Charge For Cake Dummy's??

Decorating By NolansMom Updated 5 Jul 2007 , 3:57pm by Cancook

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NolansMom Posted 4 Jul 2007 , 2:06pm
post #1 of 13

I have a bride that just wants a cake for cutting purposes, so she wants the majority of it to be cake dummy's. She will be serving slab cakes made by her mothers friend who her mother insisted do all her cakes, but the bride hates the way she decorates them, and she loves mine, so I am doing the more importants cake icon_smile.gif lol... I need the exposure of the wedding so I said OK. Hey it still shows off my decorating talents right. I have never worked with cake dummy's before.
How do you charge for them??
Do you ask for them back to reuse them???

Thanks for all you help.

12 replies
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indydebi Posted 4 Jul 2007 , 2:24pm
post #2 of 13

Yes, you charge for them. If you need to explain why they cost as much as a "real" cake, it's because.....

1) It takes the same amount of icing to decorate a dummy cake as it does a real cake.

2) It takes the same amount of time (labor) to decorate a dummy cake as it does a real cake.

3) Yes, it's true you are 'saving' money by not buying the cake ingredients, but you are spending money to buy the dummy (depending on the size of the dummy and your normal cake recipe, could end up costing more than your cake ingredients).

4) It takes the same amount of time and gas to delivery a dummy cake as it does to deliver a real cake.

I always get mine back, but that is your call. If you don't get it back, be sure you add a "disposable equipment fee" to your price.

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NolansMom Posted 4 Jul 2007 , 2:57pm
post #3 of 13

Thanks Indydebi,

So your saying I should charge as if they were real "servings"
Ex. If the top 6" layer is a dummy then charge $X.XX times the 12 servings is would have if it was a real cake?? say my servings are $3 then it would be $36 for the top dummy cake??
Then if I am not geting it back add an additional cost of replacing it.
So maybe like $40 for the entire 6" top tier. (the dummy is only $1.69)

Am i getting it??? It just seems so weird charging so much for a fake cake, but I am sure they will pay it.

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Cancook Posted 4 Jul 2007 , 3:03pm
post #4 of 13

Interesting....I didn't know we charged for fake cake as much as real....now I am also confused in how much I would charge???
I thought that fake cake was to 'cover' my mistake in case my cake would fall, etc...
QUESTION: What would you do if your cake end up on the floor?? Would I not offer that fake cake instead>??

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amysue99 Posted 4 Jul 2007 , 3:06pm
post #5 of 13

I charge for the labor plus cost of the icing ingredients and dummies. If they want to return the dummies, I would offer a dummy-cost refund once they are returned in GOOD, REUSEABLE condition.

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indydebi Posted 4 Jul 2007 , 3:12pm
post #6 of 13
Quote:
Originally Posted by NolansMom

Thanks Indydebi,

So your saying I should charge as if they were real "servings"
Ex. If the top 6" layer is a dummy then charge $X.XX times the 12 servings is would have if it was a real cake?? say my servings are $3 then it would be $36 for the top dummy cake??
Then if I am not geting it back add an additional cost of replacing it.
So maybe like $40 for the entire 6" top tier. (the dummy is only $1.69)

Am i getting it??? It just seems so weird charging so much for a fake cake, but I am sure they will pay it.




Some charge 10% or 20% below a "real" cake. But they should not be free because there IS a cost involved. Otherwise, brides would come to you for a "free" dummy cake (because gosh, it's not a REAL cake, so why should I pay REAL money for it?) and get their sheet cakes from Costco.

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Elizabeth19 Posted 4 Jul 2007 , 3:20pm
post #7 of 13

You should charge the same or at most 10-15% less, Debi said it best, your costs and time are going to be the same either way, you ice a dummy with real icing and decorate the same. Dummys may be slightly less than cake ingredients if you can buy them local by typically it turns out to be the same.
Brides could rent the styrofoam but again that is the least expensive part.

Cancook, if you cake falls on the floor due to construction issues you offer a full refund and huge apology! icon_smile.gif Always take pictures once your cake has been set up.

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Elizabeth19 Posted 4 Jul 2007 , 3:23pm
post #8 of 13

ok one more thing, if I was not doing the sheet cakes I would not do the dummy cake although I understand you have a special situation.
Our reputation is built on not just a beautiful cake but also a great tasting one. I wouldnt want guests eating a cake they thought I made (when I didnt). icon_biggrin.gif

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indydebi Posted 4 Jul 2007 , 3:26pm
post #9 of 13

Here's a thread that could apply to this, also:

http://forum.cakecentral.com/cake-decorating-ftopict-383643-.html

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NolansMom Posted 4 Jul 2007 , 3:54pm
post #10 of 13

Hey beth, I see what you are saying regarding the sheet cakes, but I am just looking to get my talent and name out there. There will be two tiers that are real cake, I am assuming the wedding party and special guests will be served my cake. Maybe the top tier saved for 1st anniversary.

Also the wedding is an hour away and I will not be delivering it, so having the cake made with dummy's eases my mind a bit. Less risk for sinking and such. I have already told the bride though that I can't be responsible for anything during transport, and I will take pictures of it as it is leaving my house to cover my a**.

Thanks for your hep everyone.

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Sugarbean Posted 4 Jul 2007 , 4:03pm
post #11 of 13

I charge 75% of a real cake for my dummies. They take pretty much as long to make. However I do not allow my brides to get other cake elsewhere. This is a hazard to my business, because I'm health inspected, and if someone got sick from cake that came from elsewhere, how do they know which cake they ate? And the guest would assume that the cake they ate was from me because they see my "dummy" cake KWIM?

icon_smile.gif

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NolansMom Posted 4 Jul 2007 , 4:27pm
post #12 of 13

Hmmm Sugarbean, now you have me worried. Should I just say no??? now I don't know what to do. The lady making the slab cakes is a baker, the bride just doesn't like her style. For all I know she could be a fellow CC'er.

icon_cry.gif oh man I am in a pickle now icon_cry.gif

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Cancook Posted 5 Jul 2007 , 3:57pm
post #13 of 13

icon_sad.gif Interesting...I always take pic for personal reasons but never thought in regards of protection...'living and learnin'!

NolansMom, I understand where you are coming from...as you, I am also baking for a weddding just to be exposed and sometimes...we need to just take risks...or is there any other root to take to pick your business out of the ground???
Good luck!

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