Busy Week Ahead For A Home Baker...

Business By ConfectionsCC Updated 18 Dec 2010 , 4:05am by adonisthegreek1

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ConfectionsCC Posted 11 Dec 2010 , 4:17pm
post #1 of 18

Ok, So this isnt a question, more of just me wanting to express my feelings of should we say, scared? for next week! I am a home baker, not a bussiness owner, making cakes for friends and family, with DREAMS of opening a bakery soon. Here is my run down for this upcoming week. Tonight, delivering a cake to my friends 24th birthday at the casinos...Sunday and Monday off, for cleaning and household chorse...Tuesday I plan to bake enough redvelvet cake for a jersey cake, and enough carrot cake for a 3D bonsi tree cake, as well as make some modeling chocolate to make the tree from. Wednessday, I have to bake cupcakes for my son's christmas party at his school decorate the jersy and bonsi tree cakes, then hopefully once the kids are in bed, kitchen is back in order from decorating and preparing family meals, I can do some quick holiday piping on the cupcakes to get them ready for the next morning. Thursday morning, Take son to school and serve cupcakes at his party, come home to start baking two more cakes for that weekend, my husbands birthday cake, he asked for something money themed, so making him a 3d money bag, and then I have another friends birthday she asked for something Saints Themed and for me to choose the flavors! Blah Sometimes its easier for people to tell you exactly what they want, now I have to think of something awesomely delicious that everyone will love...After decorating all day Friday for the saturday cakes, I have to get ready for the first dinner party my husbands new job is throwing...We are the youngest couple that will be there, so I am quite stressed about meeting all his supers and their wives icon_confused.gif Keep in mind, I have two small children who love love LOVE to make lots of messes while mommy is busy, so I have to keep up with them and the house and all meals during this week. I know this may not seem like much to those who do this professionally but I am scared, oh and did I mention these cakes are FREE!!!!! I think if I am going to be this busy from now on, I need a licensed kitchen so I can start getting some pay!!!! icon_biggrin.gif And yes, I am steadily getting asked of more and more "favors" with the cakes!

17 replies
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mbark Posted 11 Dec 2010 , 4:33pm
post #2 of 18

oh best of luck! I have a busy week ahead too with an order of 150 cupcakes, hand-painted sunflower cake and a cake for my son's Christmas show at school. Did I mention working too and hosting our family get-together this saturday? I woke up at 3 am the other night panicking over all I must accomplish.

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all4cake Posted 11 Dec 2010 , 4:33pm
post #3 of 18

Looks like you have a plan of attack planned out. Now, it's Nike time!

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Kitagrl Posted 11 Dec 2010 , 4:46pm
post #4 of 18

Crazy week here too! Two cake orders for customers plus a cake for my son's kindergarten class and enough cupcakes for my older two kids' classes....

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ConfectionsCC Posted 11 Dec 2010 , 4:53pm
post #5 of 18

A plan of attack is a MUST in order for me to keep my sanity! I litterally spend all my time up until its actually time to work, going over and over in my head all the details that must be completed, giving myself a time limit with a detailed schedule of what must be completed by a certain time in order for it all to run as smoothly as possible! I think the anticipation of a busy week is much more scary than when I actually start the work...I know that opening a cake shop from home will make some things easier, but I will then have other things on my plate to worry about, making things more stressful! I have a wonderful husband however with a great business mind who assures me he will be helping and supporting me every way he can icon_biggrin.gif

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ZAKIA6 Posted 11 Dec 2010 , 4:59pm
post #6 of 18

if you have the freezer space i would do all baking on the same day, same for buttercream.

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jason_kraft Posted 11 Dec 2010 , 5:19pm
post #7 of 18

This week will also be our busiest yet...we have 10 orders to fill between this Wednesday and this Saturday -- luckily no wedding cakes, and only three different combinations of food allergies. We had to turn away another dozen or so orders for this week since we're at our capacity, probably because we are closing for 2 weeks on the 20th.

