There are different types of celebration cakes on the market today. I am always asked how much is a birthday cake but it is not as easy as that. How long is a piece of string or how much is a car? You can have a highly decorated cake or a more simple one. I always ask how many people it is to feed and any allergies first. Then if the person is undecided I ask if the person has any hobbies. You have to factor in the ingredients, time, decoration of the cake, is the cake simple or time-consuming. Some cakes might cake 1 hour and others 6 hours plus.
There are different cakes on the market to choose from and below is a snapshot of them
Fondant iced cake, the cake is filled, crumb coated with buttercream then covered with fondant icing and decorated. This cake will last about 5 days maybe more as the fondant icing has sealed the cake and the buttercream. These are popular with any occasion birthdays, celebrations, baby showers, anniversary cakes, and wedding cakes. Ganache covers the sides and top of the cake instead of buttercream. I find this is great in the summer months especially if it is quite hot as it seals the cake and you don’t have to worry about the buttercream melting
Buttercream cake
This cake is very popular at present it is filled, crumb coated with buttercream. It has a few more coats of buttercream added but is put into the fridge in between coats to harden them off. The buttercream can be coloured for different occasions. Stripes are popular, also, various patterned side scrapers are used to create different effects. If sprinkles are used they are better added when the cake is finished and wet before it goes back into the fridge as they stick better.
Chocolate drip cake
This is done in the same way as above as it is a buttercreamed cake. It is then left in the fridge until the drip is ready to put on. When you put the drip over the sides of the cake the cold cake will set the drips. Again, if sprinkles are used on the cake they are best added when the buttercream is wet. Where you live in the country will determine how much your cakes cost. A chocolate drip 5-layer might cost £85 in Wales but in London will cost £130
You can charge from a basic cost then all additions would be extra i.e models, cake toppers, hand made flowers, bought flowers, chocolates
I will liaise with the customer what they require and give them a cost without cake toppers so they can make the decision if they want it added to the cake. Obviously, if you write on the cake board the cake will cost less.
Hope this makes sense in choosing your cake
Happy baking
Caroline x
