Cake Making & Baking Group

[ChewyCookie]

Thanks. I'm doing them for £1 each since my mum who got the order for me already told her that price before consulting me first :/
She also originally wanted a top cake as well as 30 cupcakes, all for £30! I'm also doing her a 7" square choc cake for £20.

 

[Whoppy-pop]

She's got herself a bargin there! People always assume that a handmade cake will cost less than a supermarket one for some insane reason. No one ever realises the amount of time and effort that goes into our cakes.

 

[CocoaOne]

Those penis cakes are so cute! I think the 'juice' might spoil them a bit.... I used to make chocolate penis' when I was an Ann Summers rep, but I think I threw the mould away.
The pods look great too, are they expensive?

Chewy - gorgeous cupcakes, she's definitely getting a bargain! Although I understand why handmade cakes are so expensive, I'm still to tight to pay £40+ for a birthday cake

4magpies - that sounds delicious. That might be the first cake I make in my new mixer!

Laura - I'm about as far away from Newcastle as you can get

 

[Whoppy-pop]

I didn't shop about for the pods, I bought them to help someone out and they were £15 for 100 including delievery. I think you could probably get them cheaper if you research it x

 

[4magpies]

4magpies - that sounds delicious. That might be the first cake I make in my new mixer!

It's amazing, cant recommend it enough, I had a nice big hunk of it with my lunch.

I really want to try cupcakes but I am scared I will make a proper mess of the icing, but then again if I don't try I'll never know....

Might treat myself to some bits when we next go morrisons.

xxx

 

[CocoaOne]

I knocked the banana loaf up in no time, it's in the oven now...

Definitely try cupcakes, the icing really isn't that hard, and if you balls it up, you can always just smooth it on with a knife to give them a rustic look!

 

[Glitterfairy]

Love the winky cupcakes!

 

[Laura2919]

I'd have definitely charged more than £1 each for those cupcakes! Definitely worth more than that.
Gorgeous cupcakes!!! The winky ones are fab! lol

 

[Wallie]

https://i896.photobucket.com/albums/ac169/CocoaOne/52ecc260.jpg

That's what I've got. I really like it, hope you do too!

 

[ChewyCookie]

Thanks girls! I have another question, though.

The lady has asked for 'samples' to show her mum to make sure that she likes them...
Now, I can't just do a batch of 2 cupcakes, I can do at least 6 with a recipe I use. But then, I'm already doing the cupcakes very cheap, considering the time it takes to make the decorations... so I'm not sure if I should.

She has already changed her mind loads of times about what she wants, and so I was going to ask for a deposit, so that when I buy the ingredients and sugarpaste that she wants, i'm not out of pocket even if she decides she doesn't want them afterall.

So, what should I do about the samples and the deposit?

 

[Whoppy-pop]

I would tell her that the only way you can give her a sample is to make 6 cakes which would mean you'd have to charge her more as you've already discounted each cake by 60p! She's taking the piddle!

I would 100% ask for a deposit make it at least half of the final total x

 

[CocoaOne]

^^ WSS. If she was asking you to make a wedding cake I'd probably understand it. But they're cupcakes ffs. Surely she's already tried one at work so knows what they're like so can vouch for them?

I hate people mucking you around!

 

[Laura2919]

I take a deposit if its a big order. I wouldnt give them to her. I made that mistake. A friend from school emailed me to ask if I would do her some samples. She didnt pay for them and then didnt get back because she failed to tell me she had already organised her cakes the day I dropped the samples to her.. lol.. I was so annoyed so now I charge for my samples.

I have a few people who have emailed to ask how much and when I tell them they say Oh, I will get back to you cos they didnt expect the price to be like that. Another friend I used to go to school with emailed asking if I would make 84 for her daughters 1st birthday (a lot for a 1st birthday I know) I told her how much they would be with what she wanted on them and she was like 'ohhh I thought they would be cheaper. I already gave her a discount for having so many. What she want them for nothing????????? Lol

 

[ChewyCookie]

Thanks, I've asked for a £20 deposit

I am about to order those 3" deep cake tins, but when I have used them in the past they never seemed to cook properly in the middle, and the outside was always burned.