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ConfectionsCC Posted 11 Dec 2010 , 5:39pm
post #8 of 18

Will the cakes hold up as good or taste as good being frozen? I did just get a new fridge and we kept the old one just for my cake projects and its EMPTY icon_biggrin.gif

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jason_kraft Posted 11 Dec 2010 , 5:45pm
post #9 of 18

The only time we don't freeze cakes (typically overnight) is when they contain fresh fruit filling. We've never had a problem with a cake not holding up in the freezer, and it makes it easier to decorate.

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ConfectionsCC Posted 11 Dec 2010 , 5:46pm
post #10 of 18

Ok, anyone mind giving directions on freezing, thawing and decorating????

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Elcee Posted 11 Dec 2010 , 7:08pm
post #11 of 18

ConfectionsCC, I always bake ahead and freeze my cakes. I wouldn't be able to do this hobby otherwise. Just wrap them really well in plastic wrap and seal in a ziploc bag. I've double bagged them and kept them for 2-3 weeks and they were still just as good.

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cakegirl1973 Posted 11 Dec 2010 , 7:31pm
post #12 of 18

Work your plan of attack and you will be in great shape. Good luck and HAVE FUN! icon_smile.gif

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AmysCakesNCandies Posted 11 Dec 2010 , 7:38pm
post #13 of 18

Busy week coming up for me too. Two cakes, 4 chocolate gift boxes and 35- 2dz cookie gift boxes. Hopefully I can squeeeze in some Christmas cookies for the family too. Love the Holidays!

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Apti Posted 11 Dec 2010 , 8:08pm
post #14 of 18

Wow! I'm really impressed with all of you. Whew, I need to take a nap after reading what all of you have written.

I've been really fatigued the last 2 months because of bronchitis that just won't go away.
I have enough ingredients on hand for a busy professional bakery and it's killing me that I haven't made 20 pounds of chocolates, 3-5 Christmas cakes, 15 batches of GB and sugar cookies and decorated them, etc. AAAGH!

I have managed to decorate the absolute heck out of 2 Wilton Giant Gingerbread kits for the niece/nephews' elementary after-school-program and 230 mini GB cookies for the 150 kids in the program. Spent a Sat. helping 3 kids decorate GB kits, made 3 batches of GB cookies (1 batch with a 7 yr old assistant). But there's SO much I want to do!!!

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ConfectionsCC Posted 11 Dec 2010 , 8:13pm
post #15 of 18

I haven't even begun to think about what I will be making for our family christmas party!! I am running dangerously low on fondant, and can't afford to make another order until after Christmas, so I may be stuck making MMF!! (I live on the MS Gulf Coast, so even in the midst of winter, its humid, today its 64 degrees outside, and thats cold lol!) I quit making MMF months ago because it just could not hold up in the weather down here icon_sad.gif Thankfully I found the guts to use the "N" word (no) when people asked me to make cakes over Christmas!

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Apti Posted 12 Dec 2010 , 1:09am
post #16 of 18
Quote:
Originally Posted by ConfectionsCC

I haven't even begun to think about what I will be making for our family christmas party!! I am running dangerously low on fondant, and can't afford to make another order until after Christmas, so I may be stuck making MMF!! (I live on the MS Gulf Coast, so even in the midst of winter, its humid, today its 64 degrees outside, and thats cold lol!) I quit making MMF months ago because it just could not hold up in the weather down here icon_sad.gif Thankfully I found the guts to use the "N" word (no) when people asked me to make cakes over Christmas!




WOW! YOU SAID THE "N" WORD!!!!!!!! I was beginning to believe that cakers just couldn't say that word, ever, to anybody, even a friend of a friend of a friend of a friend at the last minute that wants a 7 tier cake with Ben Israel flowers for $30. You have IMPRESSED me, ConfectionsCC!

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vww104 Posted 18 Dec 2010 , 3:37am
post #17 of 18

You say that these cakes are free, I hope that at the very least you will consider collecting enough from others to cover your ingredients. That's not selling, it's just covering your basic expenses.

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adonisthegreek1 Posted 18 Dec 2010 , 4:05am
post #18 of 18

There is no way that I'd do that many cakes for free. Free clients don't automatically turn into paying clients once you rent out a place. They think you have a problem for wanting to charge them. Rethink all those freebies.

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