Hi and thanks in advance for your suggestons.

I have been asked to make a wedding cake to feed 250 people on a small budget. They said they could afford to pay less than$1.00 a slice although I have set my price at $2.00 a slice. While she is a close associate, I have suggested she look into a supermarket to provide such a large cake on a small budget with no luck of getting her to go in that direction.

So I am trying to work this and figured I can make a (2)12x18x2 sheet cakes and a two tier using a 12x2 and 6x2 round cake pans. This will give me enough cake for 250 people.

I have not drawn up her contract yet and am holding off with anticipation that her number of guest will go down. I am new to cake decorating, but have made and sold several cakes, but this is my first wedding cake.
The cake itself is a yellow butter cake with french vanilla buttercream icing, no torting, no filling...their request. The cake decorations will be my take on a cherry blossom cake using fondant cherry blossom (non-botanical).

I wanted to find out if anyone had alternative suggestions for I can accomplish this cake order and still make it look like a wedding cake and not just two sheet cakes on a table next to a stacked cake. Should I bother to display the sheet cakes? OR Just put the sheet cakes in the kitchen - kitchen cakes?

IMHO, I think you are on track with doing the sheet cakes... DON'T display them though... I think that would look pretty tacky actually... I know it's tough to price for people you know, but the reality is that you are in this to make a profit... at least a little bit! Don't under cut yourself. It will really hurt you in the long run.

If she won''t budge on her price why should you? She doesn't even want to pay a $1/serving!

The reason she's probably not budging is she knows she can't even get that rate at the grocery store. If you still want to make the cake for her then I would suggest you get her to buy all of your supplies (not only ingredients but non-edible items like supports/cakeboards etc). Then on top of that charge her $1/slice for your time which I still think is not enough.

You should be charging at least $3-4/serving to start for bc and more for fondant covered, carved etc cakes.

I can't believe she want a custom work of art for the price of twinkies!

Why not just make a wedding cake for 250? Keep it real simple. Is it really that much easier to decorate 4 different cakes than to stack them and have it look like a wedding cake?

If they end up paying $2 /slice, you won't make much anyway, but why not stack the cakes?

Tell her to cut her guest list in half or maybe even down to 1/3. If she can't afford a big wedding, why should YOU pick up the slack?

It's unfortunate that it sounds like your being used by someone your supposed to be close to. I totally agree with the previous poster - why should you make nothing because they have a huge guest list on a budget? I absolutely would not do it for less than $2 per serving. This is an associate, not even family or a best friend. They are totally taking advantage of the position your in. You're also delivering the cake 40 miles away - are you attending the wedding? If not are you being compensated for the delivery? If you're not then this cake is costing you money at $1 per serving.

No matter how accomodating you want to be, don't be a door mat.

Good luck to you and I hope you can work out a sensible deal with the bride so you both win.

You are absolutely being used here. I applaud you for trying to be so accomodating, but THINK about what they are asking you to do!!

They are not budging at all, and expect you to bend over backwards for them. You need to tell them clearly that there is no way you will do this cake for less than $2 per serving (and even then you'll end up resenting it. That's a lot of work.)

Good luck!

I assumed this was a sort of charity thing. You are basically doing the cake for nothing. My point about stacking was that I think it is just as easy one way or the other and you wanted it to look more like a wedding cake, why not stack, even at the site.

I do agree with Tubbs. If you aren't doing this as a huge favor to someone you care about or who knows you are doing them a huge favor - you are getting royally scr***d.

I was working under the assumption that everyone knew this was not a money maker.

They should probably go to Walmart for the wedding special and an extra sheetcake.

Are you crazy?!?!?! You are letting someone you know tell you what they are gonna pay?!?!? You were right the first time telling her to go to the super market & what do you mean that she didn't want to hear that?!?!? Who cares what she wants. She flat out can't afford you! Heck, she can't afford a grocery store! You do this cake, I gurantee you will regret it.

Are you crazy?!?!?! You are letting someone you know tell you what they are gonna pay?!?!? You were right the first time telling her to go to the super market & what do you mean that she didn't want to hear that?!?!? Who cares what she wants. She flat out can't afford you! Heck, she can't afford a grocery store! You do this cake, I gurantee you will regret it.

Thank you all! I have firmly suggested that she do her research and look at other bakeries in our area and see what they are charging for wedding cakes and sheet cakes for a wedding and compare it to her allocated budget for her wedding cake.

Thank you matthewkyrankelly, I like the idea of stacking the sheet cakes. I understand what you were suggesting.


Thanks again

Good for you! And when she comes back to you (cause she will, cause $2 a serving is very low) make sure you let her know, your price is $2 a serving.

Frankly this bride just insulted every cake designer and baker across the country.