I am always amazed by the people who like to watch these reality shows. They watch the cake designing shows and just drool over the amazing creations. These creations that seemingly only take one hour (the length of the show) to make. What a load of horse pucky.
If you are a cake designer, you know that there is a lot of pain-staking work that goes into one of these cakes. It can take anywhere from hours to days to complete a cake depending on the type of decorations that go on it.
As if the time wasn't a big enough factor, you also have to add in the cost of ingredients, operating expenses (electric, gas, lease, hired help, supplies). These wonderful creations people see being done on these reality shows cost upward of $1000.00 dollars and more. Cupcakes are around $12.00 a piece. That's reality.
I personally think people are so used to going to the local Superstore and purchasing a cake for $30.00 that they can't or won't grasp the real reality of cake design. Their belief is, in my humble opinion, why should flour and sugar cost so much. But there is a lot more involved then just flour and sugar.
I love to make cakes, but I cannot see myself doing it as a business. I get horribly upset when I hear someone say, "HOW MUCH!", in regards to the price of cakes. They are a tremendous amount of work, not to mention the stress that goes along with trying to make sure that a bride's wedding cake is perfect in every aspect. After all, the bride has been dreaming of this day her entire life. Would you want to be the one thing that was not up to par of her special day.
I think the problem is ignorance, and I don't mean that in a bad way. I just believe that people are unaware of "the total picture", and it is up to the cake designers out there to enlighten the general public.
Just to give a small example, I made a wedding cake for my neices wedding. I told her I would make her cake as my wedding gift to her, but she would have to buy the ingredients. My budget at the time would not allow for the expense. When it was all said and done she had over $100.00 in ingredients alone. I will grant you that she wanted a 4 tier cake, but still we are talking about $100.00 just in ingredients.
So, the next time someone tells you that a cake costs X amount of dollars, stop to think about the time, energy, and expense that went into making that cake.
Saw your post on Cake Central. Your blog is looking great! I tell customers that balk at my prices to remember that their cake will be feeding 200 people and then ask how much they would expect to pay if they took 200 people to the cheapest restaurant and bought them dessert!
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