Morning everyone! 

I was asked yesterday to do a wedding cake for someone, it is not until september but was wondering how much would you charge for a 10,8 and 6" in white fondant with quilted pattern on middle tier, diamonte ribbon around each tier with diamonte initials on top.I know everyones prices are different and it depends where you live but I just thought I would ask.Also does anyone know how to workout roughly how much buttercream you need for different size cakes.

Tiddy I hope your a little better today did you go to the hospital?

Hi to everyone and hope all is well 

AWhen you find out Roxylee, let me know as got one to make on the 20th Dec this yr, dont know how much to charge either, its 12, 9 and 6 round sponges, in xmas theme, like xmas roses, holly ivy and berries, all SP, any ideas anyone? As I undercharge I know that, try not too but I forget how much work goes into things and probably take longer than I need too, but thats my fault.

AGood Morning to all!!!

Roxylee, for three tier cake I charge £325. I have one similar cake but a different cake topper and the bride is providing it. So charged £300 for this particular cake as no flowers involved. I do not quote less than £300 for three tier. HTH:)

Hi Maise, please don't think about it too much. Your little girl will love with whatever you make because it's what Mummy made for her. :)

Morning everyone!

Victoria M, fabulous cake!! How big was it in the end?

Tiddy- poor you! gosh I can't imagine the pain! But my goodness to break your finger AND still finish a cake- bravo :) Your cake is beautful!

I'm glad ganache is being discussed because I've been wondering about the store brands. Although the Belcolade that I buy works out to about 50p per 100g including shipping which I think isn't bad, it would still be good to have a backup.

Maisie, I just finished a peppa pig dummy cake yesterday, I'll post piccies later. It was in 3d but Peppa pig's head was in 2d kind of- I know that sounds strange but you'll see when I post the pic.

Sorry to miss anyone else out but hope everyone else is ok!

ABashini, how much would you charge for the cake I'm making? She is having xmas roses on the top tier intertwined with ivy, and probably a poinsettias also with gold ribbon loops, then around the bottoms of each terse want tiny holly and berries., how much do you think?

A

I'm good thanks nanny. Just been so busy with work I've not had to come on here much this week but I've been keeping up with what you have all been up to. I can't believe how many cakes you all have to make, it stresses me out just thinking of them all! I'd have lists reminding me to make lists by now!

Hope your finger is better a little this morning tiddy.

And Hi maisie! Hope you're doing OK? Don't worry about your daughters cake I'm sure she'll love it whatever you come up with and even just regular pigs in mud is always fun - everyone lives that cake.

ABarbara, I am guessing it would be between £350-£400 as you have to make lots of holly berries to go around the bottoms of the cake. I would suggest that you calculate the ingredients, the rest of the stuff and the time you have to spend making the flowers, baking and cleaning too. As you have made roses, you have a rough idea how much time you have to spend, but for others, you have to estimate. It's always difficult to know exact time you have to spend if you haven't done something like this before.

Morning all - Morning Maisie - how are you?  So sorry I missed you.  I am thinking of you and hope that Peppa Pig behaves for you!  I would love to see her covered in mud....she's just too perfect imo!

Thanks Bashini. Can you help me with working out how much buttercream I need for different sized cakes. I have found a chart for fondant amounts but can't seem to find one for the buttercream. Thanks again you are always so helpful to me it's much appreciated  

Here is a pic of peppa pig cake. I had some trouble with peppa's head! Its a dummy cake I made to display at my daughter's summer fair where I'll be selling cakes and hopefully promoting my business at the same time! 

AAww Jean that's lovely, really cute. I'm sure there will be lots of kids wanting cakes from you now!

If anyone is interested Claire Bowman is doing a show on the Create and Craft channel this Sunday showing how to use her cake lace.It is on at 5pm Freesat channel 813,Virgin channel 784, Freeview channel 36 or sky channel 671.She will be doing demonstrations and the email I got said exclusive kits will be available to buy.

Petitecat that cake is so cute I love the little fence around it, All the kids will be wanting their character birthday cakes of you now.

AYou are very welcome Roxylee. :)I am no expert on butter cream but are you using the normal bc recipe 1:2 butter to icing sugar? Then I would do 750g butter to 1.5kg with a bit of milk or water and vanilla. I am guessing all cakes are vanilla sponge?

