Taste is so subjective too. I was at a wedding a couple of years ago, where I threw away my piece of cake, I thought it tasted terrible. It was a white buttermilk cake, made from scratch from a famous bakery in town. It tasted so dry, it was so different than cake mix cakes. I heard from the mother of the bride, about how good the cake was, so I could see right there, that everyone has different tastes.
I think he showed his true hand when he said how horrible and inedible the cake was. No one could eat it - they only wanted one bite. He was embarressed to serve it. Oh, puh-leese! If it was that bad, you would have known when you tasted the crumbs. I think he was trying to make the picture so horrible, you would quickly cave and refund money. If it was so horrible, the other cake from the same batter wouldn't have received good reviews.
They can't pull this stuff on the caterer because the caterer is there when the food is eaten.
So true! My staff was trained to watch the plates that came back to the kitchen because during EVERY catering, I'd walk in and ask "What are we seeing?" and they knew that meant I wanted to know what foods were coming back and not being eaten.
This worked to my advantage when a mom tried to tell me "everyone" was complaining to her about the scalloped potatoes being "too soupy" and "not edible", to which I responded, "I can't see how that's possible, since we had only about 5 servings left in the chafers and we were getting no potatoes left on the plates when we bussed up." Uh, that's code for "everyone ate the potatoes!" Yes I DID also tell her that my staff was trained to let me know what was coming back on the plates ".....just for this very reason. So I can know if there's a problm with a particular dish. And there just didn't appear to be a problem with any of the dishes at your event." 
I also wanted to agree with some of the other posters. I too am at alot of weddings, where the cake is cut so late in the evening, that most of the people have left. It drives me crazy. I cut the cake, and there is usually a ton of cake left. I do cakes as gifts, but if I had charged 4.00 a slice and there were tons of cake left, I bet people start figuring how much money they wasted on cake. So then they start concoting problems with the cake... It must have been bad, nobody ate cake. Not that they waited too long to serve the cake. I'm sure this is what happened, and I would tell them, that any problems should have been brougt to your attention right away. Your hands are tied, and I would definitely tell them about the other cake, out of the same batter, that was deliicious.
There was a thread recently where it was noted that the more the excuses - the less real the complaint was. His going on and on in great detail seems made up...right down to not saving the anniversary cake (which he may be saying only 'cause he knows you would ask about it).
You've already confirmed from the venue that nothing unusual was said, or that there wasn't a ton of cake thrown out. Like others have said, extra cake only means bad planning, not bad cake.
Do you have an in with the photographer to get a look at the now-infamous "cake exchange" to see her horrible grimace or inability to swallow such a vile thing. Good chance that they are happy and smiley....
I'm not a pro, but I agree with everyone and all previous reasons to stand your ground on this.
They can't pull this stuff on the caterer because the caterer is there when the food is eaten.
So true! My staff was trained to watch the plates that came back to the kitchen because during EVERY catering, I'd walk in and ask "What are we seeing?" and they knew that meant I wanted to know what foods were coming back and not being eaten.
This worked to my advantage when a mom tried to tell me "everyone" was complaining to her about the scalloped potatoes being "too soupy" and "not edible", to which I responded, "I can't see how that's possible, since we had only about 5 servings left in the chafers and we were getting no potatoes left on the plates when we bussed up." Uh, that's code for "everyone ate the potatoes!" Yes I DID also tell her that my staff was trained to let me know what was coming back on the plates ".....just for this very reason. So I can know if there's a problm with a particular dish. And there just didn't appear to be a problem with any of the dishes at your event."
That is just ingenious Debi! I dont own a restaurant or catering service, but that is excellent advice to anyone in the food industry.
I agree with most of the others that it sounds fishy that a sample was not brought back the day after. Im my eyes they are returning something. Now when I go to walmart to return something I take the product back, whether its food or other merchandise, and explain why it was unsatifactory.
If Walmart warrants that they sold me an unsatisfactory product I get issued a refund. No matter how hard you try to return something that is spoiled or unsatisfactory, food-wise to a grocery store, without the product they arent going to issue you a refund. A bakery should operate the same way.
No food=no refund in my eyes, because I cannot prove that what you are saying to me is true.
If it was that bad, you would have known when you tasted the crumbs.
This is what's funny to me. People think...The baker didn't cut into the cake, so that can't possibly know if it tasted good or not.
