I'm so torn in undecision. A fellow co-worker wants me to do her 3 tiered wedding cake, white on white, not a big deal - that cake would serve about 100. Sooo. . . I'd have 300 more servings to do as sheet cakes (9-12x18's). I normally charge $2 per serving for straight BC. Here is the problem - at first she said she just wanted me to do her tiered , stacked cake because a family friend said she would do the sheets for cost! but this friend wasn't comfortable doing a stacked cake! We haven't discussed costs or anything and I have a strong feeling she is going to freak out at $800 for cake!!
But . . . for reasons gone over in this forum, I'm not sure I want to SHARE cake duty with someone whose standards my not be the same as mine!

WHAT SHOULD I DO??? Wedding cakes are stressful enough and this is more or less an obsession that my friends and family get to benefit from!! Doing 6 sheets for own DD was really stressful so I'm not even sure I want this order!!

Again..... she is not paying for an $800 cake. She is paying for cake to serve 400 PEOPLE!!!!!!!!

Also, talk to her about how many she's invited and figure Debi's 60% Rule (60% of total invited will actually show up). If she is expecting 400 people, did she REALLY invite 675 people????????? If she invited 450 or 500, she can save a LOT of money by getting realistic with her headcount.

If she invited 400 and she's planning food for 400, then she's egotistical and a twit!

If she's planning for 400, why does she want a teeny tiny 3-tier cake for 100? If I was spending that kind of money on a reception for that many people, I'd want a grand centerpiece of a cake!!!! I'd MUCH rather do a 5-tier cake than three 24x18 sheet cakes!

Anybody???? I can't think this one through!

I personally would never share the duty of a cake. Just as you stated for quality control issue. When people see the cake and ask who did it, It will be your name that is given out and when they serve the sheet cakes and they are dry or bland they will think that you did them too. I also always try to talk about price when I first talk to the client. A lot of people do not know how much time and effert go into these cakes and get sticker shock.

Just did a wedding where the bride wanted a 3 tier (nothing too exciting) and was inviting 220 people. My basic charge is 3.50/person for the tiered cake and $60.00 for a basic 1/2 sheet. The bride had no problem paying $400 for the 3-tier (extra charges for flowers) and the extra for the half-sheets (which had cream cheese icing and simple piped flowers to match on one corner). This seemed a lot easier to deal with that trying to balance the normal per person charge for wedding cake and simply providing enough cake.

I agree with indebi, but I think she is getting a good deal at $800.00 for 400 people! Thats only $2.00 per slice! Alot of work for that.

for some reason I just think indydebi likes hearing the following so she post more! I agree with Indydebi, she is right.

I charge $2.00 for any cake that as two layers of cake and ONLY buttercream filling, if you are doing any additional filling make sure you up the price.

I use 1"x2"x4" for my serving sizes, so if you are doing 12"x18" sheet cakes then you only need 3 cakes for the side. One 12x18 double layer cake will serve 108 people. So you have a tiered cake for 100, and three sheet cakes at 108 servings so you have 424 servings. If she wants to serve her guest larger slices then she needs to order more cake. (but I agree with indydebi, check how many people she actually invited and go with the 60% rule)

OH also on the friend doing the sheet cakes, personally I wouldn't b/c the people eating the cake will not know who made which cakes or mistake which cake was made by who. Also if she is only doing 2" cakes for the sheet cakes then the slices will not look the same as your nice 4" high pieces that are cut from the cake.

Oh one other question, what sizes are you planning on using for the tiered cake b/c I have a hard time getting exactly 100 servings for tiered cakes, so if you are higher than 100 make sure you are charging for the actual servings, not just how many servings she wants from the cake.

I agree with everyone else. It is your name that will be out there and if the other person's standards aren't as high as your's that will only hurt you in the end. I charge $2/ slice and for all that cake $800 is a fair price. Good luck.

No, you don't want to share this job. I had a bride who didn't want to pay my price to make 150 decorated cookies as her wedding favors. She then told me a relative offered to make the cookies if I would decorate them so I told her I wouldn't b/c I didn't want to put my name on a stranger's work. What if they looked or tasted bad? What if, for some reason, people got sick from them? Everyone would assume that I made the cookies and I wasn't willing to risk it. She understood, but I lost her business. I wasn't upset, though, b/c it would have been more of a hassle than it was worth.

Indy,

This bride said she has invited over 600 people to ther wedding!! We haven't had a formal consultation because when we are at work we are just too busy. I told her I'd call her this week to set up a time to discuss this and go over my contract. I don't want to share the cake duty with her friend for all the above reasons and I'm not sure why she only wants her tiered cake to serve about 100. Sometimes I think brides are on brain freeze on certain issues!!

Don't share the duties - bake it all or nothing.

If the tiered cake is $2.00 per serving and the sheet cakes are $2.00 per serving I would SO talk her into a giant centerpiece cake! Might make it easier for her to tell her other friend why she does not need her to bake the sheet cakes for her as well.

