AI know pricing threads have dominated the forums for a minute to the chagrin of many. Please tell me Scratch vs Box Mix isn't the upcoming trend.

AOh no, you planted the seed!

ALOL. This seed has been long planted and is thriving. Have you seen the threads lately? Ugh!

ALol yeah. I've been silently lurking and staying out of it :p. I think the forum could use a "debate" section

jennicake & vgcea,

 

Are both of you professional bakers, making a living with your cakes?

I don't understand why a member starts one of these instead of just posting on an existing thread. It seems counter productive. Not to mention irritating.

AFrankly I had no idea so many professional bakers used mixes until I came to CC. The fact that so many of them are so successful doing it shocks me still.

I think it's like mommy wars. Both sides feel like the other diminishes their stance, it's like they're fighting to convince themselves almost. "If clients love box mix cakes so much, why should I bother continuing to do the work that scratch requires?" vs "Is box mix really cheating and should I be calling myself a pro if I don't bake from scratch?" I think it brings up a little doubt in all of us no matter what side we're on.

Uhhhh...wow

MB, you are very new here, so I think you have misinterpreted. Yes, there are many professionals here. But also many people new to baking and decorating. And each person has their own unique personality. We come to help and we come to enjoy the discussions and debates.

 

I love looking through the forums, but I find it difficult to read, keep track of, and respond to the threads that are basically similar.    

very nicely put Mimi

A

Why do they ask how much to charge? How to make a bow? How many cups of batter to fill a pan? No one thinks to Google anymore. Long live the Google.

http://bit.ly/1c8BipP 

AI love Google. My kids laughed at me the other day when my son asked me something and I said "Let me think..." as I reached for my iPad. I consider Google an extension of my brain!

Thread Started by vcgea on  4/19/13

 

http://cakecentral.com/t/756707/is-it-just-me-or-has-the-caking-industry-always-been-this-saturated

 

Let me preface by saying that I love all the numerous AND affordable options out there; if they didn't exist I would be SOL trying to fork up the $$$$$ required for classes with the cakexperts. That said, everywhere I look there are 9,999 sites and individuals offering tutorials on just about every cake related thing you can imagine and how to turn caking into a business. From Michaels to Craftsy and similar sites to the facebook page owners who insist on clogging my homepage with the $2.99 quickie tutorials, everybody is geared toward putting out as much caking info as possible. No technique in caking is left a mystery. I noticed Craftsy even has a course for starting a cake business along with the 8,997 tutorials available. Has this always been the case and I'm just late to the party or is there indeed an increase and a consequent near-saturation of the market/webmosphere with every cake tip and tutorial imaginable? Makes me want to ask, so why does the customer need me if theres a DIY for everything easily accessible? Of course my rational mind can come up with tangible reasons but I'm ignoring lil' Ms. Rational this morning.

 

A part of me loves that I can access legendary folks like Nicholas Lodge for $19.99, another part of me is totally bummed that I can access legendary folks like Nicholas Lodge for $19.99 because it means half the population of the United States and a third of China can too! It chips away at the awesomeness some. I think it's something about accessibility and perceived value or maybe I'm just a naughty cake-toddler who doesn't want to share LOLOLOL!!!!

 

I'm feeling very ambivalent this morning (lack of sleep might be it too) I love that all the info is out there, and I hate that all the info is out there. Kinda like a sorority with no secrets; totally zaps the awesomeness factor. 

 

EDIT: In the end, I think this is more of a rant than anything. Probably should get some sleep.

Edited by vgcea - 4/9/13 at 7:07am

 

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Thread started by jennicake on 7/1/09

 

http://cakecentral.com/t/639503/help-wedding-cake-tier-sizes

 

I'm officially doing my first wedding cake this weekend and am about to start baking tonight, but I have a question about tier sizes.

This will be a stacked, square cake... would a 8/10/12 cake look alright, or would it be better to go 8/12/16? I'm not sure if 8/10/12 would look off...

Thanks in advance! I'm going to try ganache under fondant for this one too... some of the posts on here have me itching to try it lol. Wish me luck =o)

 

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Mimifix,

             They were understood perfectly well.   Being new to CC is not being new to life.  By Researching their personal pages, and reading their own many commentaries and requests for help, along with the threads that they started, no misunderstanding has occurred. No misunderstanding was possible.

 

When you say "we", I kinda think that you really mean You and thousands of other good hearted souls who have nothing but excellent intentions.

I remember when I was a kid and asked how to spell something my parents would say "go look it up". When I was coming up in the Navy and asked a senior tech a question he would point me to the pub library. That's how you learn. I am a Google fanatic. It is a wonderful resource.

Oh my, AZ, how did you do that?

Sorry Alaska but I'm not sure I'm getting the point you are trying to make. And it makes it really hard to read and follow with all of the font and color changes. Could you please explain calmly what it is that is bothering you?

MBalaska... I'm not sure why you first insinuated I was disgusted and being condescending, and then went on to point out that I have asked for a lot of help on this forum.  The fact that I ask for help should prove that I have absolutely nothing to be condescending for.  

 

I still don't get what you are so offended about, but it obviously seems like I have done or said something that bothered you along the way.  If that is the case, I do apologize.  I do not come here to irritate people.  I come here to learn and to share things I have learned myself.  Nothing more.  

AAbout the widely available knowledge about this business that anyone can pick up on...why isn't pricing and good business practices related tutorials, and articles JUST as appealing? Cause that's way more important than learning how to make ruffles.

And for the record, may I say that the growing number of molds and cutters are the beginning of the death of creativity. I'm making it my mission to make nothing that I can't shape with my own two hands or paint, from here on out. Ignore my use of edible images on an upcoming cake however. My hypocrisy will be the death of me.

Don't mind me, I'm possibly being a goober.

AI agree AZ. Ethics courses should be like a prerequisite for some things.

So it is unethical to use available tools? I am not quite sure I follow that line of reasoning Pam.

A

I think Pam was referring to AZ's comments about good business practices.

AThank you As you wish & Scrumdiddly. That is what I was referring to. How anyone could think that I said using available tools to learn a craft is unethical, is beyond me.

Thank you for clearing that up I've been known to be a numbskull sometimes..lol

Thank you...