Do You Avoid Doing Simple Sheet Cakes?
Business By FeGe_Cakes Updated 10 May 2007 , 2:51pm by LaSombra
Hello,
I am just now starting to get a lot of orders. I had 4 orders in 3 days 2 weekends ago. One of my customers (dear friend) showed my work and raved about the taste. She referred me to her hair stylist. Long story short the potential customer told me to be creative, and when I did she came back and said she only wanted a simple sheet cake with "something cutesy on it" for Mother's day.
I politely explained I do custom cakes and would love if she would keep me in mind in the future for special occassion cakes.
Do you run into this problem? I am a programmer by day and want to spend my limited time on custom creations, not just baking sheet cakes.
Your opinion is appreciated.
I usually try to encourage my customers to go with a stacked design or custom shape also. I know exactly what you mean. I think you just need to work on educating your customers on the 'world beyond grocery store sheet cakes'. Most people (outside of the cake world) never even think about cakes in cool shapes or sizes. They've been brainwashed by the product selection at the grocery store to think that that is all that's out there.
Keep workin' on them, they'll come around. I usually find that a quick sketch in a cool design will win people over, away from a sheet cake. 
I love doing sheetcakes. Most of them are torted with filling, so they are not "technically" sheet cakes, so I'm still able to be creative with filling/cake flavor combinations. I don't have a problem if that's what they want. It's easy to cut and serve so I can understand them wanting it for certain occasions.
-Rezzy
yes, i too want to get away from sheet cakes. i had a regular customer want me to do a 2 layer princess cake, covered in fondant with fondant sways, steps, horse and carriage etc. when i gave her a price she wanted to see other options. its just so hard to get out of the sheets. no one wants to pay the price that tiered cakes command.
Thanks so much for the responses.
I have done some full sheet cakes (to feed the masses) but the customers have wanted a custom cake or 2 for display and haven't had a problem paying what I have asked (without batting an eye).
It's just disappointing when you show what you can do and want to expand your skills when all the customers want is a "GREAT TASTING CAKE" with frosting.
Thanks for lending an ear.
I agree it's hard to get people to try different shapes.
My favorite shape is an oval....try to convince someone that this is good 
They usally say something like...."oh, I've never seen on of those".... 
After the sheet cakes the next thing that bugs me is the decision between chocolate and vanialla.....UUUUMMM...I offer alot of other flavors but I tend to find that people don't want to step out of the box and try different things. This truely drives me nuts! If I suggest a flavor combination they usally look at me like I'm from Mars and say..."Oh, do you really think that will taste good"? I want to say...NO! I'm just pulling your leg"!!
LOL....people are funny. You know the old saying...you cant teach an old dog new tricks!
That is just too funny JavaJunkieChrissy.
I would love to serve everyone but with me being a programmer and work very long hours, it makes it very tough to do everything alone. And I don't want to start my business by doing grocery store style cakes.
Maybe i'm being a little bit of a cake snob (as my friend said). 
Nope, doesn't bother me in the least to do sheet cakes....folks know I can get pretty creative with them....I'll make whatever a PAYING customer wants....sheet cake or not!
Doesn't bother me either. I don't charge extra for design elements, flavors or fillings so I make the same money whether it's detailed with 40 roses, or just bordered with a message on it. So "simple" sheet cakes? Yep! I'll take 'em. Choc or vanilla? Doesn't bother me! I'm not the one eating it ..... they are.
If the client luvs it, then it's a masterpiece.
Maybe it makes a difference if you do this for "artistic expression" or if you do it as a business. Just asking ....... 
I don't get too many sheet cake orders (unless its under something 3D for more servings) but I feel bad saying "no" just because its not "cool". I do charge alot more for sheets than the grocery stores so I figure if they wanna pay me well to do an easy cake, there's no reason why I can't do one.
Mostly though people who want sheet cakes are people who want a specific design drawn onto it that you really can't get at the store..and of course I charge for the custom artwork, but yet its still cheaper than going 3D.
I guess you can say i'm doing cakes for "artistic expression" simply because doing cakes would not pay the bills at this time. I love to see the faces when the customers get something out of the oridinary.
Something they never dreamed of, and it taste great.
I had a tough time saying no to the simple sheet cake.
I never do sheet cakes, first, I am not good at doing them. Second, I don't like that big slab of cake, they are hard to handle and hard to fill in with a design that looks really nice. I always tell people that I can give them the same amount of servings in a much nicer design by doing larger rounds. So far I have always been able to change their minds and they have been happy with their cakes.
i won't do sheet cakes. like shirley w said, i can give someone the same number of servings in a much nicer way. i want to be distinct from the "grocery store cakes" so sheet cakes, shell borders, and goofy messages with roses in the corner are out! lol. i want my cakes to be unique, creative and have a WOW factor. if its not wow, i don't want to touch it. granted, right now im not a super amazing decorator, but im working really hard on becoming one, so i always try to challenge myself on every cake.
If I were selling my cakes, I would probably steer clear of sheet cakes for the most part, too. However, I've seen some AMAZING sheet cakes on this site, many of which are in my favorites.
The family tree cake in my photos is technically a sheet cake, and I really love that cake.
