I hope this translates well..

I love to cake decorate. I'd love to do it from home (MA)..

I am not a good baker.. I do ok, but not the best..

I am thinking.. what if I bought frozen cakes already baked, and bought premade frosting... all I'd be doing is decorating...

Does that change anything with health dept, business set up, cottage laws, liability insurance, etc, etc..?????

Wendy

Here in NY, it wouldn't change health Dept. requirements re: food handling. Why not just go decorate cakes in a grocery store "bakery" -
nearly everything in those bakeries are shipped frozen and some are iced already too. That way, you can get your fill of decorating.

i agree with bakingpw...if you decorate in a grocery store you can gain more skills and experience instead of trying to start your own business. then you will know for sure when you are good!

Been there, done that... twice actually! LOL!!

The first place wanted me to use as much frosting as possible and as many colors as possible on the cakes.. they looked messy and overdone..

the second place had bad management. I did everything but decorate cakes.. I did cupcakes, big cookies and wrote on cakes, but nothing else..

Wendy

I personally wouldn't buy a cake from someone who hadn't baked it themselves and hadn't made the frosting. If a client orders a cake from
you their natural assumption is going to be that you have made the entire thing, not just decorated it.

Ive had people tell me they just want the cake to look pretty. They dont care what it tastes like just make it look good. But Ive had far more who care about taste most and couldnt care less if it looked like poop on a cake board, so long as it doesnt taste like it I know there are some bakers on here who do buy their cakes premade and use premade icing as well. I dont know how well they do business wise though. As popular as grocery store bakeries are I dont think youd have any trouble selling your cakes.

When I got back into cakes, deco, it was because I found fondant. At, first all i cared about was how the cake looked. I didn't like to bake. I didnt buy the cakes, but just threw together whatever box was on sale, and never filled. Then oneday I did a cake for my best friend..the girls and I where at our favorite restraunt with a beautiful cake and then they cut it. To my horror the cake was dry, flavorless...just blah. I was embarrased. Nobody said anything, gotta love friends, but my daughter did! I went home and began learning to bake. I believe the cake should look great, but taste even better. I can say that today. Please do it all, it's worth it.

thank you for the responses... very interesting!!!

I've heard that those bakery cakes - people love them, just don't like the decorations.. I have bought frosting from two different stores, and I liked one way better than the other.. I'm not a huge fan of fondant (other than using it for embellishments ) and every time I've used it to cover a cake, no one liked it.. esp since it rips off all the buttercream when you remove it! LOL!!!

definately food for thought.. you guys are awesome!!!!

Wendy

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wendy- I'm in MA and I would think weather you are baking or handling food at all for retail sale you would be subject to the residential kitchen laws that apply so before you get too far into the process I would check with your town as to whther you can even just decorate. Ultimately you are handling food for consumption so best to check.

Wendydou, maybe go to work for a high end custom cake shop not a grocery store. That way you do get to do all the creative deorating and generally there is someone else who is hired to do the baking, and that is all they do. You simply pull out the cake you need from the cooler and do your thing.

I have thought many times about doing this also. I am a good baker, I just do not enjoy it. If I were to have a bakery make the cake I don't see any reason why the customer would even need to know where the cake came from. As long as it tastes good and is from a reputable bakery that follows health codes, ect. I think it's fine. I would still make my own icings and fillings. Someday, when I've just had enough of the baking this is my plan. Especially since I'm a one woman operation! There's only so much I can do and not be stressed.