okay...so i just made a couple of cakes for baby showers....absolutely fell in love with decorating...actually going quite bonkers about it...being a stay at home mom, i'm thinking to practice like crazy and perhaps do a few to make a little extra grocery money BUT.....my husband is a little less than supportive, well, actually not too excited about the whole thing. So my question is...is it a labor of love...or can you "have your cake and eat it too?"Can you have cake and frosting? Okay, bad puns...but really, can one make a living at decorating?????

My own opinion is that you can only make a living at it if you do wedding cakes. That's the only time you'll get enough volume, and people willing to pay you for the time it takes to make a cake truly beautiful, for it to pay well enough to support you.

$30-$60 cakes that take hours are just never going to cut it as anything but "hobby" money -- at least in my experience.

I have a friend (cake decorator) who raised her 3 dauthers and paid a morgage (single parent) just making cakes, (birthday and wedding)

I wish I could! I haven't really been doing this a long time though, and I don't have my own licensed kitchen, but I'm having fun! I'm hoping in the future to turn this into a full-time career! I'm bumping you on this post to find out if others are doing it too!

Not now... right now I just make extra spending money which ends up going "back into the business" somehow, either buying more cake toys or a new refrig, etc.

I rarely get wedding orders although I have a record TWO for September. My website is so full of kids cakes that I'm afraid I don't have a very "reliable" reputation yet. I need to get me some dummy cakes and make some photos for my site but I just haven't had the time to do it.

as far as a reliable substantial income, probably have to gt into wedding cakes, however, there have been months i've made a couple hundred dollars doing small cakes ( birthday and so forth) i don't really want to go full force into wedding cakes, don't want it to consume my weekends, and don't want all that pressure.

I wish I could make a living from cakes. I think I would need at least a wedding cake order every week in order to make a decent living.

Right now cake decorating just puts some extra spending money in my pocket whenever I get some orders. I had a dry spell in the last two months so no extra money coming in right now. Oh I forgot, luckily I did get three orders this week. FINALLY!

I know a lady that makes her living doing wedding cakes. We are not in a large metro area either. She only makes wedding cakes - she prices high enough that eveyone wants her and she takes them by appointment only. She is also self taught - no classes. She will not do a birthday cake.

Yes I believe you can but you have to price yourself right so you make the money and become 'in demand'.

I couldn't make a living at cake decorating. I find it too hard to charge people what I should really be charging. This week a co-worker asked if I would make a cake for her husband's birthday. It was a simple, 8" round coconut cake and the only decoration was 2 large strawberries on top. I figured my cost and it came to $8.11. I only charged her $12.00. That left me $3.89 to cover my time for ingredient shopping, mixing, baking, icing, and packaging and the electricity for the oven, mixer and dishwasher. I guess if I was really selling cakes, I would need to toughen up and charge what I'm worth! I can see that I am going to have to learn to say no!

Price- I am the same exact way..I have had a cake order for just about every other weekend since April, but I never charge enough. My supplies alone cost me usually $35 and if i'm lucky I can get finished with it 8 hours later. Yet, I barely have the nerve to charge them $50! Now that I have had some practice..I'm going to make up a pricing chart and when people call me ask how much they want to spend so I can tell them what I can do for that amount of money. I think it will be less stressful that way.

My DH and I have discussed tghis several times over the past 15 or so years. I know that I could not support us by doing cakes. But I do make about $4,500-$5,000 per year doing just celebration cakes. I could pay some of the smaller bills if I needed to. But my income is just a way of putting some money in savings for emergencies. This year our son begins college and we may need to dip into the cake money. And I will soon begin doing wedding cakes, so the money will increase some. I was an ER nurse for many years before I became a stay-at-home mom, but so much has changed I would need to go back to school if I had to go back to nursing. So cake decorating is what I would have to rely on if we need the additional income.

WOW the responses are so appreciated...I guess the way i figure it...I need an outlet and i do love it so much...something just for me. If i even make a little, it's still a little and i'll only get better with practice. Maybe one day i'll be brave and venture into the wedding thing.

What are the main worries with wedding cakes? Bridezillas??? haha. I remember my wedding cake was the very huge castle cake that was on the cover of their book. The entire top fell apart when they set it up and had to redo it...they had 15 minutes before my arrival. Yeah, i'd say that's some pressure. I have a kitchen big enough to work in (blessing)...but I have only 1 oven and a side by side fridge. My understanding is that you really need fridge space (and tall space inside) and at least a couple of stoves for baking.

Well that's down the road...but for now..practice practice practice ...

We do need to start charging what we're worth! Otherwise, people think they can get a cake for $12.00 - $15.00. That's usually not true unless you're being very nice! But with such a wide range of prices, it's no wonder people have no idea what a cake costs..... it would be really cool if there was some sort of nation-wide pricing - at least for the very very basics like a sheetcake - no fillings, just BC icing, no elaborate decorations or anything.......

