i have been decorating for a little less than a year. im wondering how others handle family and friend birthdays and other occasions? do they even want you to make their cake? do they expect it to be free? do you want/have time to make all their cakes for free? do you give the cake in place of some other gift? i really havent had this come up yet but my brother had a baby last december and a niece will be graduating college and getting married and i can just see this issue coming in the future.
i would love to make my baby nieces first birthday cake but i would also like to get her a personal gift of some toy that she might love and treasure for years and i just cant see doing both for the rest of her life.

thanks for any comments

I actually make them and give them to them as their present. It's been great for me. I love making the cakes and they all really seem to like it. I've only done this for my immediate family though. I'm not sure I would do it for extended family.

I havent figured out the answer to that yet either. I really WANT to be asked to do them, and I probably would do them as the gift. (But you could still give a small gift in addition if you could afford to) I have volunteered to make the cake for a couple of occasions, but it feels nicer if someone asks me to. I think then it would give me some confidence that they really like my cakes.

I make my mom, dad, two brothers, one sister-in-law and two neices birthday cakes as part of their gift. I give a discount to other members of my extended family who ask for cakes.

I usually give a small cake as a gift--say for a birthday or graduation--I don't bake any large cakes for family or friends to avoid any problems about price and payment. I couldn't afford to do a cake feeding 100 for free or even at cost.

Always a tricky one! I make my immediate family's cakes for free (SO, kids and Mum & Dad), I also make a cake for my 2 girlfriend's birthdays as part of my gift to them. I'm usually asked to make their kid's birthday cakes and I do charge them for that, but I give them generous (20% or more) discounts on what I would normally charge for those cakes. I don't have any extended family, so not something I need to worry about!

Yep! I give them away! Fortunately, my family lives 3 hours away so I am not able to go to EVERY family function. And for my husband's family, I do their cakes for free as well, but they have from time to time asked if they could get the family discount (free or greatly reduced) for parties or showers they are throwing. Then I always say "no" and remind them that I can do their cakes (BIRTHDAY) for free but can't give the rest of them away because this is a business and I have to be able to make money at it. They always understand and sometimes don't have me make the cake - but I too understand, and can't do everybody's cake. But I do have fun doing them for family because I can do whatever I want and make it pretty special!

My family and my husband's family both are very understanding. They usually insist on at least paying me for my ingredients. I have done wedding cakes as gifts before for my very close friends and family. Usually I'm in the wedding too, and they're way of saying thank you has been to pay for my dress or give me a generous amount for supplies.

I absolutely give cakes for family. We are a small family--my mom, my two sisters, my hubby and then my 3 kids, and then four kids between my two sisters--okay, not that small! But I will make cakes for the kids every year--I would rather make them than my sisters spending money at a grocercy and the fact that we are all short with money anyway. For the adults, we only celebrate "big" b-days so we really don't have cake. But sometimes, my mom or I will make a cake. When my close friends ask for cakes, I insist on giving it to them (I only have three very close friends and one makes her own cakes anyway. ) But I do cake decorating as a hobby anyway, with hopes of having a business soon. All these help build my portfolio. When I have a business, I will still do cakes for my family and charge nothing.

Yep, I give them for free...family and some close friends. If it were gonna be some huge wedding or anniversary cake, I'd probly ask them to help out with some of the expense, if they could. I guess sometimes it depends on the situation. I really enjoy the 'creation' part of baking and decorating cakes...so I am usually happy to do them.

I give cakes at Christmas to different people some years instead of doing a cookie tray. I make cakes for my MIL and FIL and always bring one to the holiday dinners. I've only had two orders but would like to do more. Last year I offered to do the cake for my cousin-in-laws little boy but he wanted a gross store cake, they had to buy ingredients, that was before I had done any for money.
I'm doing my sister's wedding cake and the groom's cake and transporting it down. She's buying all the stuff for it and any equipment I need. It will be my first wedding cake so I'm glad I'm not getting paid for it .
I guess it depends on who I'm doing it for and if they asked for it. Mostly it's immediate family only for free unless I like them.

I make cakes for family get togethers, and they are free, part of what I am bringing. I give my family cakes for free, but they never ask for them. I have an aunt who also does cakes, and she does them beautifully, so I only bring them if she is not.

