AI'm quite sure the health department has an opinion on how much "love" we allow to get on our cakes, if we are selling to the public, and I'm pretty sure the amount needs to be zero or even less! I will testify there has never been and will never be and love in my cakes. Sounds unsanitary as hell.

However, I do bake and decorate with great care, and I love my job! I'm not trying to get rich, but 3 of my kids and I all need braces, so that is the same thing as being rich, right?

AYes. I don't have kids so I guess that may be why I'm tunnel visioned. I'm really able to busy my you know what. I'm only 21 so i have a lifetime to do this. I graduated from college and ramped my business up ..but any who.

Sorry OP I don't want to derail your thread. I just thought that statement you put what interesting. But that's really not significant. All the other advice has been really really awesome.

AEdit: Not that nobody else doesn't bust theirs. That's not what I meant. I mean I work all day and all night. I don't have kids/husband so I can be a bit more free with the scheduling. Although like someone said I'm not naive enough to think in gonna get rich just doing this. It's just a starting point

As a business, Aim for people with both Champagne taste AND Champagne Pocketbooks.

Ask yourself each & every time you give away a cake at cost, “Would I open my purse right now and give $50, $100, or $500 cash out of my wallet to this person?”    because that’s exactly what you are doing now.

Not being in cake business myself, I use baking, cookie, & candy making as a gift genie. I don’t buy anything, I make something. Profit is not one of the things that is made.

Ps: When you have someone ‘flinging poo’ at you, separate the poo from the kernel of truth that may be held within.  Examine the truth, and let the rest roll off with equanimity.

A

Don't be discouraged. it takes practice to perfect certain techniques. I took a look at the pictures and for someone who has only done this a few months, you have done some intricate cakes that look like a lot of work and time. And possibly not beginner style cakes. Do they need a little polishing, perhaps. Should you quit NO!!! By no means we all start somewhere.

Some advice though, from a BTDT ....work on your techniques on a dummy cake, and perfect your craft. Then charge what it is worth. People will come to you because they know you are learning and want a "cake boss" cake for a "walmart" price. When you get better and realize what it really costs to make a cake like the ones you have made already, your current customers will not want to pay what you charge. (Not even family) trust me I know...You will have to market yourself to another set of customers.

I dont do this as a full time business either, and only do them occasionally now. I know my market, and I know what they charge for cakes out there, so I price competively if I want the business.

Oh and ban that hater from your page. thank him for his "professional opinion" and move on! o one should ever tell anyone to quit doing something they like and just started learning. I'd like to see his work on the early days of his "formal education" lol

I am totally self taught.  I look at videos, tutorials, and get tons of ideas on here and Google.  I worked at a bakery and learned by observation. 

One handy cost saving thing I learned is that you can make  your own cake boards out of foamcore boards you get at hobby stores.  You can cut your own and cover them with white freezer wrap found in the foil section of the grocery store (use the shiny side out) and put a ribbon around the sides to coordinate with the cake.  They did this all the time and it's a good neutral clean back ground.  Cleans up nicely too. 

Get a couple of poster boards and set the cake on one and put the other behind the cake and you've got a clean background for photos.

Look at tutorials on smoothing buttercream and practice, practice.  Use an offset spatula. 

Get a Makins clay extruder and you will be able to make fondant vines and borders and even toppers that look clean and professional.

Invest in good cake pans.  I prefer Magic Line...but I use Fat Daddio's too.  Buy cutters and other supplies as you need them.  It's a good way to slowly create a good inventory.

Do practice cakes and give them to neighbors or charities.  Use dummies too. 

Do I think you should be selling now?  No.  I think instead of just producing cakes for cost you need to start charging when your skill set justifies charging a legitimate price.  Everyone is right about what will happen when you start charging 'for real' and you suddenly up  your prices.  Your existing customers will suddenly find you way too expensive and you'll have to start from scratch.

Do I think you have promise?  Yes I do.  Which is why you should never give up.  If you love it, keep at it.  Don't let others tell  you can't do something.  They're only saying THEY don't want you to succeed because that will somehow diminish their own self-worth. 

Good luck!

AShe should go work in a bakery as it is ILLEGAL to sell anything from your kitchen in AL! You get a lot of parcto e on someone elses dime that way and you get paid for it. I agree with using dummies to practice on and baking for charities.

AAnother tip I forgot to mention is to just gift the cake versus selling at costs. When I wanted to practice or learn something new. I would offer to bring the dessert for free. If people like your work and taste, you almost always get a cake order form a party or a referral latter on. (Then at which time you charge competitively) I would not do this for everyone, maybe a close friend. MY family didn't even know I decorated cakes, until they heard it from my friends.

A

Ewwwwww!

First, this guy is not a friend! If he was, he would offer to help you. Many of us start out doing cakes for the cost of ingredients. I probably would not use a business name until you are ready to price your cakes accordingly. That will keep your business name from be associated with "cheap cakes" and any potential early mistakes (we all have them). If you don't want to unfriend the "friend" you can use Facebook's custom settings to exclude him from seeing your cake photos when you post them.  Keep baking and have fun.