AJean, your cake is super cute!!!:)

Thanks Bashini yes all the cakes are vanilla and I do use the 1:2 butter to icing sugar ratio.

Thanks everyone- I made the cake as appealing to the kids as possible! Will be making another dummy cake but I'm waiting for my 7" dummy cake to arrive.

I'm glad the cake had decor to cover all the cracks and tears- I'm having absolutely no luck with SPD's SP. I get tons of bubbles while rolling which, after pricking with my thinnest needle, makes a hole that doesn't seem to disappear when rolled over. When I covered the dummy, I got tearing down the side when I was working my way down the side of the cake then the elephant skin started to appear everywhere. I guess I just don't have the knack for this particular brand. Shame really because it's not expensive and quite nice to knead (not sticky at all). 

Roxylee- I'll be watching! I haven't any lace moulds or any sugarveil at all so would be good to see what kind of deals they have afterwards. 

Does anyone know where I can get cake dummy separators that are 1" deep? I have cake dummies that are 3" deep, and I'd like to make them deeper by adding an inch to each one. I need 4", 6" and 8" dummy separators. 

Petitecat you can normally look at the items for sale in the show on the website before the show starts, I would recommend doing that and if you want anything buy it before as new items launched on there normally sell out pretty quick. If they sell out before they get to demonstrate it in the show they are not allowed to show it being used.

Roxylee, thanks I'll check their website :)

I've got my 1" dummy separators now from a piece of cake. They have separators from 1" to 2.5". Their prices were really good too, the 4"x1" separator was only 70p. Their postage is £3.50. 

Got another question- are 4.5" cake pop sticks long enough for kids to be able to hold the stick and eat the cake pop? Or is it too short? should I get 6"? I thought the 6" might make the cake poop look too small in comparison to the 4.5" stick...? I've never made cake pops so I'm a bit unsure/.

Jean - that's a fab cake - I love it!  I think my daughter personally prefers the 6" sticks - after all, once the cake pop is fixed it does take up a little bit of space on the end.

Kathy

Edited to say that it's my daughter, not me, who makes cake pops!  Lol - in case you were wondering!

AMorning all! Finger feeling a bit better....now have it strapped up! Problem is it getting in the blinking way! Just manage to prep the next cake so lets see how we go :S Love the peppa cake! Thank for all the ganache tips ladies. I now have everything I need and may have a wee go later (finger allowing). Now off to colour some navy sp :)

Good luck Tiddy. Hope the pain isn't too bad!

AJean, thats soooo lovely, so cute!!

Thanks Barbara 

Chasingmytail I am just a hobby baker for friends and family like yourself. The girl asking for the cake is aware of that and that I am not professional so it will have small flaws. I wasn't thinking of charging her a high price I was just curious as I have never bought a big cake before as to what prices are charged for 3 tier cakes so I could make sure I price mine accordingly.I am doing 2 cake boards to the base can I ask do you cover the boards after you have put them together? That's probably a stupid question but I have not used 2 before and want to make sure I do it right. I normally cover my board and put the cake on top even though the cake has it's own board under it. Would I glue them together with a glue gun?

Petitecat the cake lace is not on the website yet I think they will probably put it on on the day so it can not sell out beforehand. 

AYes. Always cover your boards. Cake should be on a cake board the size of the cake then put on an iced drum, use royal icing to stick them together. I would charge £300 for a three tier.

I am using 3 boards and I asked the same question last week, Its a gatsby (art deco style) cake and thought the 3 steps up would look great.  I was told to ice each of them and then stick together so I will be using royal icing between to hold stable.  Shame having to ice the whole board for 1" of icing showing but they said it was easier.

Thanks Chasingmytail and Siany I was planning to do them like that because it will be easier but saw a video of someone doing it and they used a hot glue gun to glue them together first. Chasingmytail I recalled you asking about it as soon as you mentioned it was a Gatsby cake.I have a brain like a sieve  A Gatsby cake sounds fab, looking forward to seeing it.

From a health and safety hot glue guns should never go near a cake.  At least that's what my tutor nearly had an aneurysm over Tuesday haha.  Seriously though she freaked when she heard they use hot glue guns on the boards as you don't know that the customer wont try to eat it.