I've been asked to make a slab cake covered in fondant(in a cow theme) for 25 people. No problem there. I was then asked if I could make a sugar free cake for 1 (her MIL is diabetic). What would you do? I usually use box mixes and add to them (so I looked up suger free recipes but don't want to make a whole batch plus icing for basically a cupcake). And what would you charge for it all? Thanks so much in advance.

I don't take 1 serving orders. My smallest order is a 6" round which serves 12. Period. Or I send them to a specialty bakery in town.

Nope, no 1 serving cakes.
No sugar free cakes, either.
Specialty bakery or grandma just eats a tiny slice.

Tell me the client has a recipe for ANY 1 serving baked item.....sheesh.

Rae

I'm into small batch baking, so a single serving cake is no problem, but sugar-free is another matter. Small batch baking is fun because you can try all sorts of recipes for little expense, and don't have to worry about left-overs. You've probably seen mug cake recipes, designed to be microwaved in a large mug. The same recipe will make several cupcakes that when baked in a regular oven, are a pretty good introduction to single serving baking. Debby Maugans has two cookbooks "Small Batch Baking" and now "Small Batch Baking for Chocolate Lovers".

I'd tell them I couldn't do it...Totally sugar-free ckes are nasty IMO. I tried all the sugar substitutes, and they all left a nasty aftertaste.

That point aside, I wouldn't do a 1-serving cake, that's insane!

Ditto to Leah_s and Blakescakes..That is just ridiculous to expect someone to bake 1 cupcake and sugar free at that..Nope!!

Rhondab...That is very interesting..I have never heard of that.Great for a single person.

I haven't made sugar free cakes before, but when I do gluten free, I charge an extra $0.50 per serving and that covers my additional cost. That being said, unless you have a specialty bakery where you sell individual servings, you should charge for at least 12 servings.

I'd tell them that you can do a 6 in tier to match, but it's a 12 serving cake and due to the higher cost of sugar free ingredients, you have to charge more per serving (figure out what it will cost you first). If you're polite and hold your ground on the issue, they'll probably keep their order (at least the regular part).

If not, the worst that can happen is that they cancel the whole order and you don't have to worry about it any more. I wouldn't be ok with putting effort and time away from my family for any other option. You're a cake business not a cake charity.

I charge $1 extra per serving and up for special diet cakes. The ingredients are spendy!

Of course I cannot claim gluten free since my equipment has processed gluten before (same goes for nut freet/dairy free/whatever free) so I give the schpeal about how the recipes are gluten free, but due to the equipment not being separate their cake may contain traces of whatever product they are trying to avoid. Most are okay with that and they sign on that at pick up/delivery/signing of their contract.

No way would I do a 1 serving cake though... even if I could I wouldn't for an order. They would have to order a 6" cake at the minimum. For *my* grandma... yeah... I'd do anything, but for a client's grandma... they can order the small cake.