I have read a lot of mixed reviews on offering sheet cakes and I would like some insight.
I am just starting my business so I don't want to start anything that can be avoided now.
I want my business to be seen as high end and not Walmart and I want my business based on creativity and imagination not the 'traditional' cake stereotype.
Please give your advice!!!
Thanks

When did sheet cakes become tacky? I keep seeing some sort of stigma attached to the workhorse of the elementary school age birthday party, church mixer, PTA meeting...

Well again Im new here, but I have seen more negative reviews on sheet cakes then not.
I am not for sure where it is coming from, but it is coming from somewhere and I just don't want to be trailing behind if they are going out of style.
I don't think the hyped up cake tv shows help out any, but I believe cakers base it on pricing too.
No one wants to pay by the serving when buying a sheetcake and so most tend to stray away from them altogether because of that, and I sure don't want to under cut myself

just because it's a 2" thick rectangle of cake doesn't mean it HAS to be boring.........I've done lots of "sheetcakes" and I do hate them (because they're more challenging to pull off than a tiered cake for me), but my customers don't always budget for a tiered cake.

I have had customers come with grand ideas only to get a sheetcake, but they were still happy in the end. Here are a few that wanted a tiered/carved cake and got sheetcake....all were VERY satisfied in the end though!

I too do MANY sheet cakes. Today I am doing two more! While mine are not usually as elaborate as KHalstead's,(which by the way are Fabulous!!) I try to make them as nice/fun/pretty as possible. I usually have orders for tiered cakes PLUS sheet cake, that way you have the "grandeur" of a tiered cake plus the ease of sheet cake. But even then I always do fondant work on the sheets. I suspose it might depend on where you are located too. I guess I'm just sayin' don't cut yourself out of what I find to be a profitable market without a lot of research. (you can always stop offering them if they don't go well)

Khalstead
Awesome cakes, (thanks for the uloads) but how did you get your clients to settle for less when they wanted more?
I really appreciate you alls imput. It just kind of scared me after reading some post and as a newbie in the business part, we want to do what is successful for the majority of everyone else

I forgot to ask, do you all have a minimum? I have read several post on this and do agree that I would hate to start my mixer for a $20.00 order with all my other responsiblities

Those sheetcakes are quite lovely, and I would have charged them at the same price as a layered cake. I prefer to do a layer cake, so I don't offer sheets. I know the cake doesn't cake what shape it's in, so pricing should really be the same *per serving*.

That's what I am going to do too, charge per serving
I figure if they want it, they will pay and that way I will be a little more versatile, without compromising my wages.
I do believe whole heartly that most cake decorators do not charge enough and I encourage them to get what your worth.
If people will pay $150 bucks for a pair of shoes just because, than they can and will pay decent money for a cake.
I have sold Mary Kay and Pampered Chef and you always have the department store shoppers who do not see the quality but the price, which is usually more than not, but when you can get in the right group than you've got it made.
I know from past business experiences that you do have to look and work at finding that right group of people when your starting out. They very rarely will find you, so doing good work, 'donating' samples, advertising, etc is the key.

I charge less for sheet cakes because I spend less time decorating them (which is the bulk of my charge, MY time)and because they're a single layer of cake, no leveling, stacking, dowels, etc. involved.


I charge $1.00/serv. for sheetcakes and $2.50/serv. for tiered cakes.

[quote]Khalstead
Awesome cakes, (thanks for the uloads) but how did you get your clients to settle for less when they wanted more? /[quote]

Once I quoted them a price for what they actually wanted, they were like........"whoah, that's way too much" so I said....well, how much were you looking to spend?? once they told me that then I told them what I could do for them within that budget that would pull the same theme, etc. they were looking for and basically just explained what it would look like and then told them the total for the "new design" and they either take it or leave it.

The people that are dead set on the design they want will have to pay for it, or try to get it somewhere else (not many choices here to begin with), those that are dead set on what they want to spend, will have to settle for what's available in their price range.

I charge a different price for sheet cakes (single layer)
double layered individual cakes (not stacked)
and tiered cakes (4" tall and stacked)

I think it's only fair that as my work increases so does the price, I don't feel fair charging the same for a 2" thick cake as I do for a 2 tiered cake w/ each cake being 4"+ tall, even if they have the same servings......the tiered cake is MORE work for me so that to me = more money and the sheets are less work which = less money.

This is the way I personally feel, to those that charge the same for tiered and sheets more power to you. Where I live it wouldn't fly and I feel ok charging what I do for the sheets vs. tiered cakes.

KHalstead,
Do you have a minimum or take every order that you can work in no matter how small?
That is one thing that I have read quite a bit on here too and am curious about

I take them as they come in, first come, first serve. Once I reach my limit (1,000 servings in a weekend) or take as many as I think I have stamina/time to do then I quit taking them. Only with wedding cakes, I take on ONE wedding cake order per weekend and don't accept any other orders in addition to it....I feel it's an important day and deserves 100% of my attention and I usually make enough profit from the wedding cake not to have to bother with other cakes anyhow.


I would say that at least 85% of all of my cake orders are sheetcakes, 10% wedding cakes and 5% tiered party cakes so if I didn't take the sheetcake orders I wouldn't do that much business.

I can turn out 6 sheetcakes in less than 6 hrs. easily (decorating time) but have been known to spend 15+ hrs. easily on just a 2 or 3 tiered cake alone! My profit margin is about the same with both kinds of cake.......even though the sheet is more cake, less money.....the profit is almost the same as the tiered cake which is less cake, more money, however it's a LOT more of my time being spent as well and time IS money!

Thank you for the insight. I am sure going to do some thinking on all this. I am so glad for CC. I have learned more in the past month on here than I have the last ten years on my own, lol.
... And I am so glad for the honesty from everyone. I would much rather learn now than change my ways down the road