Hi Cakers!

God Bless all the cakers out there that have their own businesses!! I do not know how you folks do it! I have done 4 cakes in the last month. Plesae don't laugh!! I know that is not a lot compared to the professionals.

How do you guys do this cake thing and NOT get worn out? I am taking all of December off to chill out with my family. What so many people do not realize is that soooooo many hours go into a cake. I alone have 20 hours in a princess cake I did.

This last cake was a Betty Boop cake
http://www.cakecentral.com/cake-photo_1882154.html

I want to go in business one day, but I did not realize all the hard work and time it takes that go in 1 cake??!

Just venting....Sorry!

Michael

I hear ya. I did 89 cakes this season, with several weekends with 4-5 and one weekend with 5 big weddings and two 3-D grooms cakes (plus I was a guest at one wedding), and that about killed me. 16 hour days are HARD, and yes, the 'fun' does wear off a bit those days! (mild sarcasm there, lol)

I cut off cakes at the beginning of November, and I'm not going back till after the Bridal Fest in January, except for two cakes this weekend (shh!), and I've been hanging at home, canning, baking, and decorating for the holidays. Oh, and I squeezed in a week in Ft. Lauderdale laying on the beach with my oldest best friend, mom and bro, drinking vodka and OJ.

Actually the break's been terrific, but I'm getting wound up and ready to go back, I can't wait for weddings to start again and excited be at the shop tomorrow baking again.

Ya get used to it, but it can definitely feel like overkill when you're busy!

I think the difference for us home hobby bakers is that is totally takes over the entire kitchen and for me atleast with two small children I have to wait until everyone is in bed to really start decorating. I agree that until you decorate your own cakes no one will ever appreciate the time that goes in to it. I always compare it to those that hand quilt. If you've ever priced a handmade quilt they are super expensive. But think of the hours that go into it.

Don't think that 4 cakes a month isn't a lot. It takes me nearly all week to complete a cake. I start baking on Monday, and start gumpaste people etc by Wed. and stay up Friday night assembling.

You will feel great taking a few weeks off. Try and shoot for only doing a cake every other weekend. Its still a lot, but you can enjoy it.

I am with you. I am about to come off of my cake break next week, when i have a super hard super Luigi cake to do! My last cake was a quick throw together for halloween party. So its been a few weeks and not sure I am ready to go back! I typically do 3-4 cakes a month as well, one per weekend, sometimes 2 and i have 3 young kids and I start after they go to bed as well. Same schedule as lady above, bake the Sunday before, freeze and then every night there is something to prepare! Its overwhelming! You know the businesses though have workers! someone making fondant, icing, baking the cakes, etc. I would love to have someone doing all of that for me and I could just assemble! I went to a bakery the other day to get donuts and was looking at their cakes they had made. I was like....'that is a quickie cake if I have ever seen one' and made me even more proud of my cakes! good luck to you...the hardest thing i have had to learn is to just say no and recommend someone else! Family first!

oh, BTW, Betty Boop cake is awesome!

Not all bakeries have help...many are one-woman (or man) shows, like me.

but I do remember the working at home after the kids are in bed, and it was some loooong nights. Now it's just loooong days (and some nights too)...lol.

I took on too many cakes a few times this year, and I learned my lesson for next season. Well, I say that *now*. Ask me how it went next September and see if I remembered not to say yes to everything!

I've made 78 cakes since May 9th 2010. Plus I work full time at a school working with special needs children. About 4 weeks ago I could sense the signs of exhaustion and tried to start cutting back. On top of that I have a bum knee which can be very painful to stand on while decorating cakes.
I'm scheduled for a knee surgery next Friday and will be out of commission for at least 4 weeks. This evening someone called me asking for a 3-D log cabin cake for this Saturday.
I turned it down. I hate saying no.
This evening after work I made a full sheet cake for the kids I work with. It will be a special gift for them tomorrow. It was nice being able to do something special for them before I go out on sick leave.
I look forward to the break!

*photo of raffle cake in my file for my kids. We had a fund raiser and the kids I work with sold the most raffle tickets winning a party.