I bring a free cake in an instance where if I did not make cakes, I would bring one. That's confusing, but if I'm bringing something, it's usually cake. Although, I will bring other dishes, too.

My business is my business. I don't ask my family to support that, although I don't give away wedding or shower cakes. The exception is if I am throwing the shower! LOL

This is tricky. I usually volunteer my cakes when a family function comes up. I will always make cakes for my family sometimes as a gift and other times b/c I want to. I had an aunt who wanted me to bake a cake for her son's 13th birthday. She told me she would pay me but I declined it. After she picked up the cake she gave me something anyway.

Now with co-workers its a different story. When I first began cake decorating, I took my practice cakes to work. Therefore, my department basically had free cake every week. They were getting spoiled and use to me bringing in cakes and no one was ordering anything from me. So for a while I stopped bringing in those practice cakes. Every blue moon I would get an order from someone but not as often as I brought in those free cakes.

So I made it clear to everyone that 2005 was the end of the free cake era for me. If they wanted a cake they would have to pay for it. I get orders from them alot more than I did before but there are some who ask me about bringing in a cake just for the hell of it. My job doesn't pay me enough to supply free goods so I had to cut it out completely.

This is tricky. I usually volunteer my cakes when a family function comes up. I will always make cakes for my family sometimes as a gift and other times b/c I want to. I had an aunt who wanted me to bake a cake for her son's 13th birthday. She told me she would pay me but I declined it. After she picked up the cake she gave me something anyway.

Now with co-workers its a different story. When I first began cake decorating, I took my practice cakes to work. Therefore, my department basically had free cake every week. They were getting spoiled and use to me bringing in cakes and no one was ordering anything from me. So for a while I stopped bringing in those practice cakes. Every blue moon I would get an order from someone but not as often as I brought in those free cakes.

So I made it clear to everyone that 2005 was the end of the free cake era for me. If they wanted a cake they would have to pay for it. I get orders from them alot more than I did before but there are some who ask me about bringing in a cake just for the hell of it. My job doesn't pay me enough to supply free goods so I had to cut it out completely.

This is tricky. I usually volunteer my cakes when a family function comes up. I will always make cakes for my family sometimes as a gift and other times b/c I want to. I had an aunt who wanted me to bake a cake for her son's 13th birthday. She told me she would pay me but I declined it. After she picked up the cake she gave me something anyway.

Now with co-workers its a different story. When I first began cake decorating, I took my practice cakes to work. Therefore, my department basically had free cake every week. They were getting spoiled and use to me bringing in cakes and no one was ordering anything from me. So for a while I stopped bringing in those practice cakes. Every blue moon I would get an order from someone but not as often as I brought in those free cakes.

So I made it clear to everyone that 2005 was the end of the free cake era for me. If they wanted a cake they would have to pay for it. I get orders from them alot more than I did before but there are some who ask me about bringing in a cake just for the hell of it. My job doesn't pay me enough to supply free goods so I had to cut it out completely.

I NEVER charge my kids for cakes. They are only 3,9,and 13 yo. Maybe when they get a job...............



I only give them to friends, friends' kids, or for showers if I want to. And I always suggest it, don't wait to be asked.

Both my and my husband's families live a few states away. I did do my Sis's wedding cake and she gave me $50 for it. Yeah, that was pretty much a gift. My last brother is getting married in Aug, but I'm not even attending the wedding. It is after my kids go back to school, and I'm not schlepping a thousand miles there and back just for a weekend again--With or without cake.

I can't believe all of the free cakes! I had no idea I was so mean!! I actually offer to bring cakes for immediate family member b-days and holiday get togethers. But aside from that, I give $5 off to my closest friends and everybody else (acquaintences, aunts, cousins) I just charge my regular price (although I don't charge for fondant decorations and some of those extras) --

And as a side note, I know that many people give cakes as gifts and I get that--that's really nice. But anyone who expects their cake order to be free simply because they know you, are your friend or relative-- that's just rude!! Especially when they know that this is a business for many of us--it just happens to be from home! Just my thoughts...

