Before I share, just a bit of background - I've been doing cakes for my kids' birthdays for several years now. There's a lot I haven't learned yet, though I've always wanted to take the Wilton classes. A few months ago I was throwing a wedding shower with a few other girls and the person we would usually ask to do a cake was VERY pregnant, so I decided I would do it myself. That's when I found CC and the wonderful ideas and people here! I got good reviews. A while later I did a cake for VERY pregnant cake decorator's baby shower and got more raves!! I really got excited about cake decorating again. My poor husband is trying to lose weight so while he loves all my practice cakes he groans when I make them!!! lol Anyway, I myself have 5 kids - the youngest is 8 months old, so while I think I'd like to go pro eventually, right now, I'm just playing!
ANYWAY, I made cupcakes for my dd's class party today. They were doing a cake walk, so I packaged them up in groups of 6. I can't remember who I got the idea from, but I made the pumpkin cupcakes where you pipe the pumpkin "ribs" with icing and a Jack-o-lantern face with black icing, only I used Chocolate icing. Ok, so I was walking into another classroom to pick my son up to go home and his teacher yells to another mom, "this is the cupcake lady!!!" This isn't the class I made the cupcakes for, so I was kind of surprised!!! lol The mom just started raving and told me I must have made the frosting myself and how good it was!! (Wilton's buttercream made with all butter) Then she started asking for a card and if I did this as a business!!! I told her I wasn't in a place to do that right now and she said her child had a birthday coming up and to let her know if I changed my mind!! I'm so excited! I don't know this woman - she seemed really nice, but with all the horror stories I've read on here, I'd decided not to do anything unless I was legal and I'm nowhere near ready to be legal.
The thing is I've been looking for a business to start with my mom - I just don't think I'm ready for cake decorating full time. I just had to share with others who would understand - it definately made my day!!!! Happy Halloween!!
Aren't compliments the best!!??!! The great thing about a custom cake business is that it doesn't have to be full-time like a traditional bakery. Check out the article on here about starting a business for your particular state. It may be something do-able even with the kids if it's an appointment only type deal!
There's nothing like a compliment from a total stranger. I got started by taking cake decorating classes so that I could decorate cakes for my newborn son. I wanted to be able to make my child a cake all by myself so that he would have whatever type of cake he wanted. Well, it snowballed. I kept getting orders and couldn't turn people down. Eventually, I started having hand trouble and needed to have surgery. I still had trouble telling people no, so I decided if I was going to be in pain, they would be charged more for the cake. I just tried to discourage them by raising the price, but instead they seemed to want more. I couldn't believe what they were willing to pay. They kept telling me that the cakes were the freshes they had ever tasted. I never froze one cake. My son is now 27 and I was finally able to stop doing cakes for the public. I wound up having two hand surgeries. Now, when I make a cake, it is only when I want to give one away or that I am hosting a shower. It is more enjoyable for me now. My house doesn't have that sweet smell anymore. It was years before I would eat cake because of that smell. I can look back at all the cakes I made and have good memories making them, but sometimes it just seemed to consume my life. I was never as accomplished as some of the ladies and gents here. I now am thinking of taking an advanced class just to see what new techniques are out there.
Congratulations Georgiamom on your wonderful praise from strangers. You do what you think is right-check on the laws as dodibug said-you might be one of the lucky ones with simple rules and be able to sell your cakes for some extra income. I know it takes a lot to raise kids!
Thanks for the encouragement! We definately could use the extra income right now!! Last year dh quit a job where he made decent money to go to one that paid much less!! AND, he went back to school full time!! But I think for right now the best thing for me is to keep "playing" and try and build up my skills. My cakes for the most part taste great - they just don't look that great yet but I'm gonna keep practicing!!!
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