I like to bake cakes and decorate them, especially after my 2 cake classes, with Wilton. I don't know who to make them for. I go through the pictures of cakes, thinking,I can do something like that, and I want to practice and be better. The problem is, I work from home, I've made my friends cakes. (everyone is getting a Christmas ornament cake, be it a Snowman head, or an ornament.)..I bought the Sports ball pan and the possibilities are endless. I want to try some of these things so bad, but I have no one to eat them.

I don't want to be a full time baker, or anything like that. I would be happy to gain my skills and make a cake every once in a while, maybe sell one to someone who asks. Do I just continue to try things i see on CC? So,w hat do I do with the cake? I am about to join the knitting guild....I suppose they can have a cake, or my occasional Yelp event, but there's usually someone there who has a cake business.

Welcome to the caking world! I am a hobby baker. I have a niece and her husband (like my kids) and they have 3 kids in elementary school. I give my practice, just-for-fun, cakes to:
niece's work, her husband's work, my neighbors, my friends, staff at my step-mom's convalescent home, staff at the rest home where my neighbor works, fire stations, police stations, the teacher's lounge at the elementary school.

You can also contact your local homeless shelters and they'll accept them.

I am just getting started in the cake world too! I have told all my friends, neighbors, people at my church, work associates and Facebook friends that I will make a fondant cake for them for just the cost of ingredients. I have been able to make almost 40 cakes that way. They all know that I am just learning and are happy to get a cake for cost which may not be perfect. Hope that helps!

Free Cake!
Most love this and the trouble comes when you get enough practice that people start asking you to make them for their events.

Please, please tell people that you are only going to be 'gifting' cakes for a short time or they'll come to expect you have a bottom-less budget and all the free time in the world. In fact...you are just waiting by the phone hoping you will call so they can do YOU the favor of asking for one of your amazing cakes.

All I'm saying is make sure people know that you are just practicing.
You aren't a cake genie.

mommachris

I started over two years ago, and bake for friends, neighbors, family, and church friends. When I make a cake at home, either we eat it, or give half of it away, or send it to work with someone... I have definitely already gained some weight on this adventure and probably need to give away MORE! LOL

Tomorrow i'm putting fondant on my 2nd official fondant cake, then I'll make Christmas cakes for my friends...like I said, snowmen heads, or ornaments. I ordered the smaller ball pan by wilton today, at Joann's, I'm using the larger one and love that pan. I have the Fat Daddio's comma pan,and several pans. I ordered a Cricut for elegant cakes. I know how to do Sugarveil (but that would never be on a free cake, that is too expensive. I'd do it for my friends birthday cakes, though). I have issues with the Wilton's leveler...(I'll wish for an Agbay Jr. (I also like to spin yarn,and am wishing for a Vespera spinning wheel...my expensive hobbies). On my free cakes,I'll use a cheaper brand of fondant, Wilton's, instead of Satin ice. These are good ideas....

My work is traveling me on the 11th-17th, so I'm making cakes this weekend, and freezing them, and decorating them when I come home. The 11th is the day after my son's 21st. He wants a pineapple upside down cake, which I will make, but I'm also making him a snowboarding cake out of a half of a ball. I think I'll post something like that on FB, after the holidays...(not good timing to travel me, but you do what you have to do.) I like the idea of having them pay for the ingredients, and for a limited time. Those are just great ideas.

I know someone who wants me to make them a book cake.Are the book cakes (open book, or the 13x9 inch book that looks like a closed book,) difficult? When you are a hobby baker, you don't offer the edible images, do you? That would be very expensive, more than I'd want to spend, or want anyone to spend. She just wants a book cake.