I hate when I get so depressed and stressed out from making a cake. Some cakes are so easy and I feel great about them afterwards. I made one tonight and I don't even want to give it to the lady tomorrow morning. 
I hear ya! I'm feeling the same way tonight. I'm actually remaking one because I was so unhappy with it. :/
Fortunately I am a hobby baker and happy to remain so as I don't have the pressure of the expectations of a paying customer. That being said there are cakes I have made that I have been so disappointed with to the point I will not take a picture of them but with every cake that I have hated the recipient and friends have been delighted and given such positive feedback and me being me think it's because they think I am fishing for compliments which I am not. I am often told that they can't see what I see. A cake I was convinced nobody would eat because it was just slightly undercooked was wolfed down.
I know it is harder if the offending cake is for a paying customer because you really want it to be the very best for personal as well as professional reasons. If you really are worried, don't say anything until the customer does and then apologise and offer a fair refund. The reason I say this is because they just might love the cake and not see what you see.
I always find the flaws in my cakes, but my customers love them. I am a home baker, it's my paid hobby. We need to go easier on ourselves...no easy task. Don't offer the refund unless there's a complaint. Find out...
I did a cake I was sure wouldn't taste good. It was cute but imperfect. People who don't bake and decorate regularly appreciate and love the work of bakers. The customer was so very happy. It made me realize I need to see it through the eyes of a non-baker.
Oh yes, its easy for me to find every imperfection on my work. Last week I posted something I made for my family at Easter, on a post. I could see that it left alot to be desired as a good piece of work. But I got compliments from my fellow cakers and it made me extremely happy.
Was it perfect? No, but they were looking at the creative side and that's what people see.
AI am a former quilter, and the same advice goes for cakes as for quilts. I made some quilts that I thought were full of errors and wanted to rip them up. others saw them and were totally impressed - they didn't see the mistakes I could see, all they saw was a perfect quilt. so take a step back, look at the cake, and try to see it thru others' eyes, and appreciate the job you have done!
I made my sons wedding cake last summer...and I was so worried that his bride and her family were going to be disappointed or even think my cake was silly since the bride told me she wanted me to surprise her. She didn't want the cake to look like a wedding cake...and she didn't want it stacked or to be in tiers. My sons famous words were..."Mom if we wanted a wedding cake we could pay buy one...but we want your cake."
HUMMM...what to do? Stupidly I thought why not make a tall tower...1 tier Garden Cake Buttercream flowers all over the sides. My inspiration was from the UK of all places...LOL!
Well...it turned out close to what I wanted...but I thought it should be more like a wedding cake. I was so depressed thinking about the brides family seeing my "surprise". I figured no matter what my soon to be DIL said...she probably did want a "wedding cake"...but she thought my son didn't want one.
I guess I was being too critical, because the bride loved it and my son was so happy that I didn't care what her family thought. Best part of it all...I didn't have to worry about someone paying me for something they didn't want.
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