So my step dad's wife asked me if I could do her daughter's graduation cake. I have had a month for my mind to wonder and boy did it. I was thinking big since it needed to be around 100 servings. A grand three tiered white cake with raspberry filling and champagne buttercream. Fondant stars and corkscrew confetti in the school colors exploding everywhere. I even bought the sparkle dust for the stars to give it pizazz. I emailed her two weeks ago with no response. I asked if she was stuck on a sheet cake or if tiers would be okay. And if she had any special requests, etc. Finally with a few days left until the party she emails me back and......
Sheet cake
half chocolate and vanilla
Edible photo of the graduate
Oh yeah. 
Now I was going to just charge her for the materials and donate my time to give her daughter an extra special cake. Now I am stuck doing a cake I will have no fun doing. Will not impress anyone aka get some new customers, because she just basically wants a grocery store cake and of course probably at grocery store prices. So now the cake that was once my "ohhh I can't wait to start this cake" has turned into my "gawww I have to get this blasted thing started" cake.
Can you still convince her to do the stacked cake and do the edible image of the graduate on a chocolate frame as a topper?
In the email I asked "Are you set on a sheet cake or would a tiered/stacked cake be cool?" The reply was she wanted a sheet cake. 
Technically I could still do all the cool stuff, but I feel as though it's almost wasted on a stupid ol' sheet cake, lol.
yeah and... I can't ever get anyonr to try something other than yellow or marble-I finally got someone to nibble on a wasc ...
I agree with Doug. If I volunteer my time, I simply ask for the cost of ingredients and I design the cake. If someone gives me an idea of what they want and it's boring or simply not my style, I don't do it. I tell them what I came up with for a design and if they prefer a different style ,I let them know they can go elsewhere for a practically "free" cake.
If it's our time we're giving away, we should only do the cakes we want. Also, if you want to drum up business, you owe it to yourself to stick to your guns and do only the cake style you enjoy.
Edited: Case in point, I just did a cake for 75 this past weekend (not in my pics). It was a "free" graduation cake. There were going to be 150 people there and it was a farely fancy event. I volunteered to do the cake for free - minus cost of ingredients and I gave them NO say in the design. I didn't even run it by them. I did the cake and it turned out to be more then they ever expected and couldn't stop raving about the high end design. I
f I had let them choose the design, it would have been boring, because people who are not into cakes often do not have an eye for detail or any idea of what they really want. We are the artists. We should maintain the integrity of each of our works of art and let them be a reflection of our own personal style.
I would do what I wanted to do anyway explain to her it will be much more ohh & ahhhhhhhh
I would do what I wanted to do anyway explain to her it will be much more ohh & ahhhhhhhh
Why not do two cakes? A half sheet cake (to please the mom) and the tiered cake (as a gift)?
I would just tell her that you would like to do more than that and can she just cover cost of supplies! Like everyone else said! LOL
Maybe she is just thinking she doesn't want you to go through too much trouble?
And how is a sheet cake going to feed 100?
I would do a stacked cake and just ignore her! She IS boring and that is what she wants for her daughter!! Maybe her daughter wants a more grand cake since it's for 100 ppl!?? It is HER graduation!!!
I would do a stacked cake and just ignore her! She IS boring and that is what she wants for her daughter!! Maybe her daughter wants a more grand cake since it's for 100 ppl!?? It is HER graduation!!!
NO NO NO I completely disagree. Just because she's related does not make her less of a customer. The customer gets what they order if they are paying, period. Even if all they are paying for is materials/ingredients. Her decision isn't coming from a place where she doesn't want you to go to trouble, it's coming from a place where she doesn't want to spend any extra money and I'm afraid you have to respect that on this one. Boring or not.... yes I hate boring people BUT a) she won't tell her friends about your work and b) she won't give you any more business in the future if you just ignore her and do what you want. I'd give it another try to convince her - but with just a few days to go, I'm not sure you'd be successful.
That being said...
maryjsgirl my umpteenth birthday is coming up in a few months, and if you want to make that amazing-sounding cake for ME, I'll pay you top dollar for it. I'll even come pick it up! 
My policy on sheet cakes is I DON'T do them! Everyone in my family knows that and they just let me do what I want. They know that whatever I do will turn out great. I agree with step0nmi about her not wanting you to go to too much trouble. I have had people ask me about sheet cakes and their excuse for wanting the sheet cake was that it is easier to cut. Maybe that is why she wants it. In that case I suggest what I think will look good and then provide them with a cutting grid and explain the easiest way to cut it.
