Hello,

really in need of some advice.

We made this wedding cake two weeks ago, we set up at the venue due to it being a couple of hours drive away and stayed for 3 hours adding final touches and ensuring all was ok before we left. We had the wedding planner sign a form to say the cake was in perfect condition before we left. each tier was a different sponge, each cut into 4 sections with complimenting frosting between each layer, all as ever taste tested by myself as any other cake that we send out. This as I said above was two weeks ago.

I woke up this morning to a message from the Bride to say that the cake was a complete disaster and that she is on her honeymoon at the moment but will be in touch upon her return. That was all, so obviously I wouldn't leave it as that without knowing exactly what she meant with the cake we have been so proud of since leaving. so we have just rang the wedding planner and im in utter shock. firstly she said the top two tiers had toppled but that they didn't fall to the floor as a staff member caught it. (the wedding began an hour after we left, we were there 3 hours and it did not move at all) she said the cake wasn't moved or anything when it did this (yet conveniently a staff member was directly at the side to catch it- an hour after we left when it had been fine for 3??) then finally for an added salt in the wounds she said that the cake was not served as none of it was cooked! now the toppling bit I can deal with, not lightly, but I can accept that If they had tampered with it once we left baring in mind we had just built it at the venue, then this may have been possible, but I know 100% that every single one of those cakes which were each baked with two lots of 2" deep cakes then halved and stacked were hand on heart perfectly baked.

we have been running our business from home for the past year and a half and not had one complaint in the slightest, absolutely nothing but great feedback and we now have this and we don't know what to do. This was 2 week ago and its literally their word against ours other than the form to say it was fine when we left and me knowing without a single doubt that the cake was 100% baked perfectly.

What do I do???

AI am so sorry that happened to you as I think your cake looks perfect....bcause I'm just a hobby baker, I can't help but I'm sure the other pros will...with the quality look of your cake, clearly it took time and patience in addition to 3 hours of decorating time at the venue..bcause of this, I fine it hard to believe that you would serve raw cake under all that gorgeousness!!! chin up!!:-)

AI think this sounds hinky.

I mean - you torted the cake layers so you would have noticed in the cake was raw.

Call the venue and see what they have to say.

AIf all the tiers were raw how would the cake hold up in the first place?! I hope this doesn't sound rude, but why did it take you so long to put the cake together? Did you do the piping at the reception? (Not that it matters I'm just curious). You had the wedding planner sign something, so you have some sort of contract right? I'd think when you were leveling the cakes you'd notice if they weren't cooked thoroughly. I just can't imagine the wedding planner not contacting you immediately-especially if they couldn't serve the cake-if not the day after. That's their job and this would be a major issue.

The cake looks lovely, it doesn't seem to have any visual issues. I'm not sure what you use internally, since the cake is tall I guess if it didn't have time to set (the icing or ganache between tiers that sort of glues them together) I could see how someone could bump into it and have a coupe tiers fall. But the way it happened, someone catching it like you said, they probably knocked it over. I'm sorry, either way it's a bad situation. You've already spoken to the wedding planner and she's saying the same thing the bride is?

So the cake fell *just* as a member of staff was on-hand to catch it?  That sounds a bit suspect to begin with.  And as you say, had it been undercooked, you'd have noticed when you torted and filled with buttercream.

Dear x

I am sorry to hear you were unhappy with your wedding cake.

You may be aware that the cake was stacked and completed at the venue and during the 3 hours we were in attendance it was sturdy throughout.  The wedding planner even signed to confirm the cake was in perfect condition.  We cannot be held responsible for cakes once we have successfully delivered and set up the cake at a venue.

I used the same recipes that I use for all my cakes and for which I have had many compliments and I've never had a complaint before.  Indeed, whilst cutting the cakes to fill with buttercream,  I would have noticed if the cakes had been slightly undercooked and nothing which lead me to believe they were anything but our usual high standards were noted.

Unfortunately, as it has been so long since your wedding reception I am unable to to investigate your complaint further.

Yours sincerely

Do NOT feel you have to rush in and offer refunds.  So, she might tell a few friends she was unhappy...  let's face it, even if you offer her money back, she's STILL going to tell those same people.  I had a complaint about a cake at a Bat Mitzvah being dry.  I was DEVASTATED.  Absolutely devastated.  However, the same day I received the complaint I happened to bump into a friend who'd been at the Bat Mitzvah...  and she said the cake was lovely!    So it goes to show.....

If you are absolutely sure that there was no way that cake would have given way of its own accord and that the cake was cooked properly then stick to your guns!

Good luck!!!! 

Suzanne x
 

does this wedding planner have a well known business? Or could she have possibly used a friend as her wedding planner? Or got one from Craigslist? As someone else said an experienced wedding planner would have called you immediately. The cake is beautiful. Sorry this happened

AThank you for all your replies. Ive had nothing on my brain since. It was the wedding planner that told us all of this, the bride so far has just said it was a disaster but has yet to elaborate which is why we rang the wedding planner. Ive come up with a conclusion what i think may have happened but not that it will help in the slightest, she said how it had fallen when they were setting up for the wedding breakfast, conveniently just after the ceremony when they will have been moving the tables, i think what they have done is moved or knocked the cake and it has fallen over, i recon it has completely been destroyed not just the tier falling over so they have then told the bride it has toppled and when it came to serving it, instead of admitting it has been ruined through moving it they have said its inedible. I think that is the only conclusion i can put it down to that makes sense as i know for sure it wouldn't have toppled on its own, evidently as it was secure the entire time we were setting up and with each layer of cake being no bigger than 1" thick there was no room for error. Not sure what more we can do other than assume that though, i still think we are going to be the one who is blamed by the Bride! X

Seems odd to me that you would wait two weeks to tell your cake decorator that the cake was a flop, if that happened to me I would be mad as hell and have my wedding planner deal with it IMMEDIATELY . Also if you are going to wait two weeks why wouldn't you wait until you return from your honeymoon? Sounds fishy to me.

