I need some advice. I was asked for a pillow shaped caked with two crowns on it for this past New Years Eve. Well the lady text me today ,almost a month later,saying that she had to throw away that cake because it was very "mushy",and nobody wanted to eat it. She wants me to bake her another birthday cake for next week at no charge. To make matters worse,she is my husband's cousin. I don't want to have a problem with her,because I see her all the time. After all,she is family. I have a pic of the cake in my photos.
If she had a problem with the original cake, she should have called you on New Years Eve or Day, after all you are family so she wouldn't have been bothering you too much. Calling a month later to say the cake was no good does not cut it. Do not give this lady a free cake! Get her to pay for the cake, but maybe you could give her a few matching cupcakes as good will (don't tell her you are going to do this, just deliver them with the cake).
Anyway, if the cake was mushy, you would not have been able to sculpt it the way you did.
I just looked at the cake in your gallery and it looks great- very clean lines and the crowns are adorable!
What does she mean by "mushy"? It seems like it would have been really difficult to carve if it was under-baked or a weird texture...And if it was so gross she had to throw it away, why does she want you to make her ANOTHER one for a birthday? Just sounds strange. And why did she wait so long to tell you about it?
I'm all for keeping the peace, but it sounds like she might be trying to take advantage of you just from what you've posted. How many people does she want the free cake to serve? I might do a small one at cost of ingredients just because she's family, but other than that I might just tell her, "I'm so sorry you were disappointed with the last cake. Since I don't really know what you didn't like about it, I don't know how to fix it and I'm worried that it will happen again on future cakes, so I'm happy to give you a partial refund, but I don't feel comfortable doing cakes for your celebrations anymore because I'd really hate to disappoint you so much again."
well put kitty. it does sound odd and convenient to say -i didnt like the cake you gave me a month ago so now i need you to make me a free birthday cay.
You know her well enough, does she do this type of thing to others? is she the type to get free stuff because she knows she can or is this the first time you know of her doing this?
Unless she's been dealing with a family emergency of some sort (and you would probably know this), no cake for her. Nearly a month later is absolutely unacceptable. If this were true and she gave two figs about you, she would have told you right away. Otherwise it's possible you would have been giving lots of other people mushy cake since the beginning of the year.
If you are sure that she is not right and that your cake wasn't mushy, I would say, "What? you want another one. The cake I gave you is the cake I make. So if I made you another it would be the same thing. You wouldn't like this one either. It's too bad my cakes are not your taste. I had so much fun making the last one. Maybe you can try Bob's Bakery on Elm St for you birthday cake. I think their cakes are a little firmer than mine."
I just looked at the picture, too. That cake is great! I'm just wondering, did they not keep the cake in the fridge before serving? Whipped cream filling at room temperature may equal mushy cake. I agree with the posters above, "sorry you didn't like my cake, I wish you had contacted me right away. No free cake for you!"
I too wonder whether the 'mushy cake' was infact the filling that had soaked into the cake. Even if this was the case leaving it a month to tell you is not cool. I'd talk her about how you couldn't have carved it if it was mushy and perhaps it was the filling. Like others, explain that you really can't offer a free cake in good faith knowing it would be more than likely be exactly the same as the last one. Offer her a small discount maybe and ask her to phone you once the cake is cut to let you know what it was like.
I think she is definitely just trying to get a free cake. I agree with the others. If there was a problem with the cake, why did she wait a month to mention it, conveniently, right before she needed another cake? What a coincidence. I would simply tell her that that you are sorry she was unhappy with the cake but your schedule will not allow you the time to make her a cake for next week. Furthermore, I would tell her that you do not feel comfortable making any other cakes for her since she is obviosly not happy with the quality of your cakes. Btw, I looked at the cake and it looked great. And unless it was the filling there is no way the cake was mushy if you were able to carve it like that.
It's the timing of her complaint and request for a replacement cake that really bothers me. If she had said anything during any part of this month.... even telling you late. I might still have a problem with waiting weeks to let you know the cake was "mushy", but the fact that this was told to you just as she was in need of another cake is what I find so disturbing.
For the sake of the family....... why is it that the person who is being taken advantage of is always the one who is concerned with the sake of the family. And it's the other person who puts that pressure on, as though you are the one taking advantage and not them.
