I am doing a cake for a client that picked a design I did on an 8 in round x 4in tall, but wants it in a sheet cake. I can do it, just have to adjust the proportions of some elements. I tried explaining that it won't have the same effect as the cake she picked and when they had to adjust servings I again tried to steer them to the 2-layer, but to no avail. I just keep getting, "We are use to sheet cakes." This is their first time ordering from anywhere besides Wallyworld. It has been a back and forth conversation and it just got me thinking about not even offering sheet cakes unless it's kitchen cakes at a wedding.

I prefer custom cakes, but am not going to turn away a paying customer. So I will give her what she wants and hope that this just educates them. Their daughter fell in love with the picture of the cake design she picked, and I don't think she will be as happy when she sees it on a sheet.

Just wondering what everyone else does. Thanks!

i don't offer sheet cakes (2" tall cakes) all of my cakes are 4" tall. For customers who are used to sheet cakes i offer square cakes, most are intimidated to cut a round cake, but they feel comfortable with a square cake b/c they just cut rows like a sheet cake.
I also provide cutting instructions with EVERY cake order (indydebi's how to cut a wedding cake guide... i just modified it so it's "how to cut a cake")

A lot of people do offer sheet cakes, but i choose not to b/c 1) I used to work in a production bakery and i'm tired of doing them 2) most people want it for the same price as wallyworld or the local grocery store.... i just can't complete with that. If they get a 4" tall cake they are more willing to pay higher price for it even though it's the same amount of cake.... it has more of a "wow" effect.

I don't actually tell anyone that I offer them. But, if they so choose to do a sheet cake, then I will.

I find it harder to decorate a sheet cake than a stacked cake. I prefer making the stacked cakes.

I have made quite a few "sheet" cakes.... Many of the cakes I do are for friends and family and are usually gifts to the family member for a birthday or such. They get to tell me what type of cake they want and then most give me creative license to do whatever. I try to base it on how many people it must feed and the size of our family. Between the qty of people and type of design determines if I use a sheet cake.

Overall, I just prefer not to do sheet cakes!

Nope.

Nope.

I do not do sheet cakes. No way! I pride myself as a sugar artist/cake artist. I explain that is why they came to me. I learned how to say No, if it is something I don't want to do.

I'm not a pro, but I love sheet cakes. They're fun to decorate and easy to transport, and they're perfect for casual celebrations.

However, even though I'm not a cake pro, I've talked several young brides (DD's friends) out of getting sheet cakes or "kitchen cakes" along with a small cake for their wedding. I've advised them to cut back on appetizers or favors, but not the cake...that they'll always treasure the memory (and the pictures) of cutting a beautiful, made-just-for-them wedding cake!

I have only done one sheet cake in the past 12 months. It was such a novelty! I usually only do specialty stuff, but this was a request from a local school which I try to support, so I agreed to it (it was an opportunity to try FBCT for the first time!)

In terms of profitability, because I don't do them regularly, it is definitely not worth my time or effort. And frankly they're just not 'interesting' enough.

at this time-yes

This is not to start an argument, but to hopefully open you up to a different way of thinking. Would you say Sugarshack is not a sugar artist/cake artist?



So, are we cake snobs? That is really the question isn't it?

My answer is yes, I think I am a cake snob. A nice, happy & sweet cake snob, but I definitely have high standards when it comes to cake art.

I spend a good bit of time educating my customers on the difference between a grocery store cake (Publix is pretty good) and a custom cake done by a cake artist. Ingredents, time, skill, etc......

Sheet cakes are the classic grocery store cake in our area.

Personally, I think they are tedious and hold no appeal for me as an artist. When I started doing cakes I promised myself I would not get stuck in another career where I was doing things I disliked on a daily basis for money. Every once in a while is one thng, daily is another.


One of my main competitors in town doesthem all the time. I think that is great! Just not for e.

It's interesting--sheet cakes are also the approximate size and shape of paint & brush artist's canvases, Monet, Pollack, Renoir, DaVinci etc. to name a few.

