Call Me Crazy, But I Sent A Challenge To Charm City Cakes!!
Decorating By Cakenicing4u Updated 12 Feb 2007 , 5:03pm by MrsMissey
Ace of Cakes, 9:30 Thursdays in Kansas, WOOHOO, a Cakedown!!!!!!!!!!!!
Hey, what's everyones beef with Duff? He is a very nice guy and when he won a cake off, he used the money not on himself, but to send his staff on vacation. I'm sorry, but his work is AMAZING, and I just adore him. Get over Duff? Impossible! He teaches me something new every show, and I appreciate that.
Although I don't like the cakes that come from Giant, that doesn't mean I don't appreciate the work behind. I've only just begun cake decorating a few months ago, so I know that a lot of work is put into it, and a lot of pride. I would really like to see a cake off though. Sounds like fun times! 
I might be asking a dumb question here but what is Giant? Is a store like Costco or Sams? We don't have Giant here so I am just curious.
Sorry, Giant is a chain of supermarkets that stretches across the mid-Atlantic region of the US.
Theresa 
I just love Ace of Cakes and for me it was "It's about time" to the Food Network. I was just dying for a show about cake/cookie decorating. I love the Challenge shows, but I wanted something every week. Unfortunately, there were only about 5 Ace of Cake shows, then repeats in the first season .... GRRR! so I'm thrilled the second season has started. I like to pause and really study those cakes. Rice Krispies as sculpting material? Who da thunk it?
Thanks, Duff!
50 cakes a day? Holy Cow 
! That just blows my mind. I can't believe you even want to look at another cake when you get home! You guys rock!
I watched Ace of cakes for the first time here in Canada about 2 weeks ago...Foodtv Canada just started showing it.I like the cakes and for sure the end results but I would like to see him do more with cake than copper tubing,rope and sculptury things.The flamingo was fantastic and so was the Dinosaur for the Zoo,the mendhi cake spectacular.I still enjoy the show.
The Throwdown- Awesome.
Living in Los Angeles, my hubby & friends all work in film & tv, and I've gotten the "behind-the-scenes" on many personalities. Duff seems like a good guy, but to keep his show on the air and his ratings up, he's GOT to do crazy things, like wearing a kilt and hiring a bagpiper. If he was just a lovable baker, the commercials wouldn't attract the average FN viewer.
I couldn't imagine turning out that many cakes each day! I'm impressed! I did get my own wedding cake at Giant Eagle (western PA's version of Giant), but we had a very casual, outdoor picnic reception in 95-degree weather and had NO money to spend. And everyone liked the cake and had an awesome time!
For every situation and occasion, there is an appropriate cake and price range. Not everyone can purchase 3-figure cakes from Duff. (Thank goodness!) But I sure do enjoy watching them being made!!
I also thought the Food Network needed a cake decorating show but Duff is just a little over the top for the common everyday decorator. I would never have the market to do the cakes that they do so don't feel like watching it is helpful to me.
Comparing Giant cakes (or Sams or Cosco) to ones we do at home is like comparing apples to oranges. I can't even imagine how hard these girls work to produce that many cakes a day. My wrist hurts just thinking about it!
Cakenicing4U, I can see where you were offended by that comment. Good luck with your "CakeDown".
Diane
Are Duff's cakes 3 figures? I was thinking more 4 figures and up? Am I wrong?
If his pries are anything like Colette Peters, it's $20 a person with a 100 person minimum.
What, $2000 to start for a cake!! That is freeking insane! I guess I would never get a cake from either of them then. They do have awesome cakes but I could never justify paying that much for a cake. I think that I will continue making my own!
Did you guys see Toba Garrett on Emeril Live last week? That lady could teach decorating to a blind monkey, dang she's good!
K guys I have to defend Duff here, I bet that when he first started out it was just him a couple people, and they were probably swamped. He was probably watching every penny and man hour. Sent his peeps home early so that he could cut wage overhead etc. etc. And if he did that he would be the one making up the difference in work done. So, the man has a decent crew now and he can delegate instead of do. The dude has paid his dues and is now enjoying the fruits of his labor as it were. So kudos to Duff and any successful bakery owner, it ain't easy.
Thanks everyone for all the posts... and the encouragement. I sure hope that I get a response!! This is long... warning....
I want to be understood, in case Mary-Alice comes a snooping in here again....
1) I love the show, and I love the people that work there. I WILL NOT work, plan anything or even get off the couch every time the show comes on. I also learn something new every episode. I think that they all work well as a team and have fun at work. This challenge is meant to be in good humor, and if I need to arrive with gloves and smack him on the cheek for the show, OK... I'll play along.
