AHi Roxylee, most of the time I'm confident in what I charge as I've made what they ask before, but yesterday I did actually say to the person the fireman Sam cake is for when she asked me how much, I said I'd work it out and get back to her. This is why I asked you guys how much this would be if you made this.

I worked out the ingredients for the sponge costs like this.

Say butter costs you £1 for a 250g block and you need 280g of butter. divide price by grams in ingredient the multiply by the amount you need.

1.00 divide by 250 x 280 = £1.12

Do this for all the ingredients, add on for fondant boards etc. That way it will at least not be costing you to make the cake as you know what it will cost for eveything.

Hope this helps it's just something I thought was a good idea to do for myself , the problem I'm having is I don't know how to work out how much buttercream and fondant I would need to cover each size cake so can sort out how much they would cost to add on to my list. If anyone can help me with this I would be grateful.

Sorry Nanny for the maths this early in the morning  

AYes I do all that for the cake and all outgoings are well covered its the time I take to do certain things like a figure which takes me forever to do as I havn't done it before, once I get a few things done, children's cakes I mean, I'll have a fair idea how long it takes me, up to now I have only made adult cakes, flowers etc, now theres a few children's cake creeping in which I dont mind as its taking me out of my comfort and if I dont do them then I'll never learn will I?

I haven't done figures yet Nanny but I do know they take a while especially detailed ones. I am sure a friend of mine made a fireman sam cake a while back I only saw a quick picture of it so could have been postman pat but same kind of thing. the truck and him standing next to it and some matching cupcakes and she said she charged £60 I think. I think that is to cheap and would be looking more at what Petitecat said price wise.

Hoe do you work out how much buttercream and fondant you need for different sizes of cakes Nanny?

Thought you ladies might like this, my friend sent it to me.

AI think also with me I dont think I'm as good as someone with say a proper business, by that I mean actually doing this full time, and making a living from it.

And because I'm still learning albeit selling cakes, like I said up to now a small variety, but adding a few more to my list, I dont think I'm as good, yet. Does that make sense?

AWith buttercream etc, I made up a double amount enough for two cakes yesterday so its easier to work out how much that is I think.

I know exactly what you mean Nanny I don't normally sell cakes but was asked to do the holy communion cake and a wedding one in september and was saying to my mum that I was nervous and I don't think I'm good enough, that I'm not professional with a business and they could get a better one from a shop, and my mum said " just because you don't do it as a proper business does't mean that your cakes are not as good as the shops. They have seen the cakes you make and tasted them and have chosen to have one off you and know you will do a good job, most of the people who do it as a business started off just like you making cakes at home and learning themselves so you no different to them".

So take note Nanny the Mother has spoken. and you cakes are beautiful and you are really good or you wouldn't be getting the orders would you. 

ARoxy this is where I go to for SP amounts:

http://www.sweetsuccess.uk.com/Ready_Reckoner.asp

And for buttercream:

http://jessicakesblog.blogspot.co.uk/2013/01/how-much-buttercream-do-i-need.html

Just bear in mind with the buttercream, Jessica likes a LOT of buttercream filling!

Lizzy, do you think my pricing (the prices I suggested to Nanny) is on the low side or just right? I think giving a minimum when people ask for a quote is a great idea. I might start doing that seeing as I give lots of quotes and barely any actual orders.

When you say a double amount how much butter would one amount be?

I am going to start trying to remember to write how much I use when I make a cake so can work it out easier. I just don't want to run out when in the middle of a cake especially for the pillow holy communion cake because I'm not looking forward to that one at all.

Nanny, Roxy is right. Also I think A LOT of bakers start off with a good amount of knowledge and skill and not necessarily have ALL the skills that we all eventually learn. I certainly don't know yet how to make the vast majority of sugar flowers! I think we shouldn't underestimate what we already know and can do 

Thanks Petitecat that's great help. I was actually looking at Jessicas one the other day and was getting a little muddled with it that's what I get for looking at stuff in the middle of the night 

I watch Amazing wedding cakes and they are always having to learn how to do things because they haven't done them before just the same as us. U think it just some people are confident in their abilities and others like myself are lacking, but hopefully will gain more in time.

Tiddy, Jessica Harris made a guitar cake. Your golf bag I think would be similar in the way to construct it- have a base for the cake and a hinge for the base to lean on to get that leaning effect.

http://jessicakesblog.blogspot.co.uk/2012/02/stand-up-electric-guitar-cake.html

She is sooooo neat! Just look at the way she stacked the cake onto the guitar board:

http://www.jessicakesblog.blogspot.co.uk/2012/02/how-to-build-up-stand-up-electric.html

I'm a bit of a Jessica groupie *goes and admires and ooh and aahhs at Jessica's cakes* !!

Tiddy - this is how I would do the golf bag cake, it's a bit of a DIY project, but I'd rather be safe than sorry and would have to charge appropriately for the work and materials obviously.

Wood could be cut by where ever you bought it from be it B&Q, Homebase etc. And metal dowelling is easy to cut with a hacksaw, depending on the size, wooden dowelling would be OK. Like I said, you could use less support, this is just how I would do it.

Edited because I forgot to mention I would dowel the layers of cake on the L support as normal for a double barrel cake etc.

