I GOT IT! A way to explain the time involved!

We are constantly lamenting over the fact that non-cake people have no idea how much time it takes to do these cakes. I think I know why and I think I have a possible way to communicate it.

We (cake decorators) are always talking about how we have "a" cake to do this weekend. How we have to get "a" cake in the oven.

I realized it when I was telling someone I have 2 cakes this weekend.

Well.....they are two wedding cakes. Two 4-tier wedding cakes. Two 4-tier wedding cakes that are 2-layers per tier. Two 4-tier cakes that will serve 200 EACH.

I don't have "2" cakes to make this weekend..... I have to bake SIXTEEN CAKES for this weekend! And some of those (14" square) layers take 50-60 minutes to bake ..... EACH! (And I have FOUR 14" layers to bake!)

Non-cake people, when they hear "2" cakes, think in (what I call) "cake-civilian" terms of two little 9" round cakes that gramma threw in the oven. Big Wup.

But when we tell them "I have to bake 16 cakes this weekend" THEN they get a truer picture of why it takes us forever to do a wedding cake (or two!).

Like the guest who overhead me say the 5-tier cake took 7 hours just in baking time. Even tho' she was staring at 4-tiers of cake (plus a styro), she couldn't fathom something taking 7 hours.

We perpetuate the myth by talking in "one" or "two" cakes, referring to the number of orders, instead of how many actual cakes we are making.

I may be all wet, but it was a thought that I thought I'd share. Let's see if a different explanation makes an impact on them.

Makes perfect sense!

I can tell you it makes a big difference in their perception. I work in obstetrics for my "day" job and take care of 4-5 couplets. A couplet being a mom and a baby. for years when asked how many other patients we had we would say 4 and patients thought oh no big deal. The reality is we are taking care of 8-10patients. It made a big difference when one of us realized what we were saying and changed it. Now if you say I have 8 other patients people understand why I am running around out of breath! So, you are right you need to tell people you are making 16 cakes for the weekend and maybe they will understand how tedious (but fun) cakes are.

Thank You!! I'm new to this and its hard when trying to explain to people just how much time goes into cake making. From now on its not just a cake, but cakes.

Good idea -- not including blocks of time for making icing, making the decorations ahead, making the fillings - covering the cake boards - etc., etc., etc.

i just had 13 wedding cakes last week..all of them between 3 and 4 tiers..thank god i have help for baking!

Great way to explain!! Non-cake people just don't get it. Me: "I did a cake today" Them: "Big deal, 9x13 pyrex with a can of frosting dumped on top" (they think) When I spent 2-3 hours mixing, baking, cooling, making icing, then at least another 2 hours decorating (smaller cakes).

I totally get this and just today started saying that myself. I have a wedding cake and a grooms cake to do for the weekend and started baking today. I was telling a friend I had 10 cakes to bake today. She couldn't believe I was going to bake 10 cakes in one day. However at noon I emailed her and told her I had 2 done and 2 in the oven, when she emailed me back an hour and a half later she said "oh you must be down to 2-4 left to bake). Ummm no I still had 6 to bake because it takes over an hour for these cakes to bake. I think when people hear you have a cake to bake, they're picturing 1 cake mix in two pans taking like 30 minutes. So 10 cakes should only take 2 1/2 hours. Yeah right!! I'm on hour 8 and have 2 more to bake.

ha, ha!! this is what happened to me last week! i had a "wedding" to do ... technically 5 cakes ... but i was telling people, "i have 11 cakes to do .. that's 22 layers of cake!" people's jaws dropped!! thankfully, they dropped again when they actually saw the completed cake(s) so i was happy!!

finally I hear it right I had to bake 48 cakes in order to make 8 wedding cakes for a weekend in Aug. Thanks indyebi for explaining it right.

This is an awesome thought. Thank you for sharing. I'm definitely going to start using this if you don't mind.

This is an awesome thought. Thank you for sharing. I'm definitely going to start using this if you don't mind.

I also do that ..... so the last wedding cake/grooms cake was 8 cakes and 27 cups of icing. Plus filling.

I love explaining it the way your suggest, INDY.

Makes perfect sense Debi!! Now can you counter "why do I have to pay so much for a cake, it's only sugar and flour..."