I don't think the original poster is criticizing those who make sheet cakes for customers, it's just that they aren't her favorite creative outlet, and she doesn't need to accept every order to keep her business going.
If I was being paid and someone wanted that I would also try to get them to go with a different design but if not then I would do it. The customer is ALWAYS right in my eyes.
Not everyone likes the same type of cakes. What one person thinks is beautiful another person may hate.
So if a person is willing to pay me then they get what they want. However I would charge the same per serving as the WOW cakes so hopefully they would change their minds.
Also, many people like the white or chocolate cake because between those almost everyone likes them. When you go with the fun flavors you risk many people not liking them.
I have found most people have no clue what flavors or fillings there are to pick from. So guide them. Give them the choice of chocolate and white LAST. Maybe by the time you get to them they have already picked one of the other ones and you don't even have to bring them up.
I agree...give them what ever they want. It's not that I don't like doing sheet cakes...I do. It's just that my mind races with other things that COULD be done instead.
As far as the flavors go I've been working on a list of fillings and cake flavors as well as icings. I'll put chocolate and vanilla on the bottom
A lady at church asked me to please do a cake for her moms B-day this past weekend. She chose all of the flavors but for one cake she asked me to do what I wanted. I was thrilled. I asked about allergies and she said no one there was allergic to anything. I made a lemon poppy seed with lemon mousse filling. It was the first cake to be eaten! She said they loved it. Some of them had never had lemon cake before 
It makes me sad for their little tastebuds 
I don't mind doing sheet cakes....for the most part they are usually for kids. I will draw a picture on the cake to match the party theme.....so each cake is unique....as far a flavors....what every they want.....kids taste palate is usually simple....
As for the adults, anniversarys, showers, the cake decorations and flavors get a little more elaborate..
I'm just a small business....I really do enjoy doing tiered cakes and to show off..... in a sense, what I can do, and always looking for new challanges .
I guess I just enjoy decorating.
I only do this part-time and my level of skill is not nearly as good as most of my cake buddies here on CC, but I do whatever the customer asks for. Most of my customers want sheet cake. I think the main motivator for them is the cost of a tiered cake vs a sheet.
Some of them had never had lemon cake before
It makes me sad for their little tastebuds
This IS sad! Lemon cake is delicious!
I don't sell cakes, but I get almost total positive responses when I make more uncommon flavors.
I made a strawberry cake with lemon cream cheese filling for my niece's birthday last year. My mom, who is generally unenthusiastic about cake, LOVED it. So did everyone else.
the customer is always right, but you don't have to accept every one as a customer either. if someone were to insist on a sheet cake, and wouldn't consider anything else, i'd tell them im sorry but kroger is down the street. they can help you out. call me if you want a creative custom cake. im no duff, but i like his business plan. don't come to him for a simple cake, come to him for an amazing unique piece of art. i want to do the same. im not hurting for money (in fact i don't sell cakes yet, im in the process of getting started with a business and now im just practicing to get my skills good enough) so theres no need to accept cakes i don't want to do.
I pretty much agree with that. If I am asked by a client to do a X rated cake I am going to say no. I don't do them, I don't judge other's who do make them, but they are not for me. If I don't feel I can pull off a design someone wants I am honest and say so. And if I am asked to do a sheet cake I tell them I do not feel I can do a good job on one and then I show them alternatives with rounds or squares. If they still want a sheet cake I suggest they check out Safeway, Albertson's etc.
It isn't about whether the customer is always right, it is what I feel comfortable in knowing I can do well and when I need to say I can't.
"Maybe it makes a difference if you do this for "artistic expression" or if you do it as a business."
i think you hit the nail on the head indy.
After this post, I'm "stepping away" from this thread. I think it's getting away from "do you avoid doing simple sheet cakes" and I'm getting a little offended. I know I shouldn't be, because everyone is entitled to their own opinion, but I think we need to be careful about how we "express" what we think of sheet cakes, because a lot of people order them and a lot of people make them.
They are either for you...or not, period. No need to belittle them and rank them below what you think are more creative cakes 
Please, no one jump on me....I'm really not mad or upset....feelings are just a little hurt.
Even if doing this more as a business than for artistic expression, I think you can choose to target a certain market that does not include sheet cakes.
Do some "market research" in your area- how many stores/barkeries offer sheet cakes? How many offer "custom" sheet cakes? (There are a TON in my area.) Are you willing to create those cakes for a competitive price? Is there is demand for custom cake creations? Different flavor combinations, shapes, etc?
These are the kind of questions I'm out there asking as I make this type of decision.
Well the timing on this is incredible. I just finished a "simple" sheet cake today, for delivery tomorrow.
Two 14x22's pushed together to create a 22x28 sheet cake (half and half of the 'dreaded' white & chocolate ), with cornelli lace and lots of flowers that I made yesterday. It's for an award ceremony at the state house in which the governor is recognizing some significant achievements of folks. (I did the cake for the event last year, too. These are some really awesome people!).
8 cake mixes, 3 dozen eggs, over 2 hours baking time .... a selling price of over $200.
Yeah ..... *I'LL* do a 'simple' sheet cake. 
(Trying to add a photo ... I'm never good at this!)
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