AIt all does, but we have no proof its literally their word agains ours but precisely, you wouldn't wait two weeks would you, the planner checked and signed for it before we left to say it was in good condition and then we have no samples or anything of the 'raw' cake they are accusing us of yet have waited two weeks to say anything about it. The bride has JUST gone on honeymoon as she stated in her email she would be returning at the end of August and will be in touch about it then. Yesterday i was upset and almost embarrassed about the whole thing, today I'm mad and convinced this is all some sort of lie or coverup to try and get what they can from us. Had this have been true as you say, you would have been fuming and done it straight away not two weeks later on route to your honeymoon! X

The toppled top tier is definitely strange and I'm calling BS on that one..."something" happened that you may never know.    As far as "raw"...do you add simple syrup to your cakes so that she may confuse "moist" with  "raw?"

must have discovered they didn't have enough spending money for her honeymoon. I would talk to the kitchen staff at the venue and try to get some info. If they bumped it they wont tell but they might be able to tell you about whether it was eaten by the guests and enjoyed

AOur cakes are always moist but surely they could tell moist between raw! The planner said none of the cake was served, that every tier was raw, but i think they've knocked it over and be has been that badly damaged in the fall they were unable to serve any of it so have gone and said it was raw to cover their error of dropping it. That is the only explanation i can think of. Its also annoying that i know in two weeks time when shes home this is going to all start again!

yes.....you have said that. That is why I questioned if the planner was a reputable planner or did the bride hire a friend or a Craigslist planner....seeing as she did not notify you at all. That is also why I suggested you try to talk to the kitchen staff at the venue.

Nah...  there's no way every single tier was raw. 

Something dodgy's gone on, I'm afraid.

A[IMG]http://cakecentral.com/content/type/61/id/3077658/width/200/height/400[/IMG]

[IMG]http://cakecentral.com/content/type/61/id/3077659/width/200/height/400[/IMG]

[IMG]http://cakecentral.com/content/type/61/id/3077660/width/200/height/400[/IMG]

This was pics we took before we crumb coated. I don't think theres room for error with the thickness of the slices!

AThe wedding planner seems to be linked with the venue, we contacted her through the venue so I'm not sure if shes a friend of the Bride but am pretty sure if anything untoward has gone on that the kitchen staff will no doubt say the same as her. We have put together a very detailed response to the Bride running through all of the things I've said here along with a copy of the form the planner has signed and these images but i think it will be another two weeks before we hear back x

Having the planner sign that form is so HUGE!  Good job on that!!!.    Since you can't talk to the bride for 3 miserable long weeks...I would go back and interrogate the crap out of that vendor.   How was it she was conveniently there when it fell...???     Did SHE make the decision it was raw and threw the entire thing away?    I am so convinced the planner or her staff bumped or moved that table..and to save their ass...they threw it all away and said it was raw.      When and how did she make the determination it was raw?  

AThats exactly what i think has happened now ive had 36 hours of it playing on my mind however at the time of speaking with the venue i was that gobsmacked and shocked with what she was saying i had nothing to argue with other than protesting it was of course baked perfectly. I think going back to her with these questions is definitely what i need to do now but why would they admit it and take the blame for wrecking a wedding cake and footing the bill when they can just blame us. Thats what i think but that doesn't really mean anything at the minute because to the Bride and all of her guests and friends it will now be us that are getting the bad name. I never once imagined while putting so much time and effort into a cake we were so proud of that it would turn into this x

But you have the release form and pictures of the pre-crumb coated cakes.    And two weeks to put on your Columbo hat and ask questions to the venue.  You may not know who Columbo is..it was an old US detective show.   Just start gathering facts and get ready to calm down a crazy irate bride.  

Am sorry they have a lot to prove that doesn't sound right to me why take so long to say something sounds fishy and by the way that was a beautiful

What a terrible thing to happen to you! She is crazy to say the cake was raw!

AThose layers are quite thin so you would definately have noticed if the cake was raw.

The planner forked up the cake and is now trying to cover her own @$$.

your cake is beautiful. I agree too, that the planner or her people had some sort of hand in this mess. Who actually determined that the cake was raw? I would investigate from as many staff as you can find, or go straight to the catering manager.

Demand pictures of the wrecked cake, but even if they do have the pictures, it was still out of your hands. Not your responsibility.

I read all the way through this hoping someone else had mentioned it looks like the cake is leaning to the left.... Look at the ribbon at the base of the bottom two tiers. It is distinctly bowed inward on the left hand side. And the top two tiers are not square. I can also see the cake behind the fondant. It is beautiful, but it does look like there are some structural problems. 

Just based on this pic, if it were me, I would not be surprised the top two tiers came off, and I would refund  at least 50% of the order. Probably all of it, really. But them saying the cake was raw is highly suspect, for sure. 

What kind of support do you use? 

Good eye Annabakescakes!