A home baker in a previous life, I now have a galley kitchen in a small apartment that will not allow two people to even stand back to back! I have one rack bought from home depot and erected in my living room for storage (bare bones supplies) and use a folding table to accomplish what I can for my own food prep... And baking heats this tiny apartment to sweltering degrees (ha, june... central texas... riiiight). Yeah, no. I don't bake anymore.

 

But I had an idea. I am considering carving/shaping plain cakes bought from Costco. WHAT?!

 

What I spend on a pre-baked cake should save me in storage and time, and I don't think my lack of flavoring options will hurt as it's usually the shock factor my clients pay for. My "niche", so to speak, are novelty cakes of the adult variety and there is not a local bakery that will provide them. Chain bakery cakes come with packaging already, too, which is also a plus. 

 

Am I smoking too much? (: Are there glaring potential hangups my glee-stricken brain is overlooking? And how does this fit into cottage food laws? I guess the clients would be paying for cake decoration and not necessarily baking... I wouldn't have a problem slapping a home baking label on my cakes but it's not exactly the case. I appreciate any thoughts from other bakers!

Just guessing, but I think you would still be under the Cottage Food Law for your state.  Many people who bake from home use prepared icing, so why would a prepared cake be any different?

 

Interesting concept, and if that is your niche, why not use the cost efficiencies of a place like Costco?  It will limit the flavors you can offer, but it sounds like the decorating style is what you are really selling.

 

But you will be responsible for the final food safety of the product, just as you would as if you had baked it.

 

Liz

AI don't see any reason why you wouldn't fall under your state's cottage food law, as long as the cake you buy (or any additional frosting you use for decorations) is not considered potentially hazardous.

AI have bought cake rounds from our bakery in a pinch before. I usually wish i would have started baking earlier when midnight rolls around and i am not done decoration yet!...so Costco will sell you a baked un-iced cake or ? With so much time spend on creating this would be a real life saver.

AI was also wondering whether you've enquired at Costco about whether they will sell you uniced cakes!

A

They do take special orders so they should be able to sell you an uniced cake, it would probably cost the same as an iced cake (which is still ridiculously cheap).

They will sell uniced -- but I was considering one plain coat to keep the cake moist. In the end no one would see the original coat anywho!