I'm reading this topic and thinking of the cake my DIL asked me to do for her aunt's b-day. I thought it would be a paid cake but maybe she thinks I will do it for free?!? Since I just started doing cakes for money I'm thinking my policy will be freebies only go to immediate family (children, grandchildren, daughters-in law). I would also do for my really close friends if I were going to the party. Cakes are expensive to make and I really can't afford it give them away.

I do them for free...I'm in TX so I can't charge or that would be a business. I only do them for close friends - co workers. I have done 2 free wedding cakes - gifts to the bride (or her mom, she was the one goingto pay for it anyway).

Hi guys:
Let me tell what has been happening at my job...but it will not happen again, for sure
I used to give cake for free on birthdays when I was just practicing, however, lately I noticed that they collect money for monthly birthday parties and I don't get NADA! I agree with everyone, cakes are too expensive to make. I may not be the best cake decorator, but they sure love my cakes. So, from now on, no more free cakes for them.

The other day they asked me to make a cake, and when it came to eat cakes, there were two other cakes someone BOUGHT at the store and my cake was not touched. I was really P-----off. I was really offended, so no more cakes unless they pay for it or I really want to make it for someone I really like in the group. The cake that I made for them is on my photos with Cakecentral, is the one with the high hill shoe. I didn't even get an appology or an explanation after all that work. Go figure.

Just sharing.
Tina (cats29)

Yes I give them to friends and family.. I have never been paid for a cake.. I am hoping to get some orders sometime.. It would be great to be paid for something you love doing .I live in a very small town so the prices wouldn't be as high as in the cities.
Liz

Cats28, maybe they didn't want to cut into your cake b/c it was so pretty.

Cats28, maybe they didn't want to cut into your cake b/c it was so pretty.

I am still new to decorating cakes, and need all the practice I can get. So I usually make the cakes for nieces, nephews, and such.

My SIL asked if I could make a Bratz doll cake, she bought the doll. I told her I would make it since it was for a niece, but she actually paid me $20.00 anyway.

But other than that no one else has ever offered. I know I am learning, but to just offer would mean so much. Cakes aren't cheap to make, even if they are fun.

I think they tend to take advantage of us sometimes, just to save them some money. But I don't think they realize it still cost us.

I've been making cakes for free for friends and family. I figure it gives me more practice and I always enjoy trying new things anyway, so it usually works out. I generally volenteer to do the cakes so normally no one asks me to bring one in.

I've had problems with some aquanticenses (sp?) back when I first started decorating as a hobby. A person we know invited us to her MIL's birthday party and I offered to do a cake because I saw a hamburger cake I wanted to try (this was the cake that actually got me into decorating). Everybody loved the cake. A month later, her FIL's birthday was coming up and I did a train cake for him. The woman mentioned a couple of times that she was going to pay me for this cake but never did. Being the modest person that I am, I wasn't going to be a son of a gun and demanded money. A month after that, her two sons had their birthdays (about a day apart from each other) and I offered to do them each a cake, a truck cake (which looked more like a tractor when I was done) and a dragon cake. We dropped them off at their house since they weren't home and a relative of theirs told me that when she visited their house about a week after I dropped off the cakes that the cakes weren't even touched and that the boys didn't like cake (which is balogna because when I did the hamburger and train cakes, they were the first ones to get a piece); although I don't know how credible this person is since we eventually hired her for our business and we suspected her of stealing money from us. One of the boys might have mentioned the cake to me while the other one never even said thank you. I definately vowed not to do any more cakes for that family and haven't since then (of course we haven't been invited to any of their functions or anything since then).

Another aquantence asked me to do a cake for her son and daughter (respectively) and when she asked how much, I told her $10-$12 because I felt weird asking for more then that. She ended up writing checks for $20 for each of the cakes.

The last couple of times when we've had family functions at my aunt's house, I brought a cake so I could "show off" my cakes. But both times, my aunt had a store bought cake (of course she didn't know for certain if I was coming and that I was going to bring a cake). For the Father's Day gathering, I did a pond cake (picture is in my photo album) and more pieces were eaten out of that compared to the store bought cake and everybody commented on how moist my cake was. My aunt ended up forcing me to take some of the store bought leftovers home with me. When I took the store bought cake home, I ask my BF what he thought of the store bought cake and he said "you need to learn how to make cakes like this". It was kind of a slap in the face, but oh well, LOL