I was blessed with the Honor of making a cake and some sheetcakes for a band called Five Iron Frenzy who has recently reunited after breaking up 8 years ago. Which is why i say "cause" but either way I only want to charge them cost of supplies and cost shipping as I will be flying to Denver from California. The order is one decorated cake and several sheet cakes (enough to feed 500). My QUESTION is... What do I charge them? I need to give them an upfront answer but this is the largest order ive ever done. Ive don a few different weddings. But only to feed 200 at most! im trying to calculate it all. But its a bit overwhelming... I need help! They want simple flavors... Chocolate and vanilla with whipped mousse or bc fillings and the decorated cake will feed around 75 to 100 in itself. Any input would be appreciated thank you!

Wow, those will be some expensive cakes, no matter how you do it.

With luggage costs, shipping costs, airfare costs.............

Personally, I have no faith in shipping 500 servings of cake--not by ground, or air.

If you were to fly to Denver & bake there, you'd have to have high altitude recipes, pans, storage space, etc.

In your shoes, I "might" consider flying with a decorated cake. I've done that with cakes to serve over 40, and had it fit in the overhead bin, with no issues. BUT, there have been reports of big issues with cakes made at lower altitudes literally falling apart once exposed to high altitudes--NOT in the pressure controlled atmosphere of the plane, but once they are back on the ground in places like Denver, Flagstaff, etc.

Sometimes, we can't do everything we'd like to do, or are asked to do, as cake decorators.

Rae

I think you've answered your own question since you only want to charge ingredient costs and shipping. And how will you be shipping? Are you taking them yourself? To Denver from California? That's a long way to take that much cake! Are you going to have them pay for your airfare? This could get quite expensive!

You are probably better off finding a reputable local bakery to fill this order. Even if you sell at cost I bet your quote will still be more expensive than a local bakery once you take into account shipping.

If you still want to do it you may be able to split the difference and make the decorated cake yourself while outsourcing the sheet cakes to a local vendor.

Just to add to the good suggestions already posted I remember reading about people like Sylvia Watson taking their cakes on flights. They purchase a seat for the *cake* as well as one for themselves and the cake travels as a passenger right next to the creator.

Rae, my post wasn't meant to be accusatory.

Cakes and other baked goods are imported to high altitude areas from all over the world with no problems whatsoever. We have gourmet stores all over selling them. Our grocery stores are loaded with cakes that weren't baked here but shipped here from lower elevations. We wouldn't have Hostess or Little Debbie cakes if that were the case. I've never heard that there is less carbonation in soda that is delivered to high altitudes so I can't address that part of your post but there isn't less content, 12 ounces is 12 ounces.

I've been trying to find a way to say what I'm about to without sounding snarky and I can't so I will preface it by saying that's not my intent at all. Having read a post in the past two years here on CC about a subject does not necessarily give you knowledge of that subject.

Yes, and those pre-packaged, mass baked products are NOT subject the some of the vagaries of home bakes goods, nor are they covered in fondant. They have been subject to market testing and made specifically to withstand..........mistreatment.

I didn't claim to be an expert in this area. I merely reported something that was, indeed, posted previously on this site.

Your need to declare it as "untrue" and smack a smiley face on that declaration was offensive and unnecessary. You could have merely said that you'd never heard of it and that you hadn't personally experienced it.

Next time, TRY HARDER
It's really NOT that difficult.
Rae

I have a local cake company who ships totally scratch cakes nationwide. She's been nationally recognized. Her cakes are shipped frozen, but not "packaged". She never has a problem.

In my research for my company's future expansion to shipping nationwide, I have studied many of the big name scratch bakers who legally ship nationwide, and not one has a disclaimer about high altitude areas. And not one uses chemicals in the ingredients and none do a "packaged" product, per HD, FDA, Dept of Ag definitions. I have purchased the goods and studied how they comply with safety guidelines as well as the shipping needs required for the product to arrive in excellent physical condition.

So I will have to disagree also. Thousands of online businesses do this every day with no adverse effects due to altitude. Not once have I seen where they bake differently for every altitude. I also have no intention of changing recipes for various locations.

