Cake Decorating Community - Cakes We Bake

Hi everyone! I've been approached to make my first cake for a fee. Usually it's just because I love to do it. So it's for a group of 25 to 30 people how big should I figure on making this? Any recommendations for shape? Any help will be most greatly appreciated!

Have a happy day!!
Maureen

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Just a small family reunion type thing. Nothing fancy, country type BBQ event.

Sherry Qualls said:
Maureen What kind of event is it?
What size cake pans do you have to work with?

Maureen said:
Just a small family reunion type thing. Nothing fancy, country type BBQ event.

Sherry Qualls said:
Maureen What kind of event is it?
I've got my big 11 x 15 rectangle, 10" round and 8" round.

Theresa Happe said:
What size cake pans do you have to work with? Maureen said:
Just a small family reunion type thing. Nothing fancy, country type BBQ event.

Sherry Qualls said:
Maureen What kind of event is it?
If you made 2 10" tiers and 2 8" tiers that should do it. Did the person ordering ask for anything specific or is it completely up to you?
Thanks! I'm going to meet with her tomorrow to figure out what she wants exactly so I can give her a price. I've mad some calls to see what the average price is around my area, so I cam be competitive but not sell myself short either!

Theresa Happe said:
If you made 2 10" tiers and 2 8" tiers that should do it. Did the person ordering ask for anything specific or is it completely up to you?
Remember that fondant cakes usually run higher than buttercream. If you are doing a lot of detailed work, take that into consideration.
P.S. wanted to make sure that you realize I meant 2 8" layers and 2 10" layers. Don't want you to make 8 layers because of the way I phrased it :)
Gotcha! I'm sure she's going to want buttercream, but I will keep that in mind.

One more question if I may, what is the "normal" size piece of cake?

Theresa Happe said:
P.S. wanted to make sure that you realize I meant 2 8" layers and 2 10" layers. Don't want you to make 8 layers because of the way I phrased it :)
Wedding cake slices are really thin, like 1", but most people cut the slices much larger. I'd say closer to 2". An 8" tier is supposed to serve 12. The 10" tier is supposed to serve 18-20, so that should give you an idea.
Awesome information! Thanks so much!!! :-)

Theresa Happe said:
Wedding cake slices are really thin, like 1", but most people cut the slices much larger. I'd say closer to 2". An 8" tier is supposed to serve 12. The 10" tier is supposed to serve 18-20, so that should give you an idea.
You can go to the Wilton site and there is guide there. It will give you how many servings each pan size/shape makes, whether party size or wedding size (there is a difference). It will also give you how much batter it takes to fill the pans and how much icing is needed. It's very helpful when you're just starting out (like me). I made a cake yesterday for someone who needed it to feed 30. I made 2 layers of 8 and 2 layers of 6. I made a stacked cake, filled with buttercream, covered in chocolate ganache under marshmallow fondant. I think they wound up with an extra serving or two according to that guide, but that was as close as I could get with the size of pans I had so I was perfectly fine making that size for them.
Ok, this is what my first customer wants, a simple sheet cake, yellow cake, roses with happy birthday, butter cream frosting. Very simple, basic cake. I've called around and some of the larger "bakeries" that do weddings and such charge upwards of $70 for this type of thing. Now mind you I'm in a rural area and have two larger cities (this is where the bakeries are) within 45 minutes. The other "competition" I have would be the grocery stores, walmart, etc. For a standard 1/4 sheet cake they are charging anywhere from $20 to 30 dollars. I'm thinking of telling her that I will charge $35.00 for the cake. Does that seem high or a good starting point? She's already tasted and seen my work on many occasions. Thanks for the input!!

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