Fake Cake Q's (Prices, Where To Buy, And How To's)
Decorating By Jayde Updated 21 Jan 2013 , 9:36pm by fytar
So, I got asked to give a price quote on a 'fake' cake. I have never made a cake dummy before 
.
So a friend asks me to make her a fake wedding cake with kitchen cakes, which will actually be what people are serving. She wants a 4 tier cake with the bottom tier real, and the top tier real. The other two tiers she wants to be dummy cakes. Ok, no prob, except I am not sure where to find a good cake dummy at a reasonable price, and I am definitely not quite sure what to charge.
The bride says to feed 250, but MoB kept repeating "People just dont eat cake like they used to." 
So right now I am going to give her a quote for 250 and a quote for 200. Does anyone know where to go to find cake dummies? And what would you charge? And how do you ice and fondant a dummy? Is it the same as a real cake? Sorry this is so long and full of questions...
See this thread: http://forum.cakecentral.com/cake-decorating-ftopict-593987.html
And this one: http://forum.cakecentral.com/cake-decorating-ftopict-594063.html
On the headcount thing, find out how many they INVITED. Total Number of People INVITED. A rule of thumb that I go by is 60% of that number will show up. So if she is expecting 250 people, did she really invite approx 425 people?
Oh yeah btw Debi, I tried telling the mom and the bride about the 2/3 rules when buying cake for a wedding. They INSIST on a quote for 200-250. Which is how many people she is inviting. I have talked about his until I was blue, but mom is in charge and of the ball bustin sort. I refuse to argue with her.
If she wants to buy a cake for 250 people and pay me for it, and then only have 175 show up and 150 eat cake, then i guess she will be the one to gain 100lbs cause the bride is moving to Philly after the wedding. Cause I am done trying to go down that road with her.
buy them at (hope this comes thru):
www.**********.com (without the spaces)
When I wrote a newspaper column on How to Plan Weddings, one of my columns was on determining headcount. I closed the column with "Then there is the one radical idea that is never considered .... that the bride and groom are NEVER as popular as they THINK they are!"
If they want to spend the money, then I say laugh all the way to the bank!
do it just like a regular cake..and remember the bulk of the work is in the decorating..i dont know why they think dummy cakes would be cheaper..okay i know..because some wedding sites tell them they are lol
do it just like a regular cake..and remember the bulk of the work is in the decorating..i dont know why they think dummy cakes would be cheaper..okay i know..because some wedding sites tell them they are lol
About the head count... Are they having a "unique" or unusual type of wedding? They might get a big turn out "because they're popular" 
, or if they are doing something different. For example, if they are getting married on a yacht in NYC, just watch how many people "rearrange" their schedules to attend. 
I'm just curious though... Of a four tier cake, why do they want the two middle layers to be cake dummies AND have kitchen cakes? Why not just have all four tiers real cake, and have something in the kitchen if needed? ... or am I reading it wrong? (Which could be... ha-ha!)
I tried to get her to just do the real cake thing, but her mom read in a bridal magazine that thats the thing to do now to save money. I orginally quoted her a price for the whole cake which was $600. Which is a steal for 250 people. Mom is only interested in saving a buck, and daughter is only interested in spending mom's money.
First thing I would do is bust the bubble that fake cakes are NOT the cheaper way to go. My quote would go like this.
You can have your cake for 250 people that is all cake for $1375
Or you can have your cake for 250 people with 2 tiers being styrofoam for about $1200 and your kitchen cakes for 100 for $450 totaling around $1650.
Your choice. 
See which option they choose. 
I have no problem doing dummy tiers if they want the look of a grand cake but don't want all the extra cake, but they aren't saving a ton of money if they do that and I will only do kitchen cakes if they order a real cake and need extra servings. I'll have no part in a display cake with kicthen cakes out back. That's just silly to me.
If you are doing fondant on the dummies just lightly rub them with some crisco and apply the fondant. it will stick great and if you want to re0use the dummies for something after (like a for the hell of it cake for the portfolio or to show brides different sizing options) the fondant will peel of nice and easy.
buy them at (hope this comes thru):
www.**********.com (without the spaces)
When I wrote a newspaper column on How to Plan Weddings, one of my columns was on determining headcount. I closed the column with "Then there is the one radical idea that is never considered .... that the bride and groom are NEVER as popular as they THINK they are!"
If they want to spend the money, then I say laugh all the way to the bank!
'
I know this isn't answering your question, but I had to comment on this. Perfect example of them not being as popular as they are in their own little world:
My SIL has her wedding planned for 150. Does not want to go the extra mile to actually send out invitations, but rather post a notice on the bulletin board at church and at work with only about 30 hand-mailed personalized invitations sent mostly to family. Yes, to family!
Well, she first chooses to get married on Veteran's Day...nothing would change her mind. Then the day of the wedding, about 25 guests actually showed up - remember, 30 invitations went out to family. So, moral is...just because you think you are something special to your mom and dad, that doesn't mean everyone around thinks the same.
Thankfully, I had a falling out with her over my ugly bridesmaid dress and she fired me from making the wedding cakes...ummmm, six days before the wedding mind you!
Now, back to your question...this has been a popular subject today since CNN had that stupid piece on fake cakes being cheaper. If you're renting out something already made and just sitting around (to which they really don't have any design choice in the matter) then maybe it's cheaper. If not and you're making that much sheet cake, forget it...they should be charged what your time and material is worth. It's still gonna cost you quite a bit to buy the styrofoam dummies and decorate them with fondant. AND, like someone else posted on that CNN thread, they more than likely will not get it back to you in the same condition IF they get it back to you at all.
Just my two cents worth. I have a dummy cake upstairs fully decorated from a bridal boutique show from months ago and noone has needed it so far, but it still cost a good bit of money to go purchase the dummies and the fondant and then put it all together. Brides and MOBs just don't understand that our time is just as important as their time is...even more so when you've got most of us working full time away from home then working at night another 20 or 30 (or more) hours at home during the week.
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