I have no problem with respectful disagreement. I don't appreciate being the mocked messenger.

As I said, I MERELY REPORTED THE EXPERIENCE OF ANOTHER MEMBER OF CAKE CENTRAL. Given the details that were reported, etc., it seemed wise to remember it.

I made mention of it because I would have felt awful if a member went to all of that trouble on their own dime, only to have a disaster occur, and then to have them come back here and report it.

This article makes it very clear that items made at lower altitudes, and under pressure (as a fondant covered cake might be) can, indeed, have "problems".

http://www.highaltitudelife.com/packaging.htm

Now that the OP has seen 2 sides, it'll be up to them to make their own decision.

There are diplomatic ways to tell someone that you disagree with them, as can be seen in the above post, and then there are ways that really chap people's hides...........

Rae

Hey Blakes, you know me, I like seeing two sides.

Now what will I do if my first shipped cake explodes? I can see the issue in a certain set of circumstances, but my guess is that the cake may have already been unstable. One of my best flavored cakes is my chocolate peanut butter covered in ganache. BUT... unless it's cold, it likes to crumble when cut. I can't correct the crumb without affecting the flavor. So my compromise is a cake served cold. Luckily, it is also more delicious cold. But that cake is sold wih specific instructions.

"Those who talk in metaphors oughtta shampoo my crotch" -Melvin Udall, from As Good as It Gets, 1997.




Do you have any idea how long I've been waiting for the opportunity to post that somewhere?!?! Another mark off my check list.....

Well... Thank you everyone for your input.. hah Im sorry if i caused any arguements... But I went ahead and decided to outsource so thank you to whoever suggested that! (Sorry Im on my phone so its hard to quote people) But now my biggest concern IS getting that decorated cake on board... I figure if i can store it the overhead that would be the best bet. But im concerned it wont fit. Ill probly have to check all my frosting and fillings which is fine. Its only a two hour flight. But... If worst comes to worst. I really do wonder how cake will do in the baggage area

YOU most certainly didn't cause any arguments. No worries there.

The description of the overhead bins on most planes say that it will fit something 22x14x9. I've personally gotten a 10" tall box into one without a problem.

A cake WON'T survive baggage handling.

I've taken decorated cakes all over the country in the overhead bins of planes. It works fine. You just have to make sure that the box is no bigger than 22 long x 14 wide x 10" high--that's a lot of cake.

Rae

You definitely will have to check any fillings, fondant and icing. They won't let you take that stuff on. I had quite a traumatic experience trying to take fondant on a plane! I'm sure most fillings would qualify as liquids, and you can't take more than 3 oz. They'll let you take cake on. I routinely take about 20 dozen cakeballs in egg cartons and they don't bat an eyelash anymore.

You can also put something on the floor under the seat in front of you, which I think is better because it's more level, I can keep my eye on it, and no other customer is tossing something up against or on top of the box in the shared overhead. You've probably got a good 12" in height under the seat.

The last cake that I flew, on March 10, 2012, with was an oval cake filled with lots of chocolate SMBC. It was fondant covered and would serve over 20. The TSA agent didn't bat an eye--he just asked if he could try a piece.---LOL.

I have NEVER had a problem taking a filled and iced cake thru security and I've been doing it at least once a year for the past 6 yrs.

As for under the seat, it's a bad idea. Not all seats have the same amount of space due to the fact that some seats have electrical boxes beneath them. You never know which seat will be yours! The overhead bins will all accommodate the same sized items.

When I have flown with buckets of BC, fondant, & tools, I got a love note from the TSA and they made a mess of my careful packing.

Rae

My (obviously missed) point was that you cannot take a bucket of fondant or a bowl of filling on the plane. Cakes are just a food product that they view not differently than taking a sandwich on board. A bucket of fondant (or PlayDoh) looks suspiciously like C-4. It has to be checked.

As for me, if I have a choice between the level floor in front of me and a sloping, shared overhead where some dufus is going to ram their carry-on up against my cake box, I'll go for the floor any time.