Re: Holiday Cakes - How Do You Manage?
Decorating By Panel7124 Updated 20 Oct 2011 , 7:43pm by cupadeecakes
How do you manage holiday cakes orders? I've got quite a lot orders for Halloween (can't immagine Christmas), but can't manage more than 3 per day as I'm a one woman business - and everybody wants to pick up his cake on 31 Oct. It'm really sorry as people are even willing to pay almost double per serving than an 'usual' price for a special cake and I can't find anybody to help in this period.
If getting extra help isn't an option, have you considered pre-baking your layers and freezing them? And if you have refrigerator/cooler space, you can (thaw and) decorate several days in advance and the cake will still be fresh. HTH!
If getting extra help isn't an option, have you considered pre-baking your layers and freezing them? And if you have refrigerator/cooler space, you can (thaw and) decorate several days in advance and the cake will still be fresh. HTH!
I've never frozen cakes but have read a lot about it on CC. Personally would not like to do it as I advertise scratch, freshly baked cakes. The baking part is maybe the less worrying one, it's more the decorating part. I may keep completely decorated cake with perishable filling in the fridge for 2 days maybe in this case (and it will start to make me feel slightly uncomfortable) but not more. I have also limited space there - max three 12' cakes.
I convinced some clients to pick up their cakes on Oct 30 but they were not very happy. The clients are quite picky taste-wise and maybe it's more a problem of mentality as they don't understand that a fondant covered cake with BC can stay out of the fridge for some time. I haven't faced this problem till now as I didn't advertise so much last year and the orders were manageable. Anyway, thanks for your advice, may try to freeze one cake today and see how it goes. It will not be freshly baked though... but in this case, I'll give it a try.
I've never frozen cakes but have read a lot about it on CC. Personally would not like to do it as I advertise scratch, freshly baked cakes.
I completely understand your trepidation Panel, but at least do this: bake a single layer of your favorite cake, let it cool, double wrap it in cling wrap, and pop it in the freezer for a month. Then take it out, let it thaw for 2 days in the cooler and have it for dessert. If it doesn't taste fresh-baked to you, throw it out and never do it again. I was very surprised at the taste when I did this. I like to bake fresh too, but there's times when you have to do whatever it takes to complete your orders on hand.
The clients are quite picky taste-wise and maybe it's more a problem of mentality as they don't understand that a fondant covered cake with BC can stay out of the fridge for some time.
I mean no disrespect here, but it seems as though you might be having a hard time with that too. I have a big(ish) cooler and I like to refrigerate even my fondant cakes, but in a pinch a fondant cake can set out for a couple of days and be completely fine. If it sits in your kitchen for that extra day they'll never know. Or is this a more of a (foot)traffic issue?
Ultimately it's up to you... It's your name and your reputation on the line. I just wanted to offer another viewpoint and another option to get you through your holiday crisis. I wish you the best of luck!
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