Same here Petitecat Love Jessica Harris. I have one of her craftsy classes but want to get the other two later on. 

That guitar cake is amazing!

AGood morning all.....

A quick question for Roxylee, have you used lustre dust and alcohol mixed to airbrush? I want to airbrush a cross in silver lustre dust.

Regarding costing, I've got the cake boss software and it is so much easier to price! :)

Hi Bashini no I haven't I was told never to use lustre dust in my airbrush it will block it and you will have to buy a new one, the bigger more powerful airbrushes can have lustre dust in them but apparently our little ones can't. I have used silver edible paint mixed with vodka though this one

http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00CWF4J4E/?tag=cakecentral-20+dust+edible+paint

they do a dark silver to along with other colours. I also have used Dinky doodles silver airbrush food colour, I used it for the tyre cake the photo is in the thread pictures, just do a few coats.

http://www.makebake.co.uk/brand/dinkydoodle-1/all-new-dinkydoodle-chocolate-airbrush-paint-pearl

I got this from a cake decorating store for the same price.

Have just spotted this can't remember who wanted glaze for a bottle but how about this if you have an airbrush that is.

http://www.makebake.co.uk/brand/dinkydoodle-1/shell-sheen-dinkydoodle-airbrush-finish

I have just remade my mould for the cross out of old fondant so hopefully  will have better luck this time and it will be set in a few hours and ready to use. It's warmer today so shouldn't take to long and I put a good bit of tylose in it so that should help it along.

AThank you Roxylee. I think I will buy the Dinkydoodle one. Thanks again. :-)

No problem Bashini make sure you do what it says on the bottle and stir it with a paint brush then shake it well, I forgot the paint brush bit and it wasn't the right colour so had to start again so wasted a bit, the bottle is not as big as the Kroma colours ones but is a nice colour and easier than mixing stuff.

Here you go! What a stress that was.  This is the plain-ish wedding cake that is travelling to Scotland.  

The scallops were not as easy as Jessica Harris shows and the transfer method failed for me  so stuck them on individually. I didnt get on great with the Sugarpaste Direct. lovely to roll but the minute I lifted it is tore so badly and still got elephant skin on the corners.  For the double barrelled middle tier I used the roll method as 2 times the drapping over failed.  Good but getting rid of the top join was not easy.

I think the three boards worked really well and gives a small cake the extra height and elegance of an gatsby style cake.  Initially I used white ribbon but it looked drab and it puckered.  The purple is stunning.  I used Sainsburys paste for the base - I think this is great paste for the money.

Spent £12 on the proper diamonte strip but works and gives it some bling. Instead of wide ribbon I came across a silver string and it worked lovely.

The silverleaf scallops and spots were a nightmare.  Getting hold of the expensive edible icing (should of stuck to rice paper) and the silverleaf is a bit dull.  Comes off easy on fingers too.  Initially I did spots all the way down but looked wrong as it clashed so I cut them into scallops.

I tries to make a lovely magnolia flower but at 2am in the morning I made it too thick and didnt dry proper.  Painted it but it was too heavy.  Would of looked amazing but I really dont have the time and this week as been god awful here.  The bride is going to source a fresh flower for Thursday.

For the stress and time this has taken wont be taking on another wedding cake for a long while yet!

AFoxy roxy, I used 500grms butter, and 1 kg of icing sugar, well maybe not all the bag, I used filled and crumbcoated one cake and hopefully got enough for the other 12"round. Big cake!!!

Chasingmytail, that is soo elegant, you must be pleased?, OK you may have had issues but they wont know will they?

OH Chasingmytail that's beautiful you've done a great job especially with the problems you had with the SP you should be really pleased with that. Your right the purple ribbon is stunning really stands out. Shame about the flower but a fresh one will still look lovely, post a pic with the flower on it if you get one.

I never even thought of Sainbury's for SP don't shop there as it's not local will have to pop in when I'm near one and try their's.

Thanks Nanny I see I'm Foxy again today lol, yer I wish . What size was the cake you have already crumb coated Nanny? And yes that is a big cake I haven't done a 12" yet 

ANanny, the biggest cake I've made is a 9". 12" seems massive by comparison!

Chasing, love love looove your cake! You must feel so proud! Pat yourself on the back & have a cuppa/ glass of wine :)

I have missed emotions about it Nanny.  I think the middle tier should of had a bigger scallop on it.  And not doing the flower was upsetting - I know it should of been done last week but its too hectic here to consider starting to make flowers after 9.30pm!  I think this is the problem with making cakes that you need to do as much in advance but be able to visualise the colour then too but I find what you have planned doesnt always took good and you have to change things - do you find this too?

My husband isnt happy with me doing cakes as it adds to my stress and makes me miserable with it. Until things settle down here, we have more space with the farmhouse its just not practical.

I find that I end up having to change things Chasingmytail sometimes what I imagine it will look like ends up being miles away from what it actually looks like when I'm finished.

Chasingmytail your cake is absolutely stunning!  Sorry to hear it was so stressful, but honestly it does look fabulous.

One more question about the MMF - when it says to add 1/2 cup vegetable shortening, do you add that at the point it says to add all remaining ingredients except confectioners' sugar?  So the stuff that's kneaded in later is extra?