I'm in a cake rut right now. My mind has been SO busy with a lot of sudden things going on with our family right now. Things don't look like they'll be settling for some time. I don't mean to sound so cryptic, but I don't want to put out the details on the internet, until everything is finalized and our family knows which direction we'll be headed.

In December I had submitted my application and fee for the San Diego cake show, and have now had to skip going. I'm feeling very unmotivated to make any cakes right now, whereas just a month ago I was eager to make cakes for any and every occassion. I just don't feel that I have the same fire that I had just a short time ago.

I feel sad that our family situation has forced me to put caking on the back burner, but I know I just can't focus on making the best cakes that I can at this time.

Has anyone ever gone through something like this? When did the rut end??
Thanks for listening...

Right now I haven't made a cake since November...just a few cupcakes and cookies. I haven't had a reason to make a cake, the friends who I usually bake for have all moved away.

Last year I didn't do any cakes from November until March, because there weren't any occasions. I can't remember making the one I made in March for my daughter's birthday because I was on really strong pain meds, but it wasn't too horrible all things considered. Starting the end of April though, I made a cake almost every week.

It's bad, right now I even consider answering the ads on craigslist looking for cakes, because I really want to make something, but I can't justify using all the ingredients and time just to make something for practice.

I've been where you are. Circumstances, the details of which I won't go into, distracted me terribly. Only, I continued to make cakes as the orders rolled in. I regret that for so many reasons. I thought staying busy would be therapeutic, but it only put a strain on me while I was in a vulnerable position and the quality of my cakes was noticeably affected. I should have cut back, but I have a hard time saying no.

I was scheduled to do a demo at a cake show and cancelled the day before. I had hoped I'd feel up to it, but didn't want to risk bursting into tears in the middle of the demo.

I think it's important to keep caking, even if you do scale your operation back a bit. Quitting altogether will just exascerbate the depression. You just have to find that delicate balance between therapeutic activity and overwork.

For me, the 'rut' lasted almost a year. The first few months were pure hell. The ensuing months were manageable, but a bit of a burden. I have fully recovered and am glad I didn't let my tools collect dust. And, amazingly, the customer who got the princess castle that looked like something Picasso would puke up after a night of drinking along with the broken cookies (free, of course) has returned and even sent me referrals!

Good luck to you! Hope your situation resolves for the best.

a year... honeslty I have done a cake for a year and all of a sudden I am really wanting to again. Stuff happens.

I have a friends birthday coming up and it will be the first cake I've made in a long time. I signed up to do free cakes for kids and found an agency to work with but so far nothing. I feel awful. I can't even give a cake away. Somedays, I just want to say "I'm through" and give all my stuff away.

I haven't been excited to make cakes the past few months. With starting a new full time job in August with an already existing part time job time just got limited. I have to do three cakes this month because of family birthdays and I can say they aren't getting anything over the top at all.

I think with everything going on in your life, it doesn't hurt to let cakes take a back seat for a while. Don't take orders, but see if there is a design you are excited about trying. Or instead of trying to make cakes, which involve alot of time baking, icing and decorating why not try to set aside some time to model a new fondant figure or two, or make a couple of flowers? This keeps your hand in cake stuff, and lets you buildup a back up stock in case you need them?