They Bought A Grocery Store Cake!!
Decorating By kelleym Updated 15 Jan 2007 , 6:36pm by southerncake
One of my first paid cakes was about this time last year for the coordinator at my church who loves rubber ducks. I AGONIZED over it, but in the end it was pretty cute and I received a lovely thank you note from her about how she wouldn't let anyone eat the fondant ducks and the cake was delicious.
So I got to church this morning and found the leftovers from her big party last night. A half-sheet from HEB. White cake, white BC, airbrushed nasty pink, with some sad and nasty roses and leaves on it. Whyyyyyyyyyy? Oooooooowwww, it's hurting me!!!!!
Someone told me it was "new" people planning the party and they just didn't know to call me. There has been a lot of turnover with church personnel lately, so that's possible.
This same woman hosted a birthday party for a man turning 80 last month, and I made her the 4-tier Tuxedo cake in my photos for $75. I had forgotten my camera so she took a picture and sent it to me. I wrote back to her thanking her and saying I hoped the party was a success -- but I never heard back! It's got me all freaked out now that maybe something was wrong with the tuxedo cake? She didn't like it? It tasted bad? I charged too much? (Gimme a BREAK, I gave it to her for cost, and I said so.)
By the way, the rubber duck cake was the third cake I ever uploaded to CC, I was completely distraught! I thought it was so bad!
http://www.cakecentral.com/cake-photo-21113.html
Friends don't let friends buy grocery store cake! Pass it on!
I hear you! They did this at work recently. I generally make everyone's birthday cakes for work for free (practice). It's a small office and I don't mind. Then one day my boss walks in with a nasty walmart cake!! I told him in no uncertain terms that I expected to be told when we had a birthday coming up and I would make the cake. Turns out he felt bad for not paying me (he puts all those kinds of expenses on the corporate credit card). I would not take this personally. For some reason, sometimes people just seem afraid to ask, even if they ARE paying. Anytime the people at work want to order a cake, they get very nervous with me.
Don't sweat it honey. I got a call from a lady about a month or so ago, a customer of DH. She wants a cake for 50 in March, for a bridal shower. I tell her my special occasion cakes start at $2.50/slice but since you know my hubby I'll discount it to $2.00 slice. She balks, says she wants tiny slices because the women are all on diets. 
Oh please, then why is there a cake??? Anyway, she ends the call and won't talk to me again. I complain to DH who says that doesn't even sound like her. 
Another time someone brought a Costco cake or some such thing to a function and when I told them that I had wanted to do the cake (they knew this) they responded "you're too busy." 
Like they know my schedule? I wouldn't have offered if I were THAT busy (DUH!!) Oh well. If that's the way they're going to be, let them eat grocery store cake! 
you got ROBBED that tuxedo cake was absolutly beautiful and you only charged 75$ so was the duck cake so CUTE 
, don't let it bother you some people are just cheap and don't understand that this is our job and we don't have the perks of frozen layers and overly sweet buttercream and we take days if not weeks planning our cakes and not 5 minutes! people just don't understand 
i have had people go to a grocery store before just because of the cost wise and regret it later,
don't sweat it some people just don't get it 
Our world kind of revolves around cake sometimes, and we think that everyone we know thinks like we do...and they don't. 
Maybe people just don't think to ask the "Cake Lady" for a cake. I don't take it personally at all. It takes too much energy trying to figure out what people think, and while I LOVE feedback, I don't get crazy over wondering what the customer thought about their cake order.
Your cakes are wonderful. You do great work!
angie
Don't get upset, but maybe they don't take home bakers seriously? or they'd rather have a cake from what they would consider a "real" bakery??
There are many, many reasons why your friends and co workers by pass you for their special ocassion cakes..
you can't worry about all of them..
Hi,
I am a "real" bakery. I rent a licensed kitchen and have a food purveyor's license. I advertise in the church business directory.
Thanks.
KelleyM...I said there may be many many reasons...and that was just one off the top of my head...
not trying to create a problem..
