CNN's report today on "fake cakes" to SAVE $$$$

Good lord - you'd think they would poll some 'bakeries' before putting that information out on the air.

Just like those 'bridal tips' how to save money on your wedding websites blah blah blah. They just have NO idea the amount of work involved.

I also charge for a dummy layer or full cake and I charge a rental fee for my dummies just in case I don't get them back.

One way that I could conceive it to be cheaper for all involved is IF you make sample cakes for a bridal fair, and have them on hand.... they could rent what is already made and then order sheet cakes. But, they take what we made, not what they may have wanted. If they want what they want, ya, I agree... same price for real or fake. same time to decorate.

Hmmm..Interesting story...Fake cakes are almost as expensive as real with materials and labour so why not just get a real cake!! I charge the same as well....I wish TV shows would get their facts straight first before they air these stories!!

That's funny and not in a good way. I can just hear a phone call now, "Well on CNN they said it was cheaper!".

I was so proud of my anchorman when they reported this last night on local news...the narrator said, "and people will never know" to which he looked directly at the camera and replied, "YEAH they will...you can't EAT styrofoam!!!" WOOOHOOOO! LOL

The way to stop that is to email CNN... let them know the error of their ways... in fact, I think that Robin's site would be the one for everyone to send the correct information... she is so open to suggestions.

I have to make 10 cake dummies for photo shoots in the next month. Honestly, If somebody wanted to rent one of those, I'd rent it to them for $150 for the day and then make them sheets cakes for $2.50-$3.00 a head, depending on the flavor. It would be cheaper, not a lot cheaper, but cheaper, and you wouldn't get " your own" wedding cake. It would be the same one everybody and their brother saw in Southern Bride and Groom, but if it doesn't bother you, it doesn't bother me. Fake cakes are a heck of a lot easier to transport.

I think we as decorators should take it upon ourselves to write places when they put out these articles. If The Knot puts out an article saying brides can save money on this and then they get 85 emails from decorators around the country/world saying uhh no you can't, then maybe they would stop publishing lies. Or at least complete the sentence. You cannot go to a custom baker and have a cake designed and made special for your ocassion, just on styro, and save money.

You CAN however, order a fake cake online, cross your fingers that the right one arrives, and stick that out at your reception... http://www.cakerental.com/index.html

It takes the same amount of time to decorate a dummy cake as it does an edible cake. And costs probably more to get the materials to make a dummy cake then it does to buy the ingredients to make an edible cake. What are the chances that the exact dummy cake a bride wants is going to be sitting around your shop? And what about frosting 3or 4 sheet cakes (I hate baking full sheet cakes)? AGH!!! so frustrating!

Actually, its the KNOT that was reporting this, but it is true. What they ARENT saying, and is what I tell my brides that YES you can rent a fake cake from me, but you have to pick a cake I already have on hand. And they have to order kitchen cakes from me, no Costco or BJS. It really DOES save them money and shoot, you already have the fake cakes just SITTING there!!

But I am finding most brides what their own cake, and I don't see this trend turning wide spread. What IS saving a lot of brides in our area money is all the illegal bakers who are charging 1.50 a serving for a wedding cake. We have those coming out of the woodwork! I agree, they are getting what they paid for, but at least they are getting a wedding cake for less then 100 bucks a lot of times. As well as a "friend at my church" is doing their cake for free! Iam seeing that trend more and more now...

you guys are never gonna believe it. when i was helping my friend out with her wedding cake, the baker actually said that dummies would be cheaper! go figure. i was like, what???? are you just saying that because you like making fake cake and hate baking? then get another job. okay i didn't say it to ehr but i was thinking it and thinking of all you CC'ers.

My mom and I got in a fight about this last night and we rarely fight.

I was immediately defensive which I think caught her off guard.

I told her yes they are cheaper if a bride is willing to take an identical fake cake that other brides have.

When we rented fakes back in the 90's the first question out of a bride's mouth was "how many others have used this cake?" When we would say "20" she would laugh at us and say "I want my OWN cake".

Well being the first one on that fake design cost her full price because we couldn't guarantee another bride would like it. Many brides actually tossed their fake away or returned it beyond repair so another bride couldn't have "their cake". - I can't blame them. Many brides like to be unique in every way and don't want to be the 20th person with that fake cake, or have 19 other's after her use the one she had. They get extremely territorial over it.

I can't tell you how many times while teaching (I teach on the sales floor since we don't have a classroom at my store) how many brides will scurry from the wedding aisle over to the Wilton aisle (the next aisle over) and start whispering their ideas to the person they are with if they think another bride is eavesdropping on them to get an idea.

If they don't want to share a wedding favor idea there is no way on this earth that they are about to share a fake cake.

On the other hand, there are many brides who are ok with fake cakes, don't care about who many before or after them have used a fake cake, will share ideas all over town when asked on what she's doing to make another bride's planning easier.

Honestly though... I would love to get into the fake cake rental business. I don't need the health department to inspect me, I don't need to worry about tastings, baking, high electricity bills etc.

The idea of doing fake cakes appeals to me more and more when I see it discussed.

I saw that too and went, "Oh, for crying out loud, not again," (eye roll)

The only times I have had brides calling to price shop and asking about the fake cake/sheet cake arrangement, and I give them a quote, it works out to them saving ONLY about $30.00 for the whole wedding cake setup, based on my pricing.

I say, "For the $30.00 extra, you might want to just spring for one beautiful big tiered cake to serve all your guests" I've never booked a single wedding with a dummy cake setup after we look at what it costs; they either go with all cake, or they shop somewhere else.

I wish the shows who spout this stuff would do the math or contact a baker and get the actual $ these brides *could* save, before they repeat it, like you're going to get half off your cake by doing it this way.

pthbbbthhh!