I have 6 cakes for this week. I know that is nothing compared to many of you. Granted I didn't start until Wed. on them. I had 3 done as of last night and am working on 3 more. (see my photos of what is done so far).

I want to know how you guys do it. I know Edna said something about having 10-12 wedding cakes a week lately. HOW! Edna do you have help? Granted I am a home cook and can only bake a layer at a time in my oven. Sometimes 2 depending on the pan. And I make my buttercreams as I go. But how do you hold up?????

Oh I feel your exhaustion. I have a crazy week too, and I'm a home baker as well. 3 cakes + 24 cupcakes due on Friday/Saturday. Next week, I have a going away cake, 144 wedding cupcakes, a 3 tiered b-day/retirement cake (which I am traveling 500 kms to deliver to my FIL's party), & 12 Fathers day cuppies. Ugh!

I'm tried now.......and it's 1:30 in the afternoon.......

Ya, I'm so freakin' tired right now! I'm a home baker, plus I work full time and have 2 kids. This week, I did a 100 serving party cake, a 30 serving party cake, and a small dessert cake. I also had cake class one night. I'm taking Wilton Course III right now also, and I have to drive over an hour for class, and had to take a cake, frosting, fondant, etc. I was up til 3:00 Wednesday and 1:00 last night. Next week, besides cake class, I'm scheduled to make my cousin's groom's cake. I have an order for the following weekend also. I'm wishing for some time off!!!

Wow! It sounds like you all are staying super busy! I don't know how you do it!

Same here, 2 - 21x18 sheet cakes, 1 20x30 (9 cakes on that - solar system cake I just uploaded) and a 4 tier (16" base) wedding cake all to do today - just have the wedding cake left to decorate. (baked them all on Wed., made icing & crumb coated yesterday) I am freakin' tired - taking a nap before starting the wedding cake.....

I am convinced these woman (EDNA, INDY, LEAH!!) have as "S" on their chests!!! I am glad I don't have to do this many every day!

When you say you have 3 down and 3 to go, does that mean you are doing them one at a time?

For example, last week, I had 3 wedding cakes, a groom's cake and a catering (and FYI .... doing 10 wedding cakes is WAY less work than one catering, so when you throw a catering into the mix, I am JAMMED!). One of the cakes was the 5-tier wedding gown cake.

I do them assembly line.

I laid out the paper with my work instructions for each cake and set the uniced cakes with each paper. Then I crumb coated all of them. Then iced all of them. Then bordered all of them. Then measure out and cut my dowels for all of them. Each time, returning the cake(s) to their designated "wait place" so I wouldnt mix them up!

Even with all the fondant work on the wedding dress cake, I got them all done in one day (went home at 5:30). If I had done each cake one at a time (crumb, ice, border, decorate, done. Crumb, ice, border, decorate done) it would have taken me MUCH longer.

So anytime you can assembly line the process, you will be amazed at how much time you spend. You wouldn't think a minute here or there in duplicated effort or re-setting up the decorating bags adds up .... but it really, really does.

Indydebi is right, i work full time 9-5 monday to friday and only start caking at around 9pm at night - assembly line is the way to go - that way you only make one batch of BC, only create one mess when making fondant, etc and when you are all cleaned up then you can go back the next day an start decorating. still, i had a busy enough week with 2 soccer cakes, 6 cupcakes and a last minute communion cake which kinda screwed me up.

i think if you could do this full time rather than as an extra job you would find it a lot easier to do say 2 or 3 wedding cakes assembly line style per day. at the minte that is out of the question for me - im absolutly knackered just doing between 3 and 6 cakes a week on top of work