I have been asked to give a quote for a 3 tier stacked fondant covered weddding cake. The customer wants me to price it with the bottom layer styrofoam instead of cake. Then have me make a double layer butter cream only sheet cake to serve. All this thinking it will save her money. My thinking is the price of the styrofoam is probably going to be as costly as the ingredients to make the cake! I'd still have to decorate the styrofoam layer and she'd have the cost of the sheet cake. Am I looking at this the wrong way?? Has anyone else done this?
I actually did do this for a best friend's daughter's wedding. The reception was at the Columbus, OH Music Conservatory and they had dessert with dinner and didn't think they needed lots of cake but wanted a large looking cake.
This has been talked about here a couple of different times. For me, it would actually cost more. The cost of decorating will be the same and then you have to add the cost for the sheet cakes. The cost of the cake is not the main cost, it's the time to create a work of art and they (cake muggles 
) don't think about that.
See my FAQ page on my website for the actual numbers .... feel free to direct your bride to my page so she can see it for herself. Here's another recent thread on it, too. http://forum.cakecentral.com/cake-decorating-ftopict-602388.html
I flat out tell brides, "I am so sick of the wedding magazines lying to you brides! It makes me so mad that they would mislead you like that!"
I totally agree.. I don't discount styrofoam cakes. If you want one layer styro because you want a huge cake and don't want tons of leftovers cool.. but not to save money.
Explain to the ignorant, yet kind, woman that you will be baking that SAME amount of cake and decorating the same amount of surface area.
The only thnk she has asked you to do different is ADD an ingredient...the styrofoam.
Plus, it's harder for me to decorate styrofoam, because it is so damn light.
It is TERRIBLE tha these magazines and advice columns/tv shows tell brides this! It's AWFUL! It's not their fault they think that. THey don't know......
The only time I can see styrofoam actually saving anyone money is like in my sister's case. She had a plain iced three tiered cake with fresh flowers added to it, nothing else really. One of the layers was styrofoam because she wanted the look of the three tiers but her wedding was small, so didn't need the extra cake. Since there were no extra sheet cakes and the cake was basically plain iced with a border and then a few fresh flowers put on, her cake lady actually charged her less than for a very decorated cake. I think my sister gave her back the styrofoam too, so no loss in cost for the cake lady on that note. I can't really see any other way that a styrofoam layer would save you money though.
I charge half price for styro cakes (basic) more, if there are elaborate decos. This saves the bride if they desire a huge cake but have a relatively small wedding party. It makes no sense, however, to order fake cake and then real cake.
Most people here disagree and will not reduce the price for styro but I have looked at the figures and ingredient cost, time for cooking, gas, electric, washing dishes, etc. I have no problem charging half my tier price for a styro cake. But like I said, it would end up costing more if they were to order sheet cakes on the side.
I only do them in fondant and I charge my buttercream price since there is not buttercream under the fondant. I charge a lot for them so I don't have to do them often.. I hate making fake cakes unless it's to experiment for myself.
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