My ex-mother in law, which I am on good terms with NEVER asks me to make the cakes for her. She gets her cakes from another lady in town who also makes cakes. Number one: I would do the same cake, probably better, and cheaper. Number two: You would think that she would realize that the money would go to help support her granddaughters. I just don't get some people! It is also the same for some of the prople who my mom works with. They all know that I make cakes, but for some reason, they want to get grocery store cakes. I was in line behind one of those ladies the other day and low and behold, she was buying one of those plain old "canned cakes" I asked her what in the world she was doing. I also reminded her that I make cakes. She said that she just figured I wouldn't have time to do it with one day notice. The life of a cake decorator!!! LOL
I agree with the others... Don't sweat it even though it's annoying as he 
Once in a while I'll get one of those grocery store cakes, but most of the time it's just to satisfy my desire for Rich's frosting without having to wash the dishes when I'm done... Of course, in return, I have to spend many a night at the gym to make up for it 
But seriously, it is annoying when we know we've got a far superior product and are trying to earn a living when people go out and just get whatever for cake because as DH thinks "Cake is cake". Yes, the people working in the grocery store bakeries work hard at their job, but they just don't get to spend the time on each individual cake's detail like the rest of us do.
Don't get upset, but maybe they don't take home bakers seriously? or they'd rather have a cake from what they would consider a "real" bakery??
There are many, many reasons why your friends and co workers by pass you for their special ocassion cakes..
you can't worry about all of them..
WOW...Risque, you really seem to have a bee in your bonet about home bakers that are not licensed! i just wonder why it seems to bother you so much...
i am one and actually have a "real" bakery refer customers to me. Maybe in Australia we are more relaxed about it... i dont really know. but it seems like a big issue in the USA...
i just don't think we need to hear your opinion about it all the time, i think most member's on here know how you feel...
i am not trying to cause trouble either, this has been bugging me for a while..
regards
kylie
I'm sure it was a huge mistake your rubber duckie cake was beautiful I put it straight into my favorites!! I'm sorry this happened to you, but the only explanation is that it was truly a mistake i'm not trying to ne nice to make you feel better if I had nothing good to say I just would not reply to your thread your cake is truly amazing
I love you cake! And l love your saying "friends dont let friends buy grocery store cakes" It should be your signature! 
I hope you dont mind if I quote you in the future!
It seems like I almost have to beg my family (husband's side) to let me do cake for special occasions. I dont know what the deal is! For the last two holidays, Thanksgiving I was assigned a salad....A SALAD!! Then for Christmas I was told my husband's grandmother wanted to bring dessert. Guess what she brought...a grocery store cake. But I will leave that one alone. It was probably just an easy thing for her to bring. Plus she is as sweet as sugar. Then my niece has a birthday, no one asks if I want to make the cake. The night before the party my sil and bil say they are going to have to go out and get a cake. I say, oh you should have told me, I would have made it. They say oh I thought about that this morning, but you probably didnt have time to make it then....uh no. (we came in from out of town that morning)
So I am always thinking, do they not like the cake? Do they not want to ask me? What's the deal? Oh well, maybe some of the family wants to have a turn bringing dessert too.
On my purple wedding cake I had agreed to give it to custumer at cost as a practice cake to help me get into the business of wedding cakes.She had told me over and over again she was going to advertise for me and help get me some more customers. Well to this date I have had NO calls and she has not even done her advertising she told me she would do. When I see her at stores she tries to dodge me, last time I cornered her and she had to speak but even then she acted like she did not recognize me ..DUH.. Owww and the cake was sold to her for $100.00 roses, 3 tier, setup and delivery!!!! I mean what do people expect from us? You can see my wedding photo in my gallery...
I know how you all feel, while I may be new to this board, I'm not new to cakes.
I've done all the Wilton courses, plus several at an independent culinary arts school and worked for several months in a bakery.
Several months ago, a friend, let's call her Margret, was asked by a mutual friend to do a cake for a party. Margret has only taken 1 Wilton course and never taken on the size of cake that was asked. I was shocked, stunned and enraged when Margret called me pleading for help with the cake. I just smiled and offered my tips, trying to supress my pent up rage!!! It turned out fine, the cake was reasonable tasting very plain though.