Anyway - I would love to do this for a living, as I've said.... but I need to find kitchen space first and no one at my church will reply to my many e-mails asking if I could use their space.... and I work full-time (well sort-of, I"m on here most of the day at work!). I'd rather be decorating though and would leave my job in a second if I had the space and thought I could make enough money doing it. Does anyone make a large amount of money? I think $4-5000 is good, but it doesn't cover a basic salary for most "regular" jobs. Although it's more fun, I don't know how many people can live with that unless their spouse has a high paying job...

okay rambling....enough i'll end here

We do need to start charging what we're worth! Otherwise, people think they can get a cake for $12.00 - $15.00. That's usually not true unless you're being very nice! But with such a wide range of prices, it's no wonder people have no idea what a cake costs..... it would be really cool if there was some sort of nation-wide pricing - at least for the very very basics like a sheetcake - no fillings, just BC icing, no elaborate decorations or anything.......

Anyway - I would love to do this for a living, as I've said.... but I need to find kitchen space first and no one at my church will reply to my many e-mails asking if I could use their space.... and I work full-time (well sort-of, I"m on here most of the day at work!). I'd rather be decorating though and would leave my job in a second if I had the space and thought I could make enough money doing it. Does anyone make a large amount of money? I think $4-5000 is good, but it doesn't cover a basic salary for most "regular" jobs. Although it's more fun, I don't know how many people can live with that unless their spouse has a high paying job...

okay rambling....enough i'll end here

I know of someone in our area who years ago (70's or early 80's) put her husband through school on sheet cakes. I have only sold a couple but it put extra spending money in my pocket. I would like to do cakes at home so I can be home after my youngest goes to school in 2 years, then I won't have after school daycare. I don't have to make enough to live on but would like to pull in at least a couple hundred a month.

I know of someone in our area who years ago (70's or early 80's) put her husband through school on sheet cakes. I have only sold a couple but it put extra spending money in my pocket. I would like to do cakes at home so I can be home after my youngest goes to school in 2 years, then I won't have after school daycare. I don't have to make enough to live on but would like to pull in at least a couple hundred a month.

things to think about:

are you licensed? can you get licensed? If yes, you have more options open to you (selling to restaurants more easily, for example).

do you have a good idea how much it COSTS you to make a cake? ingredients? Misc. costs like electricity, supplies, etc.> That helps you figure your real profit. Also assign yourself a set rate for labor.

Once you know your costs, look at what you would have to charge per cake and how many cakes you would be able to make and sell each month - that will determine how much you have the potential to bring in each month.

hope this helps.

I have been at this for 34 years now. I am making a nice living from it now. I am primarily doing wedding cakes for 2 large caterers. The money is certainly in weddings. And I have to comment on what some are charging. If you plan on doing this as a business, you have to learn to figure in all your costs, time & then you will start to get more orders. You need to develop a flavor & price list & feel confident in your ability to provide a product that you are proud of & that your customers appreciate.

I just gave birth to our fourth daughter and decided to stay home after working fulltime through the others. I used to decorate a lot, but turned down orders while I was pregnant with the fourth because of bed rest. I just recently took it up again, and last week I had 6 cake orders. I only have 1 this week, but it averages out okay. Its a little challenging decorating while holding an infant, but I always get it done.

Currenly, I am very busy, with the summer season, I have a wedding almost every weekend and get several celebration cakes on top of that. But I could never make the salery I am making now working my full time job, so have given up the idea of ever being able to do this full time (there are too many bakeries in my area to compete with) But i agree, weddings is where the money is. Its the only one where people are willing to spend the money on a decent cake. Walmart and BJ's just charge too little and even if you cake is better and nicer and different, people still use them as thier price point. I have been trying to do cakes that these places WONT do (like sculptured cakes and topsy turvey, etc) so I get a lot of customers that really like that. But many people just don't buy more then one or two cakes a year. So I don't have many repeat customers. I suspect if you really want to do it full time, to hook up with a good caterer or something like that. And be ready to live, eat and sleep cakes. (it is a full time job, even part time!)

Right now, my business is paying for our vacations (we just took a week long vacation to the beach and all the money spent was "cake money!" It was cool!) and little extras. I am lucky though, as I haven't bought any pans or cake decorating supplies in a while..so all I have been needing to buy lately is food product. (flour, sugar, etc) and boxes. My main thing now isn't as much as how much I am charging, but cutting down on how much it costs me to make the cake. Buying boxes in bulk, and signing up with companies that sell only to businesses. (I am fully licensed and have a tax id) Like I said, there is a lot of competition in our area and I can't raise my prices too much...

Anyway, sorry so long! Good luck!

