Just A Vent. Should I Contiue Or Forget It
Decorating By jayden520 Updated 20 Feb 2009 , 2:43pm by -K8memphis
Im a newbie at cakes i want to start my own business one day but for now im a home baker an have been making cakes for a little over a year. I have one customer who have been purchasing from me from the start but recently i notice my orders have been messed up (only with her). The last order i made 150 redvelvet cup cakes for her and she said they were dry 
but i make a birthday cake the same night and it was fine 
. The one before that i made two 12 in. cakes one redvelvet and one pound and she said the pound looked like it fell . Right now i feel like giving up. i work mon- fri and have a super curious 15 month old. Should i contiue or should i give up i need advice. I was thinking maybe it was the new muffin pans i purchased i dont know 
help pleassssssse!!!!!!
I hope I can be the first to welcome you to CC! It's the greatest place for cake folks, no matter how long you've been doing cakes. I'd been making cakes for over 20 years and I've learned more in 2 years on here than I did in those first 20 years. You will always find someone who has the answer to what you are looking for!
Can you post any of your pics so we can see your talents? (That's my favorite part on here ... browsing the galleries to see the awesome cakes! )
Having a full time job and a little one at home is a full plate to start with. It can be done ... many have done it. But if you have to step back once in awhile and take a break, then do it! It's very easy to hit burn out in this biz. And if you really luv doing this, then you don't want to burn out so early.
Space yourself ... schedule time for you and your little one. Keep caking and havin' fun!
FYI your poll question is worded a bit funny so it is difficult to know which way to answer! No, you shouldn't quit - yes, you should still bake! Just go slow, keep practicing, and learn from any comments. That is if you love doing this, if you don't then yes quit and find something you do love! Are you baking from scratch? It makes it a bit more difficult to know what happened these two times but I would write down the recipies and anything you did differently each time in case you get more comments you can go back and try and determine the issues. Keep your chin up!
Stick with it! Just pace yourself so that you don't get overwhelmed...that's when it stops being fun. Regarding the customer with which you've had a few mess ups...try those recipes (and pans) on a few cakes for yourself. Try and determine if you have technical problems with them, or if you have a difficult-to-please customer.
I would stick with it, but pace yourself, like everyone else is suggesting. Just a suggestion for that lady with the dry cupcakes: try revamping the recipe a bit, then once you get a batch that turn out better, give them to her. Tell her sorry about the dry cupcakes and you tried a little something different with this batch and you would really appreciate her opinion on the new recipe. It would be a great way to keep your clients happy and most importantly, coming back to you! Good Luck!
I don't think you need to quit all together if this is something you love! Maybe just take a few weeks off and relax! I too work full time! I also have 3 kids and take college classes full time so I can totally relate to the getting burned quick! When I start making cakes that are getting all wonky I take a short break (usually I take no orders for a week). I am not booking orders far in advance (except weddings) that way I can say NO if I am needing a break.
Good Luck and please post some pics!
It is easy for cupcakes to get dry, because they are so little and can very quickly overbake. But this in no reason to quit! It's just a hiccup!
I don't think you should give up either. I have felt the same way and for a time I tried to "do it all" but I finally realized that all I needed was a long brake from cake. So I did it. I love making cakes, and it did get overwhelming for me, so I made it a point to take a break. It has been worth it. I still do a cake here and there, but now I have time for my family, and MYSELF. Comments are how we get better (good and bad) so take what your customers have said and improve. Hang in there, if you really love it then you have to learn to sometimes take a long deep breath. I did. 
Don't give up, just learn as much as you can!! Cupcakes can get dry very easily by overbaking and just sitting out. I always cover my cupcakes with a pc. of paper towel to keep the steam in.
Hope that helps...don't over bake. Take them out when they are done, not two or three minutes after. I always test them a bit early...
Jen 
Im sorry im replying so late i have been so busy with life's troubles .
But it's getting better . As for baking i stuck with it and have not done business with the complaining customer anymore 
. Since then i have done a food tasting , And have gotten a good amount of business. I have posted only three pics but more is to come. But thank you all again for the advice you have given me. Im a baker for life now
jayden520 glad to see things are going well and you will be a *baker for life*..... 
Something that puzzled me when i read your post about *new pan* - i bought two new muffin pans 2 weeks ago and i found that they retained the heat more so than the others i have - so i have had to whip my cupcakes out about 2 - 3 minutes earlier so as they don't overcook.... and thus dry out.
And the best investment i ever made was a good over thermomitor- as it proved that my fan forced over runs 15C hotter that the temp shown on the dial.... 
It can get a bit crazy at times and get you down - but then we remember to breath in and then breath out - whip up another cake and we get back on track.
I wish you every success and may you keep enjoying.....all that you bake.
Bh
You've already gotten great advice and I congratulate you on continuing. I just want to make a pithy comment and say the only difference between success and failure is that success tried one more time.
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