Calling On Wedding Cake Specialists!
Decorating By crouton800 Updated 17 Oct 2006 , 4:59pm by PSLCakeLady
Hi everyone!
I've just been asked whether I would take on a "only cake decorating" order. Meaning the bride wants to bake her own fruit cake, 3 tiers and is looking for someone to cover & decorate her fruit cakes.
Has anyone had this request? and how would you charge for this unusual request!!
just to give an example, where i'm frm the going rate for a 3 tier wedding cake fondant covered with gumpaste flowers is average $600. ( that's for a non-fruit cake, i believe).
Can any one can give me any advice??!!
Thanks so much!
I had this request once... the bride thought that it would save her money(may not be the case with your bride).
I said no. The main reason being that when my name is associated with a cake not only is it important for it to look good but to taste great. I just wasn't willing to have my name on something that I hadn't baked. JMO
I know that others on this site have decorated and not baked the cake. Hopefully they will respond with good experiences with this.
Seems like I remember a rather long thread on this topic not too long ago. Might try searching the forums for it. I remember there were a variety of opinions. I tend to agree with Ohara. People don't know who did what part of the cake. They'll assume the decorator also baked it. So I'd rather bake it myself so I can be sure to protect my reputation. And really, the biggest part of wedding cake expense is the skill in decorating. That's where the biggest amount of time is spent.
Thanks for your responses!
In my partial state of "wanting to get Wedding business" ( i'm just starting) and partial confusement as to how to charge, I totally overlooked that aspect - reputation of the cake itself!
I believe the bride wants to bake the cake herself because she likes her own recipe and to have a hand in her own wedding cake but dosen't know anything about decorating.
I'm afraid anyway that she'll balk at whatever price i quote coz like you said..the main charge is the time spent on the decorating.
Just say, for whatever reason, i do take this on, how much would you charge her for a fondant covering and let's say a dozen gumpaste roses on the cake. How many % of the ave price $600 would you charge??
hi,,,i have done that before. in jamaica we use fruit cake. and a lot of brides have family members who bake and dont decorate. only on certain circumstances so i decorate a cake i dont make. for several reasons. one tome i got a cake to do and i took it out of the pan and the side of the cake was left in the pan....i had to create the side of the cake with marzipan.
if you do decide to take the job..charge for your materials plus a profit and labour costs.
I agree!! I would not want my name associated with a cake that may be crooked, broken or just not taste good. I doubt that the bride would take credit for baking the cake if no one liked it. If you are just trying to get wedding cake business, I don't think you want this cake to start off your reputation. Just my opinion.......
I wouldn't do it. To many "what if's" . You know, what if the cake tastes awful, or what if the baker is not so sanitary, or what if, God forbid, someone finds a big ol' hair in the cake? None of these are likely to happen, but.....WHAT IF? Its YOUR reputation on the line.
I did this once. Only because she was my friend and co-worker. I made all the bows and Roses out of fondant and painted everything in Gold. And gave it to her as her wedding present.
Her mother who worked in a grocery store bakery baked and frosted the cake. And I decorated the cake w/ all the gold bows and roses when it got to the reception
The cake was good. Everyone liked it. The reception was in a park, so it was not one of those formal receptions. But that was ten yrs. ago. have not done it since. 
I have this question so many times, it's amazing. I always say no. First, if something is wrong with the cake, folks will normally think it was you, not the person who actually baked it. I hate taking chances. Not to mention, people seem to think they don't have to pay that much for your decorating time when in all honesty, that's what costs the most, not so much the actual cake.
If you feel comfortable, and you know the person, maybe you'll be ok, but I generally say no.
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