2) I have a lot of respect for the things that they do... but as someone else said in this thread --There's a cake and a price for every occasion. I make cakes for the people willing to buy them at the grocery store.... My family and friends do NOT get a Giant cake, they get a cake made by a (employed by Giant) decorater who is a hobbiest as well.
3) I offer as much variety as I can under the guidelines of the company I work for. that means...... I need to know how over 100 cake kits are made to the photos provided in our display book. I can Kopycake trace things and airbrush them onto the cake. I can free hand a few things and AB them as well. We offer over 60 edible images and have a Bakery crafts color copier that allows us to do photos and other things, that's another 212 things to know how to use. We carry thousands of picks-- Sports, pets, bugs, trucks, etc. Want to do my inventory?
4) I stopped being a bakery manager when we stopped baking our cakes in the store. It was that important to me. It still irritates me. But it's my job. NOT my choice.
5) Wrists of steel?? Ya, almost. Today.... 74 cakes. Here's the breakdown.... and this isn't even enough to fill the cases to the top, just enough to present them well.
8- half sheets,
32 one/eighth sheets,
10 special orders (8- 1/4 sheets, 1- 1/2 sheet and 2- 7" double layers) then lunch.
16-7" double layers
8-7" single layers.
Also, it's waiting on customers, slicing bread, setting up, cleaning up, dishes, etc. And, with the assistant off and the bakery manager out with bronchitis, that put me in charge today. 
Yesterday I did 24- 1/4 sheets before the manager passed out and I took over. On my day off. 
6) DH has suggested that I ask them to make the 60 cakes while I make one MY way to show them what a Giant cake decoarter can do when she's not at Giant.
Once i figure out photos, I'll post them on here.. not tonight tho, gotta be in at 3 am to be the baker and cake decorater. i hate flu season.
Once you get to Duff's status and have lots of people coming in to pay that kind of money he can step back a little. That lambeth cake that Toba had on emeril she said started at $15,000 if I remember correctly.
Cake is all good because I definitely couldn't do what you do everyday, but that would make a good challenge show...haha.
I did see Toba Garrett on Emeril last week and I loved it. She did a fine job of showing the basics. First time I had ever heard of making buttercream icing with buttermilk though. I think Emeril decided to stick with his cooking and leave the cake decorating up to the professionals. I loved it!
I don't think Duff had such a rough start. That's not the way I heard things but who knows? I refuse to argue whether he is worth his pricing. I had that argument on here in another forum. I just know that my neck of the woods would never consider buying at those prices.
Diane
Hey Lionladydi! I'm in mo too! Where is Willow Springs????
Hey Lionladydi! I'm in mo too! Where is Willow Springs????
Willow Springs is 80 miles southeast of Springfield on Highway 63. We're about 50 miles from the Arkansas line. Its a small town--population 2140.
Diane
Still nothing from charm city, no phone call, no email. Bummer.
Still nothing from charm city, no phone call, no email. Bummer.
You're going to feel really funny when the camera crew pulls up in front of your house with no warning...........
Diane
don't fret. When I emailed them with a question, it took Mary Alice a few days to respond. Imagine all the calls, etc. she deals with. Also, if they would consider doing this, they'll have to have meetings and timeline the thing!
Be patient.
They will come.
I think I lost the gist of this proposed challenge, but I'm watching it all the same. I caught the last 30 min of a wedding cake challenge on the FN tonight. I thought it was to be on at 11:00 pm so I hustled home from a meeting to finish up a cake and my dh turns on the TV and says "hey, they're doing wedding cakes right now!" Dang, I missed most of it. I got to see Collette work for a while though and she won 1st place and $10,000. Maybe it was a rerun but I don't care, it's the first show I've managed to catch. Yeah!
I don't think Duff had such a rough start. That's not the way I heard things but who knows? I refuse to argue whether he is worth his pricing. I had that argument on here in another forum. I just know that my neck of the woods would never consider buying at those prices.
Diane
As you stated, it's different in different areas of the country. You guys have to look at where Duff is. Although I'm not in Baltimore, I alternate btwn living in DC and the DC suburbs. To get a decent studio around here is $1000 easy! So cakes, and things of that nature? It's through the roof! I never thought that $2k for a cake was a lot 
but I'm from his neck of the woods, and the cost of living is different, etc. I still say he's excellent, and that any successful bakery owner is equally as amazing. BTW, here's the pricing for CCC incase anyone was curious - "Our tiered cakes start at $6 a slice, and average $8-$11/serving. Smaller cakes start at $200.
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