What kind of recipe can I use for a 3" deep cake tin? The one I always use is baked in two 7" sandwich tins that are only 1.5 inch deep each. How long do I cook it for also? How do I prevent if from burning before it's cooked properly?

 

[Whoppy-pop]

I had someone want a big sculpted 2 tier. I knew the cheapest I could do it was £60 as I'd made it before and I swear she almost died on the spot when I told her the price. She ended up with an Adsa one.

Luckily no one has asked me for samples. Like Cocoaone said, you could understand it for a wedding cake but not a small celebration cake or cupcakes. We're not Peggy Porschen FGS!

 

[Erised]

I can understand why peoples jaws drop at the price of cupcakes and cakes. I have to admit I had tesco cakes for my wedding as I just wasn't willing to spend that much on cakes.

Even now I still don't understand £1.60 for a single cupcake. It does take time and effort, yes... but the ingredients aren't *that* expensive. True, all the extras that you need to make the decorations etc cost a bloody fortune, so special requests I won't include as they should be more expensive... but a plain iced cupcake? Nah, I'll just make them myself

I haven't ventured out into the world of different flavours, fillings etc yet though, so maybe that would add a fair bit to the price and make £1.60 worth it

 

[Whoppy-pop]

Thanks, I've asked for a £20 deposit

I am about to order those 3" deep cake tins, but when I have used them in the past they never seemed to cook properly in the middle, and the outside was always burned.

What kind of recipe can I use for a 3" deep cake tin? The one I always use is baked in two 7" sandwich tins that are only 1.5 inch deep each. How long do I cook it for also? How do I prevent if from burning before it's cooked properly?

Is it a 3" deep 7" square? If so I would weigh 6 eggs in their shells them measure the equal amounts of stork, caster sugar and s.r.Flour. It sounds as though you're putting them on too high a heat if they outsides are burning and the inside's not cooking through. I have an electric fan oven and I bake them at 160-170oC. I put them in for 40 mins and then check them but I don't open the door (they'll collapse in the middle if not cooked) I wiggle the cooker a bit and if they wobble at all I leave them and do the same thing every 10 mins until the wobble stops, then test them with a scewer.

If they still burn on the outside fold up a band of newspaper and tape it round the othside of the tin, or put a bowl of water in the oven too

 

[sophxx]

does any one know any one who makes birthday cakes nr rossendale im desperatly trying to find some one to make my lo one x

 

[Whoppy-pop]

I can understand why peoples jaws drop at the price of cupcakes and cakes. I have to admit I had tesco cakes for my wedding as I just wasn't willing to spend that much on cakes.

Even now I still don't understand £1.60 for a single cupcake. It does take time and effort, yes... but the ingredients aren't *that* expensive. True, all the extras that you need to make the decorations etc cost a bloody fortune, so special requests I won't include as they should be more expensive... but a plain iced cupcake? Nah, I'll just make them myself

I haven't ventured out into the world of different flavours, fillings etc yet though, so maybe that would add a fair bit to the price and make £1.60 worth it

The ones I charge £1.60 for are chocolate ones with chocolate fudge icing with sugar flowers and royal icing. It'll take me 2 evenings to make the flowers. It's my time I'm charging for rather than the ingredients. I let people tell me what they'd like and then I tell them the cost and give them a less expensive option. I'm quite lucky that most of my orders come from senior executives at work and they don't flinch at £1.60/cake.

 

[ChewyCookie]

Thanks so much Whoppy!

I think what people don't understand is that they are paying mostly for labour not just the cost of ingredients. It's like asking someone to work for £2 an hour when you scoff at a 3 tier cake, that would take hours to make and you let them know the price is £150 or whatever. You wouldn't work for £2 an hour, , so why should we? You wouldn't ask a builder to build you a wall, and say "I'm only willing to cover the cost of the bricks and cement, and a tenner for your time".