WRONG! I taste every single cake that leaves my kitchen! (My expanding waistline is proof, but that's another story!) I fill my pans so that the cake rises above the rim, then that part is cut off and tasted for flavor, moistness, etc. I don't just do it to make the cake level. I also torte every cake to make sure it's cooked through. For cupcake orders, I bake an extra one and taste it as well. Every frosting, filling, topping....everything gets tasted.
If a customer complains, I ask questions to find out exactly what they didn't like. And I have no problem challenging a customer if they complain about something I know isn't true.
Edited to add: In fact, I might start telling customers upon pick up/delivery, "I think you'll be really happy with this cake. I tasted some that was cut off the top and it's delicious!!!"
If it was that bad, you would have known when you tasted the crumbs.
This is what's funny to me. People think...The baker didn't cut into the cake, so that can't possibly know if it tasted good or not.
WRONG! I taste every single cake that leaves my kitchen!
Edited to add: In fact, I might start telling customers upon pick up/delivery, "I think you'll be really happy with this cake. I tasted some that was cut off the top and it's delicious!!!"
Yup, me too! And, yes, I mention it to them as well that the cake trimmings were wonderful! LOL! Cake top is one of the rewards of being a caker<G> and I bring them home to my family each time I do a cake so we ALL know what it tastes like before the recipient does.
And, yes, wedding cake should be served after the dinner NOT late in the evening. This is a practice that began because brides thought they could hold people at the reception longer if they held off cutting the cake. Doesn't work, people forgo the cake and then the bride and groom are left cutting the cake in front of 1/4 of their guests instead...and wasted cake.
As a wedding planner I always advise my bride not wot wait or they could be cutting the cake alone.
Cat
This is one of my worst fears. I have yet to have anyone give me a hard time, except for this one lady when I was first starting out, who wanted a 3 tier cake. Back then I think I charged about $210 and she was like, "Oh, can't you leave it at $200". I made the fatal mistake of agreeing.
She later pulls into my driveway in a pimped out mercedes, designer clothes, and freshly washed and blow dried hair. I was so angry at her and at myself.
She then called me, a few days later, to tell me the cake was dry and that she didnt like it. I use the same yellow cake recipe alll the time and its always TOO moist.
So, i told her that if she wanted a cheaper cuban style cake (they are drenched in sugary syrups) she should have gone to one of our local bakeries. For $50 she can get a huge cake, croquettes, various pastries etc. She never responded.
I know it wasnt professional and really I didnt care. I have a sharp tongue and dont like people trying to be slick or sly. I guess she figured that it was best not to continue the argument.
Her friend, however, who was the one who introduced us, continues to buy cakes from me without 1 single complaint.
Okay....now what?!?!
I got this email back from the Father of the church where the reception and ceremony was.....
Katie,
I talked with the supervisor of the bar who worked the reception. He does
not remember any mention about the wedding cake or that some of it was
thrown out. Sorry for your difficulty.
Sincerely,
Fr. Tim
It's tough because I dont want to fight with this groom! But I guess now I have some proof that there was not a problem.
I would not interpret this response as "proof" that there was nothing wrong with the cake. I read his response to mean simply that the person running the bar didn't hear anything. I don't know if guests would necessarily have said anything about the cake to the bartender.
For those who commented that it took too long for the groom to raise the issue, he gave an entirely reasonable explanation for the delay. It does take couples a while to re-group after their wedding. I find it amusing that people accuse couples of having nothing better to do on their honeymoon if they raise an issue the day after the wedding. It seems there's no acceptable timeframe for making a complaint. I think the OP would be wise to focus on the complaint as opposed to the timing of it.
I think the bottom line is that they tasted the cake at the tasting, it was the same recipe, the OP tasted it and knew it was good, so unless the couple can be more specific about the taste problem (such as the fruit filling was fermented or the like), they're probably out of luck for a refund.
The fact that another customer raved about it is really irrelevant. To that, I imagine the groom would rightly say, "So what? We didn't like ours."
Hey everyone,
I really appreciate all your responses!!! So I emailed the bride after the groom not returning my phone calls....
I asked her what was different from the cake she tasted at the tasting and the cake at the wedding? Her response was that the cake tasted dry. After that I decided not to issue her a refund. From the email the groom sent I thought something had gone seriously wrong, but if she just thought it was too dry I personally don't think that warrants a refund. Alot of cake I have is too dry bit I would never expect to get my money back for it. She also said that when she walked around to the tables alot of the cake hadn't been eaten,which again doesn't surprise me, most people only take a few bites of the cake! I asked her to call me last week and I still have yet to hear from her.