I am fortunate enough to work next to ThanhThanh at the bakery we work at (referring to the link that Mme_K posted). Her and I, along with the other decorators do tons of sheet cakes and are not considered cheapo cake artists. Some, as difficult as they may look, are done in 15 minutes. Quick cash for a beautiful "sheet cake". I like doing all kinds of cakes...hell, even cupcake cakes and petitfours! I just love to decorate. But we do not work at a "speciality boutique" bakery either. We have to do sheet cakes. It is what is ordered the most. We have our high-end boutiques here in town that will not do sheet cakes. That's ok. They service a different clientele.

thank you for posting the link to ThanhThanh's cakes. I had never seen them, and they are amazing!!!!
Yes, as a newbie, I still do sheet cakes. I understand why some wouldn't, but if you put a little thought into them, they can turn out really pretty.
As a side note, my son's birthday is coming up, and when talking about what he wanted, he said just put a picture on the cake mom. I was like, um no...mom does better cakes than that now. So I talked him out of the simple sheet cake with an edible image. We are going to sculpt a ramp for a BMX cake. yeah! It will be my first cake that is sculpted.

Well you summed that up ddaigle. Thanhthanh makes beautiful sheet cakes. Well said!!

I think that you have done the best you can in this situation by advising them that the design works best on a different shape cake and encouraging them to order that instead. It's tough but maybe in the future instead of turning away a paying customer just tell them, that design is not available in a sheet cake, then offer to come up with a similar design suitable for sheet cakes.

Sangriacupcake, kitchen cakes are different from sheet cakes. I do kitchen cakes. Not often, but I will.

And then there's the customer who gets nervous trying to serve anything but a sheet cake too. Then there's some that would be nervous serving anything so whadayah gonna do ...

There is an adorable Mario Bros. "sheet cake" on the favorites today. It is blue with fondant accents.

About 75% of my cakes are sheet cakes...people are anxious about cutting 3-D/unusual/tall cakes. My main goal is to make somebody happy and if that includes providing them a cake in sheet form than that's what I do.

I offer sheet cakes but they cost the customer what they cost. If they don't like the price of them, then of course I don't get the order. I am a slow decorator and they take me a while to do (gotta get out of that) so it's not a quick cake for me. I like doing sheet cakes although I don't have enough room sometimes to decorate the sides. They still can't get a sheet cake like the ones that I do from the grocery store so I still am doing something different. I am not trying to toot my own horn but if someone is willing to pay my price for it then so be it. I guess for me I don't have the clientele to turn down a sheet cake and so I guess it's the beggars can't be choosy mentality. LOL

But as far as a weddings are concerned I don't think that sheet cakes or kitchen cakes are appropriate!!

ETA: what I mean as far as appropriateness I mean I think that it isn't meant for something that should be displayed.

I don't do sheet cakes, but I have done quite a few kitchen cakes with fondant figurines and fondant accents for kids birthday parties. I think these cakes force me to be more creative, since the starting point is just a rectange.

Thanks for all the insights. It is certainly something to ponder.

if there is ever anyone that prides themselves as a cake artist, whatever , that is thanh thanh. her work is unbeatable. her work is one of the first i saw when i joined this site. it is incredible. the way she mixes colors, etc. waht an artist.

I just realized I never answered the question. Do I do them? Yes, if that's what they really want. Do I like to do them? No. I think it was Indydebi who said that perhaps it's because of the expanse of the blank canvas that scares people. That would be me. I do torte and fill them, or stack 2 with filling in between, so it's actually more kitchen cake than sheet cake. One unfilled layer just looks too skimpy to me.

My experience so far (small though it is) has been that people say "I need a sheet cake" because they assume that's what they can afford. I ask questions to determine the event, the theme, the likes of the recipient, etc... Then I design a cake that I think will fit within their budget that includes a rectangular cake but adds elements that makes it look better (design wise, and in my opinion) than what they can get from the grocery store.

The two "sheet cake" orders I did this year turned into something more. The first one had a half football (Wilton pan) on top to represent his time on the field, 2 goal posts (one with the medical snake thingy wrapped around it to represent a future goal), a buckeye to represent his future college, and a hornet to represent his high school.

For the other one I was told, "I know I need a sheet cake." After I asked what size (and gave pan sizes with serving amounts for each) she considered a sheet cake, she gave in and told me she needed 50 servings. I designed the cake to be a carved top of a martial arts uniform, a black belt to represent those who passed their test that year, and put the school's personalized patch on it (made of fondant). The carving was minimal as it was 2D rather than 3D, was still mostly rectangular, gave the servings she needed, and was in her price range. When I deliviered it a student told me, "This is the best cake we've ever had."

So, yeah, I do them. However, I determine why they want one first. If it's because they've never thought of something else or assume that's what they can afford, I start working my magic with them. LOL

I'm jonesing for Sugarshack's sheetcake DVD. The preview alone opens up possibilities in my brain.