I so know what you mean! It was my first full wedding season. Since the first week of May, I've done 72 wedding cakes plus several birthday, baby shower, and anniversary cakes. I'm tired! It's just me by myself running my business, but this has been my full-time job since March. There were a few times this summer that I honestly thought I was going to die I was so tired. Some weeks in August and September I had 5-7 wedding cakes per week. I vowed I will not schedule that many ever again. I have 3 very busy weeks remaining (6 more wedding cakes by Dec. 18th) and then I'm taking the rest of the month off to get ready for bridal show season in January. I'm also taking off 2 weeks in January to go on vacation to Hawaii. I can't wait for this break. Right about now, I hate cake. But I know it's just because I'm so burnt out and am hoping to take a breather and find my cake joy again.....just keeping cautious next season to not get myself into this place again.

I agree with you, it's very exhausting!!! I homeschool 3 kids, so I do stuff in between that and it's crazy. Your Boop cake is AWESOME!!! You did a fantastic job!

Thanks for this thread I have been feeling guilty for booking off Dec and Jan although I have a wedding mid Jan Im burnt out as well. Today is my first day off I did up to 6 weddings per weekend May to end of Nov just dont want to do it any more so Im hoping this break will revive me. I work alone too.

[quote="tokazodo"]I've made 78 cakes since May 9th 2010. Plus I work full time at a school working with special needs children. About 4 weeks ago I could sense the signs of exhaustion and tried to start cutting back. On top of that I have a bum knee which can be very painful to stand on while decorating cakes.
I'm scheduled for a knee surgery next Friday and will be out of commission for at least 4 weeks. This evening someone called me asking for a 3-D log cabin cake for this Saturday.
I turned it down. I hate saying no.
This evening after work I made a full sheet cake for the kids I work with. It will be a special gift for them tomorrow. It was nice being able to do something special for them before I go out on sick leave.
I look forward to the break!
quote]
Tokazodo, and all you other hard workers: Why do you push yourselves so hard and "hate to say no"? Do you need the income? Do you do it because you want to be creative? If I worked full-time and didn't need the money there would be ZERO PROBLEMS saying NO to anybody. However, if it meant the difference between shoes or coats for the kids, I'd work as long as it took.

I need to supplement my husband's and my income. I have a son who just graduated college last year, and got married in July. I have a daughter who will graduate High school this year and head off to college. I would choose only to bake or make cakes but there is not enough demand in my area to do it full time. I live in a seasonal tourist area and the full time year round locals, do not create enough demand to do this full time. I am a baker by trade, but can not make a living at it. I am blessed to find two things I love to do equally. Bake, and teach special needs children. I work at the local school to keep a steady income and insurance benefits as do many people who live and work in this area.

Everyone needs a cake break at sometime or another...
It just takes us longer to realize it, Me? It took me a whole summer to realize I should have said no to lots of cakes but the extra money was great..
But then again, money isn't everything...and my son (and only chld) will be only this age once and should take every advantage of making the most of it.
Hope everyone has a nice break, You ALL deserve it!
Jodi

Well, I give you ALL a huge round of deafening applause!!!!!! If you were paid for your passion, your creativity, your willingness to see the smile on the cake recipient's face, your commitment to stay up for 17 hours to "get it done", most of the cakes would be worth about $2,000. But, hey, in today's economy sometimes $30 is worth a lot more than just $30.

A beloved cousin, Ricki, in rural Kansas farm-country (my inspiration to start decorating cakes) has been doing cakes from her tiny, tiny kitchen in an old 1900's home for about 35 years. She isn't able to charge hardly anything, but the few dollars she gets for the cakes have sometimes been all that kept her family going during the rough spots. She is also known as the "cake lady" and has helped out many a family or bride & groom to make their day special. She was self-taught and and can do amazing buttercream cakes.

[quote="tokazodo"

Please, I did not mean to complain or try to play, "Can you top this". I don't want to be 'that guy'.
I think we all work hard at this craft. It's an expensive, time consuming craft but it can be very satisfying, seeing the end product and the excitement on peoples faces when they finally see their cake.
[/quote]

No problem here. I appreicate your feedback on this topic. I didn't take your reply as a "can you top this". I am just glad that I am not the only out in the Cake world that feels overwelmed at times.

Thanks again!
Michael