I'd go for it, and I think your pricing is too low! SO it is a steal at that price, if she invited 600 people to her wedding then she is paying a fortune for catering anyway, she should not balk at the price. Go with Debi's translation of only $2 per guest for desert - doesn't sound like too much that way for sure!

600 people and she is skimping on the cake. I wouldnt share the cakes. Make it all or nothing. If you can afford to invite every freakin person you ever met to your wedding then you should be able to pay for the cake.
I dont get people sometimes! Can you amagine the bill for the food.
All or nothing and up the price!

Explain to her plainly that you will NOT share cake duty with another person or company. The cakes must all be ordered and made by the same person because if someone gets sick it's going to be hard to figure out which cake made them sick. And if the other cakes don't turn out right that's your reputation at stake becasue she'll tell people who made the main cake and they'll just assume you made the kitchen cakes too lol. I haven't done any wedding cakes yet but all my party cakes I inform them there are to be no other cakes or even cupcakes at the party because if someone gets sick I will not have my reputation tarnished because of the other cakes/cupcakes. It may make you loose this order but this is something she needs to understand and also she's invited all these people and she's paying for FOOD for them all... why not pay for cake for them all too? Why do people willingly pay $1000.'s of dollars for food for 400-600 people but faint at $800.00 for cake for 400 people? Get real! lol

I've lived in towns that didnt' have 600 people in them! Wow!

Christeena- It sounds like a money savings request to me. I guess it depends on what kind of wedding this is actually going to be. Cake and punch reception or a sit down dinner. If it is cake and punch only, money is a major issue. If that is the case, then consider if you want to make the three tiered cake for this particular bride. If you really like her, go a head and do it. If it is going to be no expense spared- except on the cake - type of wedding, just tell her you do all the cake or none of it. She doesn't need to save money at the expense of your reputation.

I don't understand why she does not want cake for everyone? If they don't behave at the ceremony or reception then are they punished by not being allowed to have cake?

Or will there be a Cake Section and a No-Cake Section at the reception, like first class and coach, smoking and non-smoking?

Maybe she will open the cards/gifts first and then decide who will get cake?



I crack myself up sometimes!

Wow, some of you really price your cakes on the cheap side. *raises eyebrows*

I talked to a few friends and aquaintances in my area that do what I do, and even the local decorator supply store, whose owner has been in the business for over 30 years now.

Everyone of of them has told me to charge not less than $4.00 a slice, for your basic flavor and filling cakes. And up to $7.50 for specialty flavors.

Some even charge more than that!

You have to take into consideration every single aspect of the cake creating process when you consider pricing. Ingredients, decorations, time, and extra equipement expenses if needed. Also your time and gas and trouble for the delivery and set up. I charge a flat rate of $30.00 for delivery and set up for a distance within 30 miles. Over that is extra.

Also, your sheet cake sizes and amounts you listed, are enough to feed the whole 400 right there. If you cut them right, you should be able to get 400 servings from just 4 of them. At least!

If it were me, I'd talk to her about having a bigger cake, with less sheets. Sounds like if you do what she is talking about you may be looking at renting a van and special equipment for transporting the cakes so they all fit and make it in good condition. Whew!!

In all it just sounds like she hasn't really thought it all through very well and just needs to have leveler heads prevail and let her know the realities of what she is asking for.

I still can't decide!! I have a Suburban so delivery isn't an issue. In my area, I'm higher than most. Our local bakery only charges about $1 per serving and a friend of mine charges $1.25. The only other alternative would be to do her tiered cake as a dummy so she gets the look and let the other lady do all the sheets for the guests and then I can say I DID NOT bake cake for her and share that with the family friend! I know she is going to balk at my price so I'm probably fretting for nothing! I'll keep you posted when we meet this week.

I agree with every one on all or nothing. I know most bakeries will not allow their cake to be associated with someone else's "kitchen cake". I know I wouldn't. Who knows what you're getting. If price is an issue, she should consider who the people are she's close with and have a smaller wedding. Man, I thought mine was rather large at 250!

Keep us posted... I am new to the pricing so this back and forth thing is blowing my mind... My cousin who is doing my wedding cake her prices started at 1.25 then went up to around 5 max. We are in a small area of South Carolina, but still there is such a market that you could dominate in!!

I see $$ in my eyes just how in the heck you get your name out there!!

Absolutely no way in H___ do I share cake duty. No way, no how, not even a consideration.

I charge 2$/slice for every cake. And I'm the one that charges the highest here in town. I have a 300 pl cake (so 600$) in October and in the same month I have a possibility of a 400 pl cake (800$) and they didn't even gasp or been surprised for the prices! They said they want those people to come so they need to feed them. Like someone said already, if you can afford to invite those pl, you have to be able to afford feeding them!
Good luck and keep us posted on how it goes!