How Much Should I Charge For The Ruffled Maggie Austin Look Cake Per Serving?

Decorating By kjgm Updated 14 Mar 2014 , 11:27am by Relznik

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woozy Posted 11 Apr 2013 , 9:47pm
post #31 of 44

Be sure you have a nice cool temp in the room where you do these. DO NOT ask me how I know, but it involved water streaming out a a light fixture, the electric and the AC turned off, on a warm day.  icon_surprised.gif 

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kjgm Posted 11 Apr 2013 , 10:37pm
post #32 of 44

wow...that must have been upsetting trying to get the cake done under those circumstances...upside down besides.  :/  

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nancylee61 Posted 4 May 2013 , 11:50pm
post #33 of 44

AI just bought the class and watched the part where she put the frills on. I don't have an attachment for my kitchen aid. I wonder if I could get the fondant thin enough to make the frills?

The gum paste cabbage roses part had my ADD head groaning, and I was only a few minutes in. I don't think I will be doing those this year! Nncy

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Annabakescakes Posted 5 May 2013 , 12:13am
post #34 of 44
Quote:
Originally Posted by nancylee61 

I just bought the class and watched the part where she put the frills on. I don't have an attachment for my kitchen aid. I wonder if I could get the fondant thin enough to make the frills?

The gum paste cabbage roses part had my ADD head groaning, and I was only a few minutes in. I don't think I will be doing those this year!
Nncy

I routinely roll fondant out super thin with just my rolling pins. First, roll it out as thin as you dare with a large pin, then cut your shapes and roll them even thinner with a small, 1"- 1 1/2" pin. I roll it as thin as (construction) paper and thinner.

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nancylee61 Posted 5 May 2013 , 12:15am
post #35 of 44

AThanks, Anna! You just saved me a whole lot of money!! Nancy

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costumeczar Posted 5 May 2013 , 1:29am
post #36 of 44

I don't like the messy look on the upside-down method ruffles, personally. I've done a bunch of ruffle cakes and I use a chocolate clay/fondant mixture that stays stiff enough to ruffle nicely and stand up off the cake. You can do it right side up and it looks neater. The first time I took one it took three hours to put the ruffles on a three tiered cake, but the more you do the faster you get. If you estimate an hour per tier, then add one for good measure, you can figure out how much more you need to charge.

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classiccake Posted 6 May 2013 , 12:42am
post #37 of 44

I just did a similar cake.  I am in the mid-west and I charged $6.00 per serving, but we are lower than alot of other areas of the country.  You do not tip the cake upside down to decorate, you simply start at the top and work your way down to the bottome of each tier.

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nancylee61 Posted 6 May 2013 , 12:48am
post #38 of 44

AHi, On the video, Austin does turn the cake upside down. Glad to near that you don't have to do that! It would get me nervous flipping it back once it was all decorated!

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lorieleann Posted 6 May 2013 , 2:49am
post #39 of 44

that is a really lovely execution of the ruffles there in the OP.   

 

One thing to remember when comparing prices to a Maggie Austin cake is that she has some serious cake going on under the fondant as well.  (i always keep an eye out for mentions of her cake flavors because they are so interesting). She has said in interviews that one of her most popular flavors is vanilla and sour cream cake with peach-apricot preserves and milk chocolate Earl Grey buttercream.  Part of her price (starting at $10 serving, surely for a basic cake with the ruffle work being higher) also reflects the premium cake and filling choices. 

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kjgm Posted 6 May 2013 , 10:10am
post #40 of 44

Yes, Austin does tip it upside down in her video tutorial.....It is a beautiful cake!

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lcubed83 Posted 13 Mar 2014 , 6:05pm
post #41 of 44

Quote:

Originally Posted by Stitches 
 

I love the look too. I can't help but wonder what happens when they go to cut that? It would be such a mess....

I just tried this last weekend.  I googled and YouTubed everything I could think of on the techniques, then just started rolling and fluffing (Not upside down)  I too was worried about cutting- I used 50/50 fondant and gumpaste.  I tried both ruffles and waves!  Would space both types a bit closer together next time, and leave my waves standing upright more rather than have them stick out so much.      I had no trouble at all cutting with a sharp knife.

 

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Mrsgillespie Posted 13 Mar 2014 , 7:10pm
post #42 of 44

AI create quite a few of these cakes for clients here in Columbus, Oh and start my pricing at. $8.00/serving on them. I have done them from one tier to 6 tiers and they are very time consuming, but beautiful. Good luck and have fun!

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costumeczar Posted 14 Mar 2014 , 10:41am
post #43 of 44

AI did one last weekend and i have another one to do today. They take me between two and three hours to put the ruffles on a three tiered cake, depending if the ruffles are white or colored. I've done a ton of them, though, so I have the process down now, and if you're just doing one for the first time you should allow a little more time than that, they do take a while.

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Relznik Posted 14 Mar 2014 , 11:27am
post #44 of 44

Different strokes for different folks....

 

...  I prefer the ruffles this way.  To me, to have them the other way looks a bit too 'frou-frou'..  too busy like a tutu skirt.

 

Yours is a gorgeous version of this cake - the ruffles are beautifully thin and delicate!

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