For me, like i said, I don't charge enough, and I am definitely going to take everyones advice on starting to I'm a stay at home mom, not because my husband makes a lot o fmoney, just because its what we want to do, so any extra helps. But as a stay at home mom, I love to do it because it gives me a little extra money, and a sense of pride I guess you could say. If you work at a job you get praises and you can get raises and that kind of thing, but as a stay at home mom you don't get that, except from my husband now and then Sometimes I even get rude comments made to me because that is what I "do", so it is just nice to have this on the side to feel like I can really do something. I am starting to make and sell cheesecakes as well and that allows me for some extra money as well. I love to bake and I love to be with my son..so I get to do both and get a little money as well! So no matter what I think its worth it! And when someone tells you that your cake was the best they ever had than it makes it all worth it!

Me too - a couple hundred a month would be nice "extra" money. I teach first grade full time and even though we teachers do not make a lot, I don't think I could even come close to my teacher salary by doing cakes. Come summer, I really have time to practice and would love to make a little extra spending money.

Me too - a couple hundred a month would be nice "extra" money. I teach first grade full time and even though we teachers do not make a lot, I don't think I could even come close to my teacher salary by doing cakes. Come summer, I really have time to practice and would love to make a little extra spending money.

Well, I work full time in a hospital Laboratory (Medical technologist), and there is NO way I could make anything even remotely close to that by doing cakes. I only average about 2 cakes a week right now, and I stress over them! It would be easier if I weren't working full time, but I just don't think the money would pan out. So, I'll continue to do both until I get burned out on one of them! (I'm betting on the Job getting to me first....LOL)

Sherry

Well, I work full time in a hospital Laboratory (Medical technologist), and there is NO way I could make anything even remotely close to that by doing cakes. I only average about 2 cakes a week right now, and I stress over them! It would be easier if I weren't working full time, but I just don't think the money would pan out. So, I'll continue to do both until I get burned out on one of them! (I'm betting on the Job getting to me first....LOL)

Sherry

P.s. Right now all of my cake money is being saved up for my
Vegas vacation next month!

I am also a stay at home mother of 3.Plus I do babysitting for 2 girls for a little extra money(very little).

I would love to be able to make a little extra money doing cakes too. Even if it was just enough money for clothes( I am about bare)

I have made several cake, but have never sold any. They have usually been for gifts, or just practice(still have alot of practice to do)

I would love to sell some, this gift giving is getting old, and doesn't pay the bills. Sometimes you do good to get a Thank you.All they seem to be interested in is saving them money, don't seem to worried that it cost me something to make it. (contributions will be excepted)

Anyhow, I am still along way from being good, but it is an awesome, job, hobby, or whatever you want to call it.I think it is about the best way there would be to make money. Other than winning the lottery

My friend and I started our business a few months ago, hoping that we would be eventually be able to stop our respective jobs eventually. In the past 2 months we have obtained 5 wedding cake jobs, totalling around $2000. Now, we can't support ourselves completely on this, of course, but it is extra $$. I think the point is pricing high enough to include labo, because it is SO labor intensive making wedding cakes.
I wish all I could do all day is make cakes!!!!

My friend and I started our business a few months ago, hoping that we would be eventually be able to stop our respective jobs eventually. In the past 2 months we have obtained 5 wedding cake jobs, totalling around $2000. Now, we can't support ourselves completely on this, of course, but it is extra $$. I think the point is pricing high enough to include labo, because it is SO labor intensive making wedding cakes.
I wish all I could do all day is make cakes!!!!

I am a stay at home mom. I have done some wedding cakes, and birthday cakes. I have my baking training. I have not really charged up until now, just kind of let them give me something if they choose. I am doing a wedding cake in two weeks and this is the first time I am charging, for ingredients and supplies, and $15.00 per \\hour for labor. I would love to truly do this as a business, or at least be busy enough to make a couple hundred a month. I would just like some information on what you generally charge, flat fee? Per hour? combined? Different for wedding cakes/versus birthday? Is there any problem with running a little business having to do with food. out of your house, when you have children and a dog. I live in Alberta, Canada, does anyone know the rules for this. I am not licensed right now, as I live in a small village and they don't require it.
Any help would be great

I am a stay at home mom. I have done some wedding cakes, and birthday cakes. I have my baking training. I have not really charged up until now, just kind of let them give me something if they choose. I am doing a wedding cake in two weeks and this is the first time I am charging, for ingredients and supplies, and $15.00 per \\hour for labor. I would love to truly do this as a business, or at least be busy enough to make a couple hundred a month. I would just like some information on what you generally charge, flat fee? Per hour? combined? Different for wedding cakes/versus birthday? Is there any problem with running a little business having to do with food. out of your house, when you have children and a dog. I live in Alberta, Canada, does anyone know the rules for this. I am not licensed right now, as I live in a small village and they don't require it.
Any help would be great