So a friend of mine asked me to make her son's birthday cake. She wanted John Deere or JoJo' Circus. I came up with a cute JoJo cake idea (thanks to help from many of your photos) and told her about it. She tells me that she would like me to incorporate John Deere into the Jojo theme. Maybe make "some of those little icing figures (fondant) that I see people do, and a circus tent, and we could have a field beside it with the tractor doing something, oh, and maybe a three ring circus thing!" and on and on And can we use that fondant stuff because it looks so much better.! The kicker is, "Oh by the way, I want to pay you since it will probably take more time than a sheet cake. Is $30 okay?" huh? This would be for around 35 people, by the way!

After I stopped laughing I would tell her what a cake like that actually cost and see if she still wants it.

Yeah, I'd have to burst her bubble and let her know that it would cost more than 30 just for your supplies! I'd figure out a price and then discount it and make sure she knows she's getting the "friends and family" price. That is ALOT to ask of a friend.

Sure, $30 will be just fine for ONE of the "little icing figures." And what, you think this will really take more time than a sheet cake? It seems to me you should be able to whip that up in an hour or two. What a great hourly rate for you!

I'm facing the same sort of thing right now. I have a friend who wants a Larry Boy cake for her son. I know they're having financial difficulties right now, and just didn't have the heart to tell her how much the cake would really cost. I haven't committed to make it. She did offer to pay, but no amount was mentioned. The only reason I would do it is because she is a really good friend and my kids are friends with her son.

god luv her little cake civilian heart! Yeah, I'd give her the real price. The fun of watching her face would be worth it all!

People just dont have any idea! What do they think we just poop thoes figures out? The cake your friend is asking for is well over 100.00 in my book. Once you break it down to her and tell her to make a cake like that would take you 6 hours or what ever she might reconsider just going to walmart.

I'm sorry even a person that doesn't do cakes can't be that STUPID, good GRIEF a sheet cake at Sams and Walmarts that we can't touch the price is more than that. She can't be that dumb!!!!!

oh yes. Exactly this is, what I´m talking about with my "friend" this morning...
She always says, that I have to sell my cakes...
The new one:

thanks to jj1957

"Oh I think you could easily take 30 for such art thing..."

and then I get started to tell her all of my costs... including baking and dishes and everything
And ask her, what she pays for Hairdress etc and what my hour would cost in a 30 cake?


*grrrr

The funny thing is that I just recently started doing fondant to begin with. I have been doing bc for years but nothing like I have learned to do in the past year. I can't even begin to imagine how long it would take me to do the figures!!

I think part of the problem is that I have done cakes for her in the past and haven't charged anything. Now she wants something amazing for nothing. AND she watched Ace of Cakes the other night and told me she thinks I could easily make cakes like that! AAAAHAHAHAHA!!! I don't know which part was funnier, saying that they would be easy or thinking I could make one!! I love those shows (especially Duff) but they sure do make things harder for us sometimes. I learned to cover a cake with fondant so therefore I am an expert!

If she really wants a JoJo's Circus/John Deere cake, tell her to supply the plastic figures and tent; and you'll make a plain sheet cake that she can place them on. Charge her for a plain sheetcake.

I think the funny thing is that in her mind, she was trying to be magnanimous by offering to pay you... and then insulted you by offering money enough to MAYBE pay for supplies.... it may have been better if she never volunteered the payment at all. i have a cousin who does that to me all the time. I finally charged her full price and she through a tee-total fit until I explained what actually went into the process. Then she shut up...

Those cake shows make me crazy. I don't have cable, but I am still haunted by them every time I do a wedding show or a tasting. I don't HAVE a belt sander for my gumpaste, I'm SORRY!

To bad they don't show what they charge on these cake shows so people could see what these "easy " cakes are worth!