A Thread for all UK bakers!! - Page 6

Totaly agree with Relznik. With a minimum of decorations, it has to start from £2.50. You must find out what the decorations they want on the cupcakes. If they want roses or something like that, you have to make them and those take time.

HTH. Good Luck!

Thanks Relznik, Bashini - I kind of had his price in mind when I first got the enquiry but it was just a 'off the top of my head' kind of price, and I thought that it might be too much. I don't find it easy trying to put a price on either my skill or my time.

Do you think there is a huge difference to the prices that you can charge (or people expect to pay) in or near London in comparison to Yorkshire or other areas? I can just imagine what some people I know would say 'What £2.50 just for a bun'

Lol, thats exactly something my family would say! I'm sorry CakeChaos, I can't help you with that. But I've got a question of my own. I needed to ask before I'd forget it!

What is corn syrup for us? And is there a substitute for Viva?

I'm starting to wish I was in America. Everything seems so readily available for them, and obviously they don't have to keep searching google for substitutes or definitions!

I just noticed I'm a Junior Member now...Yaaaay! (I hate being a Newbie)

Hi, I only just found this today, I'm in Stirling Central Scotland.

I just set up my business in January and it's growing every month, I've a couple of regular home baking jobs which are working out really well and my cake orders are increasing.

I booked my first wedding cake today which has me really excited.

I think this post is a brilliant idea!

Sara

Hi Saracupcake

Welcome to the most addictive website in the world xxx

Hi Cake Chaos,

Sorry I've been meaning to reply for a while and kept getting sidetracked. Yes £2.50 is defintely a bare minimum even for up here but that doesn't mean they won't be shocked. I had a bad experience yesterday that reminded me how little our 'artwork' can be valued by those without any appreciation of what we do.

Rant coming ... are you ready...

I take my dd to a toddler group and have been going for 5 years now as went with the oldest one too, so I know the leaders pretty well and have done the odd cake for them on a cost only basis as it's a charity. However, nowit's progressed and they are asking me for more cakes, so last week I was asked to do one for one of the organisers grand daughters (no money was discussed) and I thought to myself well ok but I might have to start being a bit busy in the future as it's pretty hard to jusify this and run a business. So we decided on the design and then a few days later her mum asked for extra cookies or cupcakes to go with it (about 25) I warned her they would be quite plainly decorated but pretty. Sorry probably far too much detail... well anyway I took them in on Friday and the organiser just sort of looked at me and said (as if I should have known) oh she's poorly they've cancelled the party!!! NO ONE TOLD ME... and it turns out they've know a few days. But to add insult to injury there was no comment on the cake and when she finally asked me how much she owed me and I explained I needed £20 to cover the costs of a 8" cake and decoration and 25 buttercream iced cupcakes she nearly died. ARGHH now I feel mean and let down I guess all I really wanted was a a comliment on the cake and a thanks (I only too £10 in the end I felt so bad)

The day got worse as my dd scratched a little boy and I ended up leaving the group after about ten mins in tears... hormones?

Sorry rant over, just had to get it out of my system. Thanks for listening

If the party was cancelled and no-one thought to let you know, I'd have taken the full amount.

PLEASE promise you'll never make another cake or cookie for these people again.

And, to be honest, £20 would barely have covered all your costs. Taking only £10 means you'll be out of pocket.

{{hugs}}

Hi JustDarling, sorry that happened to you! Like Relznik mentioned above, I would have charged the full amount. Once I got a call from a Party Organizer who wanted a quotation for 100 cupcakes. She said she will be providing me the decorations. So I said it will be £2.50 each. After that I didn't hear from her till today!!!!!!

Thanks for that, I just needed a good rant and yes I've learnt my lesson, real orders only, the kind that get a quote and sign a contract. I normally charge about £45 for that size cake and the cupcakes are £2.50 each so yep not even costs covered, but I'm just glad it's over now.

I've just had a massage my kids (well dh) got me for mother's day and am nicely chilled out off to do some sketches now for my REAL orders

Thanks again for the hugs and sympathy I love this site.

Corn syrup is golden syrup. I've never found a substitute for viva.

I am in the process of registering and our council want to come out and look at my kitchen before I can even register so it does vary from council to council.

You can use glucose syrup for corn syrup.

You're probably gonna shout at me, but I charge £1.50 for a cupcake with a buttercream swirl on top, and start from £2.50 for a fondant iced one! Some peope even baulk at that price!

You can buy corn syrup over here from American food suppliers.

ooh and I would have taken the money too!

ooo well hello fellow UKers.....

I know this is in the cupcake section but I hope I can still join in with my Native UKers (and fellow Yorkshire folk!) for hints, tips & Ideas as I also find it so confusing with all the weird recipes and things they use that I just dont know what they are!!!

Im going to make some cup cakes to go with my Sons bday cake on Sunday, Im just wanting to do a basic vanilla or chocolate sponge (Im gonna try the recipes you lovely ladies posted on page 1) and then Im wanting to do some with green buttercream & Some with Red (the cake is Mickey mouse club house so will go well I think) but Im wanting the butter cream to be swirl like.....like when you get a Mr Whippy icecream lol, what tip do I need for this?? I've never done them before, am I being far to ambitious??

I started this as I made my sons christening cake myself and got so many compliments but even more so REALLY REALLY enjoyed doing it....if only Id figured this out 10 yrs ago at school!! Since then its just been friends and family and I never charged even for the cost of ingredients, except the last request I got was a friend of a Friend so I charged her £15 and she came back saying she will happily pay more than double that next year and will recommend me to everyone she speaks to lol so I took that as a really big compliment.

I really really want to do it as a business, although I know I will have to work part time as well to keep the wages topped up as I need to keep a "full time" wage coming in to the house and I don't think I will ever be well enough established to do that, can I ask a very rude question, does anyone know what a full time pro cake maker (from home not a shop) can expect to earn per year? This is the only thing stopping me from going for it to be honest....that and the fact I have no idea how to get myself out there....is word of mouth the way to go until I get my orders up, then establish a proper business?

sorry for the thread HiJack, Im so confused lol - I hope I dont kill the thread

you are all wicked and have read some great tips in this thread....and as for those cupcakes....yummy I was drooling at the site of them!!

Hi, there is a CC member, Kelly75, she does amazing cupcakes. For her buttercream swirls, she uses wilton 1M tip.

And I think the best way to start your business is word of mouth. And if your son is going to school or playgroup, and when they have fund raising events, you can donate a cake. I do things like this all the time.

I'm making cakes from home and don't do any other work. I think if you can get few wedding cakes a month, and few b'day cakes, then I think you should be alright.

I'm still working on promoting wedding cakes though.

thanks bashini, ill try and find a wilton 1m tip by Fri so I can practice & Ill search for Kelly and have a look at her amazing cup cakes.

Infact you helped me once before with how to keep my balloons on wire, you gave me a great tip there thanks, oh and I use CMC type powder now and make my things 24 huors before so its working lots better thank you.

I agree I think that wedding cakes are the way to go, I have seen basics starting at 300ish which is you get 3 of them and a few birthdays is great.....I would need to be pulling in a minimum of £1200 per month AFTER tax to do it full time, which is why I thought do part time work and then hopefully eventually make enough cakes to make up the difference.....I guess i need more practice then start with the weddings lol.

Good idea about the preschool, my son is to young yet BUT my nephew is starting in Sept so i'll tell SIL to tell me of all fates/evens and ill start donating cakes.....cracking idea, never thought of it, thanks for that.