And I do want to say when I said I taste the crumbs, I mean the "humps" from the tops of the cakes when removed from the oven and I did not think it tasted overly dry by any means.
I honestly think alot people aren't used to scratch cakes, it's really hard to get a vanilla cake from scratch that is super moist, and again I haven't changed my recipe in two years and this is the first complaint about it.
Anyways, I'll bake another day and leave it alone.... I do think some people are just hard to please
and I am going to add a clause to my contract about notifying me within 48 hours if there is a problem with the cake, I know most couples are busy after the wedding but if the cake is truly that horrible they should have nomproblem contacting me.
Again thanks to everyone for their help with this situation!!! I appreciate it!
Katie
I would not interpret this response as "proof" that there was nothing wrong with the cake. I read his response to mean simply that the person running the bar didn't hear anything. I don't know if guests would necessarily have said anything about the cake to the bartender.
-The bride had said that 3/4 of the cake was thrown out...there was cake to feed 300 people, dont you think that someone who worked the reception would remember that much cake being thrown out?
If you get the chance to talk to her again, ask her "When your mom made cakes from scratch, what kind of flour did she use?" I'm betting that she's not used to scratch cakes, and if she replies "Oh mom used a mix" or something along those lines, then you have a great response of "Oh-h-h-h-h-h!!! that's the difference then. People who grew up on box mixes usually find scratch cakes to be a bit drier and denser than a mix. They think the cake is dry but it's just a different texture."
I'm not a fan of most scratch recipes and that's exactly why. I grew up on mixes and there's definitely a difference. I don't care for the texture of the scratch cakes I've tasted. Only tasted 3 in my life that I liked.
If she had a wedding for 300, odds are good (slim ... but good) that she had a weddign planner. ANy chance of getting ahold of that person, if there was one?
Scratch cakes aren't drier. They just lack the nasty oily residue that people have come to (much to the chagrin of us pastry chefs) incorrectly label as "moist". It ain't moist, it's oily. A properly baked scratch cake with butter is not dry, but when eaten cold or nearly cold, gives the mouth feel of dry.
If you get the chance to talk to her again, ask her "When your mom made cakes from scratch, what kind of flour did she use?" I'm betting that she's not used to scratch cakes, and if she replies "Oh mom used a mix" or something along those lines, then you have a great response of "Oh-h-h-h-h-h!!! that's the difference then. People who grew up on box mixes usually find scratch cakes to be a bit drier and denser than a mix. They think the cake is dry but it's just a different texture."
I'm not a fan of most scratch recipes and that's exactly why. I grew up on mixes and there's definitely a difference. I don't care for the texture of the scratch cakes I've tasted. Only tasted 3 in my life that I liked.
If she had a wedding for 300, odds are good (slim ... but good) that she had a weddign planner. ANy chance of getting ahold of that person, if there was one?
I agree 100%. There is a texture difference, whatever you wanna call it, and most people have a preference. I prefer the texture of boxed cakes. I rather enjoy the "oily" aftertaste, personally. 
I have only 1 scratch recipe that I like, and I have tried a TON. Just my preference, but I certainly would not ever expect a refund on a cake because of it, especially if I had a tasting before-hand. OP made what was ordered, and that's enough to deny a refund.
I agree, I am not saying my cake is dry but it is a different texture that some people do not prefer.
I started baking when I went to culinary school and that was all we baked and I now work in a scratch bakery so it is just something I tend to prefer,, I love the flavor....tomatoes, tomotoes
In the end she tasted my cake and it was the same that was at her wedding and I make a point to bake my tasting cake the day before which is exactly how I bake it for the wedding, so NO refund
In the end she tasted my cake and it was the same that was at her wedding and I make a point to bake my tasting cake the day before which is exactly how I bake it for the wedding, so NO refund
Good for you. I sometimes wish I had a taste for scratch cakes...at least any that I have baked myself. Some people can work there magic with a scratch recipe, and some people just do a lot better with boxed. I'm the latter, and kudos to anyone who can make a killer cake of any flavor from scratch. 
Why is it always the cake that people want a refund on after they overspend?
I wonder if they also tried to return her dress, shoes and accessories when they returned from the honeymoon.
Did they also bash her hair stylist, makeup person or the florist? I'd make some calls.
I think they need money and are trying to get as much back as possible.
Quote by @%username% on %date%
%body%