Help - For Those Who Have Used Stairs For Wedding Cake

Decorating By angelcakes5 Updated 11 Jun 2009 , 4:39pm by kakeladi

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angelcakes5 Posted 11 Jun 2009 , 3:00pm
post #1 of 6

First sorry this is so long. A lady in the area who makes wedding cakes who has been sick for a couple years had to cancel all her wedding cakes this summer. Now some of the people are coming to me. A girl called me and wants me to a total of 8 cakes for her wedding. The center on tall pillars a 10" round and 6" round. Then stairs going down the sides with a 2 tiered cake with pillars. 10" round and 8" round and then more stairs to the front with 8" rounds.

She wants this huge thing and now wants to downsize due to price. I am charging her $2.50 per slice and for all this cake the other lady was only charging her $365. No way can I do it for that price. Now she wants to see if I could downsize the cake and then do a stacked sheet cake for extra servings. My question is if I reduced the size of the 2 sides cakes to 8" and 6" would this look ok? If anyone could let me know sizes that have used I would greatly appreciate it. I have never done anything like this only stacked cakes. So just a little nervous.

Thanks so much!

Angela

5 replies
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indydebi Posted 11 Jun 2009 , 3:27pm
post #2 of 6

I know exactly what set up you're talking about . I made that setup every single weekend for a year back in the early 80's. It was THE cake design that everyone wanted.

I dont' have any of those old pics scanned, but here's one of my sister's cake with stairs: http://www.flickr.com/photos/55969028@N00/391209728/

The smaller cakes will look fine. What you need to watch for is the height of the side cakes, to make sure the stairs can reach them. Notice the side cakes in this pic are on 7" pillars (plus the 4" cake = 11" of height). If you just have 2 stacked cakes, you'd only have 8" of height and the stairs may not reach. So measure it ... measure it ... measure it.

I learned that lesson the hard way on my very first fountain-n-stairs cake. icon_redface.gif

Feel free to ask me any questions along the way ..... I cut my cake-decorating teeth on this kind of cake and can do it in my sleep.

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-K8memphis Posted 11 Jun 2009 , 3:37pm
post #3 of 6

Yes it would look fine--I always mostly made my satellite cakes smaller than the middle or main cake so I think it would look fine.

Do you mean an 8x6 little tier cake and only use two sets of stairs instead of four sets of stairs? Or stairs to each 8" and stairs to each 6?

I charge the same per serving for all the cakes that's served though--just a pricing thought for you.

Image

^^^ If you click on this it gets bigger

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angelcakes5 Posted 11 Jun 2009 , 3:49pm
post #4 of 6

Thank you so much for the help, you have no idea.
Thanks indydebi I will send you a message if I need any help - I appreciate it.

I know k8memphis I should charge the same price. I guess I am just tring to be nice since the lady had to cancel on her. I just cant get over that she was charging like $1.60 a slice. I am sure some think I am crazy for only charging $2.50 though. I am getting there slowly but surely raising my prices.

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brincess_b Posted 11 Jun 2009 , 4:34pm
post #5 of 6

remember - if the original lady was undercharging, thats her problem, not yours! stick by your pricing icon_smile.gif
xx

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kakeladi Posted 11 Jun 2009 , 4:39pm
post #6 of 6

I have a few pix in my photos w/set-ups as you (&Kicon_cool.gif describe icon_smile.gif

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