Last night a fellow dance colleague came to our studio to enroll her cousin. While there she told me she was getting married in August and that she wants me to do the cake. She starts looking at my cake pics that we have up at the studio and starts asking prices.

She of course is having that "sticker shock" tone, and so I ask her...

How many people are you needing to feed, and what is your cake budget,

She said 150 people and didn't want to spend more than $100 and that included having a grooms cake.

I informed her that Walmart wouldn't even do it for that price and that you can't even buy a package of Twinkies for less than $1.29!

She finally realized she would have to spend at least $300 for her cakes, and that ordering 2 cakes from my econoline and the chocolate dipped cherries she wants instead of the bows on my Bow Elegance cake.

Her words..."I had no idea cakes were that expensive!"

You know for some reason I find it hard to believe that people can actually say "I had no idea that a cake can be worth so much"

I mean then why not make it yourself? So what if it takes 5-20 hours to decorate it. Its kind of funny yet annoying that someone can be/pretend to be so naive (I so know I spelled that wrong) anyhow.

Sid she end up booking the date with you?

Live and Learn and then get... Cakes. LOL

Glad you got the sale.

I once had a lady ask me make her a 3 tier 21st birthday cake, Really jazzy with lots of WOW! No problem there, I give her my price, And then she tells me they arent planning to EAT the cake . . just look at it, so seen as there not eating it, could i cut the price in half . . . . Yeah because ive got mug tattoed to my forehead haha! safe to say i said no lol.

Well she hasn't paid anything yet so in my book she hasn't booked. I told her my August was almost full and to go to my site to place the order ASAP! Yep no order yet. We shall see what becomes of it.

I got one like 3 weeks ago. I had someone email me about a 1st birthday cake. Sure no problem, she was interested in a Yo Gabba Gabba cake theme, great no biggie. Except for that is all that she put in the email.

I email her back right away about dates, size, flavors, etc. etc.

The only response that I get is we are thinking about Feb. 7th and that they are having a hard time finding Yo Gabba Gabba themed birthday stuff. Nothing else.

I emailed her back, nothing for over 3 weeks. I figured that she found someone else to do the cake. This morning she calls me and asks how the cake is going. Seriously? What cake? She never told me how many people it was serving, no flavors, no themed really, and heck she said that she was THINKING about the 7th?!?! I didnt even get to give her a price quote!

We worked everything out this morning, but sheesh she completely changed the design and the colors she picked are going to be awful. I hate cakes like this....

Don't you just love a consumer who has these grand ideas of a cake and says, I watch all the cake shows. Haha. I had a customer call off of a Topsy Turvy I did for a friend and the email read,

I loved the cake you did for her birthday. She said it tasted wonderful too. How much would it be for a single layer square? I have wanted a fondant cake for a while now.

So I emailed back asked when she needed the cake, how many she wanted to feed, what style, colors, etc etc.

She said 8-10 people, and her favorite colors are red and black

So I suggested a package cake and told her my price for a 6" square (which seems really small for a birthday cake to me)

She emailed back and said, do you have anything smaller than a 6" the cake is really just for me and maybe a friend or two. I hate to waste your time.


What the heck did she want, A Cupcake??

I got a call the other day for a birthday cake and the lady that ordered wanted to be sure that I could do "fondue" accents on it and then asked if "fondue" was edible !

This will be fun.
I have a customer who wants a doll cake ON TOP of a 2 tiered square cake. Huh? So, I told here that the 2 tier will have to be a 10" and 12" cake, which will serve over 120, with the doll cake adding about 10-12 servings. She's only having 10-12 people, and she doesn't care if there is cake left over, she likes cake. OK.....
Wonder how much she's going to like cake when she finds out her little 3 year old sweetie pie will cost her $340.......

My new favorite line when people say "it's just sugar, flower and eggs...." I say "well then, a gown is just satin, thread and some lace"

Gives new perspective.

