I'm just curious if anyone else's business seems to be effected by the cake craze? Two years ago when all of the cake shows were going gang busters on tv, my cake biz was booming. I was always busy and people would pay me $125 for an 8" fondant cake without batting an eye. Now, my business seems to have slowed down and people think they can get a three tiered fondant cake for the same price as a buttercream sheet cake. Is any one else experiencing this too?

I wasn't making cakes 2 years ago, but, yes, some people expect to pay very little.

I don't think it is over.
The celebrations are still there.
There will always be a need for one on the dessert table, bride and groom's tables and the ever popular smash cake has advanced to a special six inch round masterpiece just for the bday boy or girl.
I am seeing and hearing of more and more people rediscovering scratch baking.
It is the evil Wilton Corporation that is at the root of all open weekends with nary an order in sight.
Don't cha know for under a hundred bucks you too can learn how to turn out a product that equals the work of masters?

No the cake craze isn't over. But lots of people are feeling pretty poor this year. I have lived through enough recessions to stop listening to the financial news but many people can;t tune it out so well.

Maybe it's time for cake people to get used to offering customers simple decorations on neat buttercream cakes. Because the other thing that I have learned from all those recessions is that you will maintain your customer base with excellent tasting neat cakes that don't break budgets.