Have you ever done a cake for a family member or friend and had someone ask how much you would have to charge for it, if it was an order? I've done a few, in which my reply was "You couldn't afford it!". In other words...way too many hours. Here are the two that come to mind. the most recent was for my daughter's birthday (pillow pets) and the other was a bit of an experiment (Coach purse)
http://cakecentral.com/gallery/2123184/2123351
http://cakecentral.com/gallery/1469223
If you have a few...post yours! I'd love to see them.
Well.... To me telling someone they couldn't afford it is a bit of an insult. It sounds like you are assuming they have very little money. I know I would be offended if it was put to me that way, even if I was broke.
Either tell them what you would charge or tell them you're not sure you want to make them again due to the amount of work involved.
JMHO
Michele
I may take some back lash from this but anyways... Honestly what make you think your work is that great. DON'T take me wrong you do, do Very Nice work. But I think that is kinda degrading to someone who appreciated your work and perhaps would have liked one made for them and was willing to pay you. But you cut them off and never again would I ever think to ask you to make a cake for me. And if your not licensed kitchen you shouldn't be selling anyways. If you are a licensed kitchen you should be out there to make what you can on your product that is worth selling.
WOW...completely NOT how I meant it!!!! This was said jokingly to people like my mother or sister. All I was getting at was that some cakes are simply a labor of love and take an enormous amount of time. I just wanted to see other cakes that were close to people's hearts.
I think what the OP meant was that she put so much extra work into her "special family cakes' that she is doing it for love and not money. I feel the same way about some, if not most of the cakes that I have done, I wouldn't go thru the complication and frustration for merely money. I think her cakes are beautiful as well, and she is at a level above mine.
I guess I can see the other view that it is an insult, and all I can say is that I have insulted my share of folks. Since I am just a hobby baker I have to tell a lot of folks that "You couldn't afford me if this was my job because its a lot of work". Most non-bakers think its a one or two hour process to pump out a beautiful cake and it isn't for me. I will take the prior posts into consideration in the future cause I just never looked at it that way.
WOW...completely NOT how I meant it!!!! This was said jokingly to people like my mother or sister. All I was getting at was that some cakes are simply a labor of love and take an enormous amount of time. I just wanted to see other cakes that were close to people's hearts.
I knew what you meant, some things take so many hours, even days, sometimes we just do it because we want to, love your idea of people showing their cakes, good post.
WOW...completely NOT how I meant it!!!! This was said jokingly to people like my mother or sister. All I was getting at was that some cakes are simply a labor of love and take an enormous amount of time. I just wanted to see other cakes that were close to people's hearts.
I knew what you meant, some things take so many hours, even days, sometimes we just do it because we want to, love your idea of people showing their cakes, good post.
Thanks. I never thought it would be taken so negatively.
wow....you know it's really a shame, and I know this is said in other posts, but it's a shame that when people post simple questions or ask for input, "are you legal" is the first thing that comes up! Who cares!
I didn't get anything negative or snooty about OP's post. I could tell just from reading that she said it in a loving, joking manner. To just assume she said it with her nose up in the air is just uncalled for and your nose must be in the air, too. JMHO
I understood exactly what you meant. I feel the same way about certain cakes that I have made too and I just couldn't put a price on the amount of work that I put into them. Those are definetely my labor of love cakes. And my mom and sisters would laugh right along with me if I said it to them that way. We tease each other like that all the time. To outsiders we probably do sound mean and rude. Hey.....maybe we're long lost sisters....... ;^)
Hey ColeAlayne, loved your cakes, I can only imagine how long they took. I'll have one to add in a couple of days. I have been working on it for days, making characters, of course its a freeby, just doing it cause I wanted to try. I told the person that I would make a cake if they let me do what I want, they agreed, so I have been having fun.
I didn't get anything negative or snooty about OP's post. I could tell just from reading that she said it in a loving, joking manner. To just assume she said it with her nose up in the air is just uncalled for and your nose must be in the air, too. JMHO
No kidding!
