A girl my cousin works with saw a cake I did for their work and just asked me if I could make a cake for her nephew's birthday. I'm not sure if I should do it because I've NEVER made a cake for a complete stranger before and I don't even know how to charge!

She wants some sort of giraffe cake. I'll post some links to pics that she sent me for examples. I just don't think I could just draw a giraffe, I'd rather do a fondant figure but I'm so new at that I'm not sure if I could do it.

So I need some help, maybe you all have some suggestions to help me come up with a design or ideas on something I'm able to do? I don't really want to do a sheet cake like she sent, I'm just not that good at decorating sheets. And also I need help on pricing, I need to get back to her ASAP with a price and I have no clue! Help!

Invitation

http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y294/justdandyfashions/Houses%208-13/justelliotsgiraffe.jpg



Examples

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v230/azure33/117972667_49d1f637d4.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v230/azure33/252782994_d327edd734.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v230/azure33/296165564_7123c81fee.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v230/azure33/Jungle-Animals.jpg


Any ideas are very much appreciated!!!! Thanks!!!!

I did chocolate transfer animals for my Noah's ark cake and I think they came out fairly well and were easy since I was copying the design. Or you could do a FBCT of the image from the invitation.

Thanks dazey! I really appreciate your help. I've never done chocolate transfers! But that's a good idea. I'll bring that idea up to the girl.

Thanks again!

or make it with royal icing/colorflow.

I think doing a FBCT of the giraffe on the invitation would be cute too.
You should do it. It's good experience...and you'll have fun!

Since she sent you 4 very different ideas, it doesn't look like she's too specific in what she wants other than a giraffe. I'd say give her a price based on serving size and ask if you can do whatever you want as long as it has giraffes on it. That way you have some time to play around and decide what to do. You could always try a fondant giraffe and if it doesn't work then at least you're not stuck with having to make one. Is the cake for a baby or a child? If it's a baby then the cake will really be more for adults, but if it's for a child then I really like the last cake with the figure piped animals and all the extra icing. Kids see extra icing and love it no matter what!

Someone asked me for a safari cake and I could not draw a giraffe, elephant or lion...so I used cookie cutters, and just made their outline on the outside of the cake. It is called Safari Shower and is in my gallery. I also did matching cookies in giraffes, elephants and lions and maybe you could offer something like that...

hope this helps

What I have been doing i suggest something that i am good with and they usually let me do whatever they want, just be honest with her and tell her you don't feel comfortable with that kind of work and suggest something else and say you can't guarantee it will be perfect

What if you made the kind of cake your most comfortable with and did the giraffe in cookies. Make a stencil out of the invitation picture and cover them in fondant..a 2D figure kind of.

Sounds like she is pretty open to design...why not find the design that you're most comfortable with (choose a couple of options), and use these to determine your price...Just incase the fondant doesn't work out, you'll have it to fall back on.
And, if you do a transfer, you won't have to "draw"...you would simply use an image that you like.

Good news is that both fondant and CTs can be attempted way in advance. How much notice do you have?

The cake in the link below has a giraffe made from fondant. You could start working on the figures now to see if you like how they look.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/crazyamy/256401239/

You can draw anything just find image coloringbook etc. and tracing paper you could do piping gel to outline image on those clear sheets they use for overhead projectors can't remember their namebut i buy them at office max from the print shop HTH

Thank you so much you guys!!!

Heather, that cake is really cute, that is an option.

I just spoke with her and she likes this cake, I'll post the link. But I was thinking the frosting be yellow with brown spots and some green leaves for the border. I'll try to do a fondant giraffe, if anyone has advice on this, please tell! If that doesn't work out I can do something else for the giraffe.

http://cakecentral.com/cake-photo-22637.html

Another question...she needs a cake to serve 20 people plus a smash cake. Do you think this cake would serve 20? Or what size round should I use? I would do a double layer.

Also, do you think this order would be worth $50? I'm just not sure how to charge!!

Thanks again with all your help!!!

Oh, I forgot to tell you she wants it on March 23rd.

I don't think $50 is too much for that cake. A lot depends on where you live too. I live near Boston, Mass and could easily get $50 or more for this cake.

I woud say that a 10" or larger, double layer, round cake would feed at least 20 people.

~Chelle

I would do a 9in round for 20 party servings (as I take it these will be mainly adult servings?!). I don't think $50 for a cake of that size with a modelled giraffe would be out of line at all (in buttercream - I'd charge $60 minimum if it was all in fondant like the picture!). Hope that helps!

That is a cute cake. From looking at your pictures, I don't think you'll have any problem doing a cake similar to the one in the link you posted. Best of luck to you. Can't wait to see your cake!

Thank you guys sooo much, you all are soo sweet!!

I forgot to add, the cake is for a 1 year old. I'm not sure if it's mostly adults but I would think so.

i agree that a 10" round double layer version of that cake modified is very reasonable for $50.

oh, plus $10 for a 2-4" smash cake, or $5 more for a smash cupcake.