok.
Half HS colors: Green, White, Silver along with mascot.
Other half, college colors: Maize & Blue with big "M"
UGLY UGLY UGLY
These colors DO NOT go together.
I have seen the cakes where the two sides are decorated with the boarders that meet half way to the middle....its alright, not knocking what others have done, but I do not want to do this. With the colors not meshing well together I am afraid it will clash big time.
I want to present a nice cake. Not one I wouldn't want to pay for.
HELP...any other ideas???
for things like this, it helps to sketch it out and present it to the customer - to make sure it's really what they want. if it's what they customer wants, then great. if not, then you can help them get where they want to be.
one thing that was difficult for me, was to detach myself from the way I would do it - and just do it the way I've been paid to...for example there is a black wedding cake in my pics...no filling...just wow....but hey that's what they wanted!
I agree with crystalina. Once you're sre thats what they want it's "the customers always right". I work in a restarant and you would be suprised some of the disgusting menu modifications people come up with. It's their dime though and its my job to give them what they want.
I just did a cake with a similar problem. What about doing something like a blanket out of fondant in the college colors, draped over one side...
I know they want a sheet cake but anything you can do to "break" the continuity on purpose will help. Since the colors won't go together, I would make a conscious effort to separate them in the design. Definately run it by the customer though. Sometimes they have their own vision...ugly or otherwise
How about 2, but each one, a smaller cake?
I was just coming to post this. I find that often people don't think "beyond the sheetcake." Two cakes are essentially just a couple of extra sides to decorate. I'd much rather make 2 cakes than one sheetcake. It just looks more impressive to me.
oh I feel your pain !! I did a grad cake over the weekend. and it was so fricken ugly that I didnt even take a pic of it for my own album. No way was it making it into my photos here either. shivveerrr....dang it was ugly. but the grad and family loved it. and that is what matters.
I have done cakes that will never be shown in the light of day !! hhehehehe.. had a wedding cake that looked like some one shot barney. purple on purple on fushia. uggghhh.. it was so ugly and gross but bride loved it. 
chin up, and give them what they want. despite how bad it goes against your gut instinct. 
I don't think two sheet cakes since its for one person...she wants high school and then college...I get it...
Let's see....
******
Cake frosted white. Ok.
White Grad Cap. Plain (a lot of white), but ok.
Daughter's name, class of 2010, congrats, good luck...ok.
Half HS colors: Green, White, Silver along with mascot.
Other half, college colors: Maize & Blue with big "M"
**********
Okay icing the cake white is good, and white grad cap...maybe smack dab in the middle of the cake.
The messages in the center above/below the cap.....
Here's what I would do, or similar:
Borders done in white....
Top left corner a cluster of white/silvery roses with green leaves and mascot tucked in there somehow (chocolate transfer?)...make flowers trail down lefthand side.
Bottom right corner some maize colored roses arranged with some darker green leaves and some scattered blue flowers...maybe do the "M" in chocolate so you can just tuck that into the flowers...make the flowers trail up the right hand side of the cake.
If desired, pipe a second, small beaded border inside the first fluffy white border...maybe the one side in green, and the other side in blue.
The white cap separates the two schools, as does the message (maybe do the message in black so it stays neutral). The white border keeps the cake from clashing strongly. Then if opposite corners of the cake are themed, and your secondary borders are done in green and blue, then no colors that clash are actually side by side on the cake.
Hope that makes sense....?
All of the colors are white, blue, green, maize, silver. White is your base color. You can use blue and green (which can look very nice together) as the main colors, say on the border. Then silver and the maize for accent colors. It's shouldn't look as horrid as you are imagining. As crystalina1977 mentioned, make a sketch and color it.
Can you make it more whimsical, maybe with some things (stars?) coming out on wires? Or maybe swirls, stripes, or dots in the colors.
You could have the graduation hat on a draping of the current school colors. How about the tassle being the school colors. Dragees can be used for the silver. The name/message can be on a diploma.
Here are some images from the gallery for some inspiration.
http://www.cakecentral.com/modules.php?name=gallery&file=displayimage&pid=359453
http://www.cakecentral.com/modules.php?name=gallery&file=displayimage&pid=636173
http://www.cakecentral.com/modules.php?name=gallery&file=displayimage&pid=635993
http://www.cakecentral.com/modules.php?name=gallery&file=displayimage&pid=42693
http://www.cakecentral.com/modules.php?name=gallery&file=displayimage&pid=1228181
http://www.cakecentral.com/modules.php?name=gallery&file=displayimage&pid=1290997
http://www.cakecentral.com/modules.php?name=gallery&file=displayimage&pid=1180167
http://www.cakecentral.com/modules.php?name=gallery&file=displayimage&pid=1228170
http://www.cakecentral.com/modules.php?name=gallery&file=displayimage&pid=426373
http://www.cakecentral.com/modules.php?name=gallery&file=displayimage&pid=231183
http://cakecentral.com/modules.php?name=gallery&file=displayimage&pid=1371535
I don't think two sheet cakes since its for one person...she wants high school and then college...I get it...
Let's see....
******
Cake frosted white. Ok.
White Grad Cap. Plain (a lot of white), but ok.
Daughter's name, class of 2010, congrats, good luck...ok.
Half HS colors: Green, White, Silver along with mascot.
Other half, college colors: Maize & Blue with big "M"
**********
Okay icing the cake white is good, and white grad cap...maybe smack dab in the middle of the cake.
The messages in the center above/below the cap.....
Here's what I would do, or similar:
Borders done in white....
Top left corner a cluster of white/silvery roses with green leaves and mascot tucked in there somehow (chocolate transfer?)...make flowers trail down lefthand side.
Bottom right corner some maize colored roses arranged with some darker green leaves and some scattered blue flowers...maybe do the "M" in chocolate so you can just tuck that into the flowers...make the flowers trail up the right hand side of the cake.
If desired, pipe a second, small beaded border inside the first fluffy white border...maybe the one side in green, and the other side in blue.
The white cap separates the two schools, as does the message (maybe do the message in black so it stays neutral). The white border keeps the cake from clashing strongly. Then if opposite corners of the cake are themed, and your secondary borders are done in green and blue, then no colors that clash are actually side by side on the cake.
Hope that makes sense....?
I think that sounds like a great idea!! The colors can still all be on the cake without clashing and the roses will make the cake very pretty and girly.
Thanks for the wonderful ideas everyone.
I actually sketched a cake up last night that has the cap in the center and all white boarders.
I had the school mascots at top corners, however, I like the idea of opposite corners.
I will have to sketch that one up and see how I like that too.
I better figure it out as I have to make it tomorrow! LOL
Nothing like waiting til the last minute.
I'll post a pic when I decide and finish it!
Thanks everyone!
If you are looking for opinions, I think Kitagirl's idea is right on the mark.
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