But at least most people understood the OP than not.
I may take some back lash from this but anyways... Honestly what make you think your work is that great. DON'T take me wrong you do, do Very Nice work. But I think that is kinda degrading to someone who appreciated your work and perhaps would have liked one made for them and was willing to pay you. But you cut them off and never again would I ever think to ask you to make a cake for me. And if your not licensed kitchen you shouldn't be selling anyways. If you are a licensed kitchen you should be out there to make what you can on your product that is worth selling.
How in the ever lovin' He@# does her being licensed or not even remotely have to do with her post??? God that is getting soooo old. Anyhoo, I get where the OP is coming from and I totally have felt the same way and I believe I have said the same thing...never was it meant as rude. Your work is lovely and there is just some cakes we put our hearts into and a price cannot be put on those.
Yes most of us have understood what the OP meant but none of us have done waht she wanted which was to show our fav labour of love so heres hoping if I have done this right my one http://cakecentral.com/gallery/1828370 
Right, here is mine. Made for my daughters birthday...lots of time put into it.
http://cakecentral.com/gallery/1750373
Ooh Colealayne and fairmaiden both your cakes are stunning 
This is mine this was my second fondant cake a fews years back. At that time I felt I would never get it and guess what I stuck with it and I'm glad I finished this cake and moved on to the next!
http://cakecentral.com/gallery/997523
ALL my cakes are labors of love, but I really liked how this one turned out considering the requirements I was given by my friend to make this cake!
http://cakecentral.com/gallery/2113030/2113715
Well here is my 'you-couldn't-pay-me-enough' cake. Not perfect, but I spent freaking AGES on the modelling! I shudder to think what I'd have had to charge if I were trying to get paid for my time on it:
...plus I was pregnant & morning sick when I made it and just looking at anything cakey made me want to throw up. It was a 14". Over half of it was left over & got thrown out because I couldn't stand having it in the house. What a waste 
Wow, those are some amazing cakes. Makes me a little tired just thinking of all the hours that went into them. Here are mine, probably never to be repeated.
This was for my daughters 8th birthday. Even she said I was spending too much time one it. I got a little carried away.
http://cakecentral.com/gallery/1759811
This one was for my husbands dad's cousin. She wanted a teacup with soft lavender. My son threw himself on the floor crying when she took it away, I hadn't even thought to tell him that I was making it for someone else. I felt so bad. I spent hours on the piping, but this is definitely one of my favorites.
http://cakecentral.com/gallery/1257414
And this one is probably the one I would pick if I ever renewed my wedding vows. I won Best in Show at the local fair with it. I still have it, faded and dusty, I just can't part with it.
http://cakecentral.com/gallery/1250782
There ya go...Happy Caking.
There are definitely cakes that I have created that 'no-one could ever afford to pay me to replicate', both because of the time/effort involved and because of who they were for. I laughed when I read the OP as I have said this to friends before as well, my other favourite is when friends ask me for my best seller recipe - to that I reply 'sure, then you better say your prayers 'cos I'm gonna have to kill you'. Both comments always said with a smile and a wink.
^my mind boggles at the architecture that went into that mermaid tinygoose!!
Thank you, it did take a while.
Your birthday cake for Fletcher is crazy good, every time I look at it I see something I didn't see the time before. I love everything about! Amazing!
This is my labour of love cake; for my daughter
http://cakecentral.com/gallery/2122473
I'm game! Here's mine: http://cakecentral.com//gallery/1698983
Without question, a labor of love. Of course, he wanted Yoda having a lightsaber duel with Darth Vader, or "maybe just Yoda AND R2D2"...
I never would have even taken Yoda on in the first place, but I had my little boy's blue eyes looking up at me, saying, "You can do it, Mommy - I KNOW you can." *sniff, sniff*
Cool that is ... (yoda speak). Wow, that is awesome, saved to favs for a rainy day.
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