If she took the cake out of the fridge early in the day, and the cake was allowed to absorb all the whipped cream, yes it's surely possible it seemed mushy. Where is her responsibility of knowing that whipped cream will break down and turn liquidy after time, or in heat. (This, giving her the benefit of the doubt she did have a problem.)
All, I can say is that your decision has to rely on just how much you want to do this "for the sake of the family". And if you resent doing the cake this way, but still go ahead, then just let her know you don't want to do cakes for her, or for family, or made with whipped cream, or whatever you want to tell her, but don't do anymore cakes for her because you will regret and stress, each and every one of them.
But if you ask me, I DEFINITELY think she is trying to take advantage of you, and she's doing it because she knows she can. If she didn't know that, you wouldn't have to be asking the question on here.
For the sake of the family....... why is it that the person who is being taken advantage of is always the one who is concerned with the sake of the family.
Thank you! Why isn't the cousin worried that she shouldn't be treating you so badly...for the sake of the family. There's a lesson in this for all of us that let family take advantage of us to their gain and our loss. The person you're so worried about "the sake of" clearly couldn't give a flying fig about yours.
A month later?! Wow this lady has some b*lls to make a call like that. I don't think you owe her a thing, she should have called before. The cake looks great btw.
I would plan on a call that makes her explain herself a bit.
You. " I'm sorry you didn't like the cake. Why is this the first I'm hearing of a problem with it?" STOP TALKING HERE.
Her..."Ive been busy...blah blah....didn't want to hurt your feelings...etc etc
You. "Why didn't you bring it back and give me a chance to take a look at it?" STOP TALKING HERE...PAUSE...LET HER EXPLAIN.
Sometimes the best thing to do is keep lobbing the ball back in her court til she gets a clue that she's got a part in this.
Good luck, family can be so hard to deal with.
Thank you all for the great advice. I will never bake another cake for her. I'm sure she's only saying that in order to get a free cake. Now that I think about it,she lives pretty close to Sam's Club. Ahhh, I feel better now. Thanks again!
Wooohooo!! A win for the cakers! I love a happy ending 
For the sake of the family....... why is it that the person who is being taken advantage of is always the one who is concerned with the sake of the family.
Thank you! Why isn't the cousin worried that she shouldn't be treating you so badly...for the sake of the family. There's a lesson in this for all of us that let family take advantage of us to their gain and our loss. The person you're so worried about "the sake of" clearly couldn't give a flying fig about yours.
YES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
She's family. Your husband's cousin. She sees you all the time. Why isn't SHE worried about hurting your feelings about her impression of your cake. She dis's your cake and you're worried about keeping the peace with HER????? 
"But they're family!!!!" is phrase that makes my a$$ tired. It's a 2-way street and I'm tired of people trying to drive the wrong way on it all the time! It's always the takers that seem to think they have the right of way and think that the rest of us should pull over to the side and let them breeze on down the highway at their little heart's content.
Sorry .... you're too busy to make a free cake. you have too many PAID orders to take care of. 
I would either not do the cake and no refund either, or make her a small cake,no perishable filling,add a bit more flour so cake is not too moist (since she likes it HARD). And explain to her to NEVER return to me for a cake staight up. I bet she will be calling you telling you how nice that last cake was,in a bid to get on your good side, but unfortunately it'll be too late.
I have an obnoxious in-law that told her other SIL she didnt like my cakes,it was the pink double parcel cake in my photos,she said that cos she wasn't allowed to have a huge chunk as takeaway,and told the celebrant I don't even really like her cakes anyway. So yours truly is patiently waiting for her to call and order this year and i'll hit her so bad with a NO and the real reason,hehehe,can't wait.
P.S. I also dont' consider cousins "close family".
This is what .... your husband's mother's sister's kid? Big whoop. That's about one step above "your husband's mother's sister's kid's neighbor's mailman's dog walker."
Leave it to Debbie to crack us up!!! 
I'd tell her to kiss it where the sun don't shine even if it was my mother, sister, brother.........they don't give a hoot about your relationship donig this to you so WHY should YOU? Real family don't treat each other that way. Your cake was great btw!
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