I was just thinking that if maybe you told her that you would like to put a little more effort in for her daughter then maybe she would think that'll be nice! If your agreement is for her to pay for supplies then maybe she'll be thinking she's getting a deal. I just think that sheet cakes are nice when THEY don't know what to do! But, if the designer is going for something more then customers could be a little more open minded.
and thanks shipleyc! for thinking the same! I KNOW U don't do sheet cakes!! LOL!! Good for you!
shipleyc, me too. Just say no to sheet cakes. I do. Hate them. Refuse to do them. Or I charge out the wazoo for them and then say, you know for the same money you could have a tiered cake, different flavors of cake, with fillings and really impress your guests.
shipleyc, me too. Just say no to sheet cakes. I do. Hate them. Refuse to do them. Or I charge out the wazoo for them and then say, you know for the same money you could have a tiered cake, different flavors of cake, with fillings and really impress your guests.
Why not do two cakes? A half sheet cake (to please the mom) and the tiered cake (as a gift)?
That's what I'm doing. Some of you may have seen the post re: the wedding shower for my niece. I volunteered to do the cake for free and I had been scanning all the galleries looking for new ideas. I decided I wanted to try a 'flower garden' cake because I had seen some white picket fencing at a supply shop that would look great around a cake that had flower cookies popping out!
Then they tell me they are having a Hershey Kiss Theme. Ok! I've been wanting to do a Hershey Kiss cake! Those pics in the gallery look pretty cool! I'm even going to actually use fondant (no kidding! Me!! Can ya imagine?) to make the pull away paper.
Then (big sigh!) she describes what she wants and I realize she's thinking sheet cake.
Well, to make a long story longer, they're getting the Hershey Kiss cake anyway, because it will look cooler, AND I'm doing the flower garden cake anyway because I want to. I told them I would make a Hershey Kiss cake instead (I'm sure they've NO idea what I'm talking about!) but the garden cake is a surprise.
(Psst! Any Richmond Ind. CC'ers ... if you know my niece, dont' mention the cake .... she has no idea it's a Hershey theme shower and the shower-givers want it to be a surprise!)
.....I have had people ask me about sheet cakes and their excuse for wanting the sheet cake was that it is easier to cut. ..... then provide them with a cutting grid and explain the easiest way to cut it.
Very highly possible.....tiered cakes scare people. Show them this pictorial from my site to help elminate that fear: http://cateritsimple.com/_wsn/page19.html
Maybe she thinks that you will charge more for the tier cakes instead of a sheet cake..should ask her and then go from there...tier cakes are more expensive and she may not can afford one so she is trying to save money.
Jennifer
I hate doing sheet cakes and hardly ever do them. But when I do occasionally do them I'll do a one layer round "sheet" cake and just treat it like it's a regular round cake. Who says sheet cakes have to be square?? There's an example in my photos of one that's a 14" round with fondant accents and a gumpaste baby in the center...
Courtney
I would do a stacked cake and just ignore her! She IS boring and that is what she wants for her daughter!! Maybe her daughter wants a more grand cake since it's for 100 ppl!?? It is HER graduation!!!
NO NO NO I completely disagree. Just because she's related does not make her less of a customer. The customer gets what they order if they are paying, period. Even if all they are paying for is materials/ingredients. Her decision isn't coming from a place where she doesn't want you to go to trouble, it's coming from a place where she doesn't want to spend any extra money and I'm afraid you have to respect that on this one. Boring or not.... yes I hate boring people BUT a) she won't tell her friends about your work and b) she won't give you any more business in the future if you just ignore her and do what you want. I'd give it another try to convince her - but with just a few days to go, I'm not sure you'd be successful.
That being said...
maryjsgirl my umpteenth birthday is coming up in a few months, and if you want to make that amazing-sounding cake for ME, I'll pay you top dollar for it. I'll even come pick it up!
Hehe I think it would be way way too much pressure to make a cake for a fellow decorator. 
Well I think I will give her a sheet cake like she requested since I specifically brought up tiered cakes and she showed no interest. But, I think I will use my imagination on the chocolate and vanilla flavors. I mean she didn't specify PLAIN chocolate and vanilla. Well off to play with some fondant thanks for all the help!
Can you still convince her to do the stacked cake and do the edible image of the graduate on a chocolate frame as a topper?
that's a super cute idea!
(I'm sure they've NO idea what I'm talking about!)
When I was asked to do a Liberty Bell cake the ladies didn't request any specifics other than a Liberty Bell and the American Flag was also mentioned. So, I did a 3-D cake. Wow ~ were they all surprised. Actually the whole church was surprised. It was quite fun! Like you said, they had no idea what I was talking about 
.
I knew what this was about even before I read it through. I am so tired of sheet cakes, I very seldom get to do anything fun. If the cake is free or a discount I agree with Doug, I do what I want. I may let them have color choices but that's it.
I got a call back in March for a cake needed for June 30. I was thinking of all kinds of fun things. The customer told me she needed enough cake for 150. Then she told me her theme and design ideas, but when she heard the price she told me she would get back to me. I think she went to check area bakeries which was ok with me. Then she comes back with SHEET CAKES. Oh well here we go again.
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