So I know what you're all feeling about being burned!! (and not by the stove!)
A couple weeks ago I went through the same thing for a family member. I have made my niece and nephews cakes every year, and when we received my nephews invitation I told my sister-in-law I would make the cake. She told me she was going to make something, Ok fine she wants to try to make a cake I respect that. Well 2 days before the party she emailed me and said we will see you then and oh my friend is making the cake. I felt so hurt. And usually I would keep my mouth shut, but I didn't this time I sent back an email and said I was upset. Well her excuse was that I am too busy. I think she knew her friend was going to do it in the first place. Well needless to say she called me that night and I ended up making the cake, I sent my hubby and he got me supplies that night. We ended up making a 2 tiered cake that was awesome, and everyone loved it, especially my nephew. Its so self rewarding when you see the little kids eyes light up when they see their cakes. I have always done over and beyond for my kids and nieces and nephews for their bday and free of charge. Sorry so long!!!
You know, you can't force people (related or not) to buy your cakes. If your feelings get hurt every time someone gets a cake from another baker, a bakery, a grocery...you're going to end up upset all of the time!
During a New Years Eve party at a friends house another one of the friends showed up with a cookie cake from Great American Cookie Company...YUCK...my feelings weren't hurt...I even ate a piece of it. Why do I care where she buys her cakes??? If you make family/friends feel obligated to buy from you (cheap or not) you might end up losing someone as time goes on. No one likes to feel forced to do something!
Boy oh boy, I think we can all give testimony to such an experience.
I went to a school function where there was a cake done by another lady. The cake was quite nicely decorated...but tasted AWFUL!
I saw the garbage can filled with unfinished pieces of cake...
They know I do cakes..but this lady got there first.
Oh well..
And as for family stories...I could share a bunch.
We just need to not be so sensitive...and yes, Costco/grocery store cakes are cheaper...so maybe money is the issue.
BTW..your cakes are fantastic!!
Speaking from my own situation, I am just a sensitive person, so I will get hurt when it comes to my family not wanting me to make a cake. My nephew who is my god son will always get a cake from me, because that is a little special thing I can do for him. If I go to a birthday party for a friend and they have someone else cake I will not get upset, but I think family should support us with either our business or our special hobby. I have supported everyone my whole life family and friends, it would be just nice to get repayed with some once in awhile.
I had a similar experience recently....this lady I work for has bought several birthday cakes from me for her children this last year. Well, she told me in December she was needing a cake for her son the beginning of January. No big deal. Well, then the first week of January I asked her about it and she said well I think I'm gonna just get a cake from Wal-Mart. I said oh okay whatever. Didn't take it personal or anything. Well, then last week she called me and said they were eating leftover cake one night and she had asked her husband if he wanted some and he said no, and she said why not and he said because it tastes cheap. She said what do you mean cheap and he said the icing tastes cheap and then asked why she didn't get the cake from that one lady (meaning me). So, that made me feel pretty good that even her husband recognized that the Wal-Mart cake was not as good as mine!
We went to a neighbor's son's 6th birthday party on Saturday. They had bought a sheet cake from Sam's Club. It was so dry and the icing was about an inch thick. The theme was Pirates. I guess she thought that I couldn't pick up the cheap plastic figures they stuck on a blue (water) and yellow (sand) colored cake. Yuck. The blue on the border icing was so "Blue" that it turned lips and teeth blue. She knows I do cakes, but oh well....
This is a touchy subject at our house! I really do believe that some people think a cake is not as special if it comes from someone's home kitchen - licensed or not. I have had a licensed home bakery since 2002, but got a storefront three months ago.
Friends and family who have known for the past four years that I do cakes and have not ordered a thing from me now suddenly are so interested in what I can do and placing orders, etc. all because there is a building they can see (which does not have a kitchen by the way - I am still baking at home in the same old kitchen!).
I do think that sometimes intentions are good and they feel like they are bothering us or we do have so much family drama going on, but other times I have no idea what people are thinking!!!
Keep your chin up!! Your cakes look great!
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