My favorite was the bride who requested a cake with barbed wire wrapped around it. Not icing piped to look like barbed wire, mind you -- actual barbed wire. I was glad it was my day off so my boss had to deal with her....

haha I so enjoyed reading these....I was laughing out loud...(literally)

my favorites are the people that come in and say I love to watch cakeboss or duff and they want a cake like they do.
then they get the price and suddenly they are ordering a small round cake buttercream icing and basic decorations.
Wow really?
They need to post the prices on these shows. Pleez!!!

Today I had a consult and they ordered a 3D cake from me to feed 25 and I charged $275. (Thought about $300 but went the lower price.)

Then they told me they called Charm City Cakes and were quoted $3500. (Wished I had quoted the $300!)

Needless to say they were totally fine with my price...now see if everyone did their homework like that, we'd sell more cakes!!!!


Anyway...onto cake muggles.....

Cracks me up when people want a two or three tiered cake to serve 15.... HAHAHA

Me too - me too!

I received a call for a sweet 16 birthdy party. Something "fun" with polka dots, lots of fondant loopy bows and curly wires with fondant balls. Oh, and "we're already spending a lot on the limo, dinner at the restaurant and Cold Stone Creamery ice cream for everyone so I didn't want to spend much on the cake." Sure - let me make that for you!

I did end up making the cake - but for full price!

Most of my customers are really good. However, sometimes I get the ones that want to send me 3,270,459 emails back and forth about a $25 order. It's just like they can't let me have the last word.

Oh to choose to choose...lets see. Well about 3 months ago a woman called me about a 3 tier cake to feed 100 to celebrate the adoption of their two sons. Black and white theme...one flavor. I tell her that my base price for one flavor throughout and basic decorating is $3.49 a slice...she was horrified. I said may I ask what you were expecting to spend (mind you the delivery was 1.5 hours away, I charge 50 dollars just for that) she said $50. I almost choked. I told her it would cost me more than that in ingredients and thats not taking into account the hours of work and the delivery. She told me that was above their budget I said I understood, thought that would be it. Well her husband works at the same church as my friend that recommended me. Two days later he sees her and say "DO YOU KNOW HOW MUCH THAT WOMAN CHARGES FOR CAKE??!!" She gave him a schooling in cost (she works in the church kitchen and does catering on the side) and he never spoke of it again.

I'm lovin' this thread!! I had a woman call my shop for a 10" chocolate fudge torte with ganache filling, fudge icing and decorations.
In our shop, that is 45.00, as we butter-bake and get top-line chocolates. My husband told her that the cake had to be paid upfront
as it was a last minute order. So she gave him the credit card over the phone, the transaction went through, and her order went
onto our baking list. 4 hours later, she calls back to say that charging 45.00 for a birthday cake was a "disgrace" and she wanted to cancel the order. UGH!! The grocery store across the street that uses frozen cakes and canned icing charges 25.00 for the same thing. Our cake was 10.00 more. I had my husband void out her transaction, and good riddance!!!

I am sorry...typo...meant to say 35.00 for the grocery store cake. OOPS!!!

I was asked by my BF (who is constatly telling me that I need to redo my business plan) to make a bridal shower cake for 50ppl. She gave me a budget of $35. I told her that I would give her my best friend discount, and do the cake for $35, but that I had to have 100% control on the design. Ugh - almost broke our friendship over it. She was emailing me pink cake box designs, and didn't even have a walmart budget. NEVER AGAIN!!!! I got a backbone after that cake.

Had a woman who wanted a 30 or so word long inscription written on an 8" round cake that also had half a dozen full-sized buttercream roses on it. She couldn't understand why it wouldn't fit on the cake. She kept saying, but I could write it that small, and writing really small w/ a pen. I tried to explain that icing is thicker than an ink pen. Seriously, even w/ a tip 00, there just wasn't room on this cake. And it had to be on the top, she wouldn't accept it on the sides. Her daughter finally convinced her to just have "Happy Birthday Name" on the cake. It's a cake people, go buy a card if you want to write a really long message!

I was VERY naive and had NO idea how much cake should cost. I remember thinking my $400 wedding cake was outrageous. Now, that I've learned the art (and it is an art) I get it. I don't think people truly understand what it takes unless they've ever done it or tried to do it.