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When cash is limited, and you're trying to keep the party costs in check. it can be stressful when you've planned the perfect party. the venue is booked, the decorations are sorted, and the food is ordered...and then the realization hits..omgsh I forgot the cake!
Worry not! we got you babes!
Tip 1
Plan your budget,
think about and work out the ideal price, you would like your cake to cost, and try to be realistic. a four-tier cake to feed 200 is not going to cost £20. ( "ahem" lowest registered bakers trade, cost per person is approx £1.70 -£2.00 per slice
if you're aiming for a big party, with lots of people. The cake cost is going to be a chunk of your overall catering cost. Especially if you aim for each guest to have a slice of cake or cupcakes.
Tiered cakes, or large cakes are usually created to accommodate a large number of guests. That said if you're aiming for a grand cake be warned that a dummy tier/s cake decorated doesn't make the large tiered cake keep costs lower. The cake may only be polystyrene, but the baker has still had to buy the dummy cake or rent you one buy icing, decorate it, add toppers, and so on. So the price might not change too much from that of having a real cake tier. it may be worth it for a big occasion though where the guest numbers are lower but say it's a wedding or another important event. Not all bakeries charge per slice so it's good to find out how your prospective baker prices their bakes by the slice or by tier/ whole cake.
Tip 2
how many guests are we feeding?
it's good practice to think about or find out how many people you are giving cake to. As lots of bakers charge based on price per slice or per person. Each baker's costs differ, (according to skill and overheads to name a few points) Some bakers don't require a number of portions, just the size you want to pay for, and if you the customer want a fourteen-tier cake for 10 people. If you have the ability to pay for it then that's all good with them.
Some bakers, me included like-to-know number of portions, and if a customer wants extras left over then we can size up a cake to allow for this.
The amount of cake is what dictates the overall cost. Toppers and decor come second
The bulk of the cost breakdown comes from the hard ingredients and the time it takes to pay the baker to make your cake. (bakers' business models differ but the majority work this way) So you need a good idea of how many people you are feeding cake to and, how much you like them lol!
It is good to know this, well in advance before you approach bakers for quotes. These are some of the basic questions we ask you when ordering. And it helps you figure out how to keep inside that pesky budget.
Tip 3
Don't be shy, talk about the money!
Talk to your baker about your budget and your expectations. They are wanting to fulfill the service of baking your order, and most are willing to work with you to get the cake sorted as stress-free, as possible for both you and them. And within your budget And at a price the baker is happy to work for.
We're not judging your finances or being nosey, everyone is in a different situation, we're running a business and providing a service.
You can ask your baker. what is possible for your budget upfront if you feel confident talking about money? And they will usually be only too happy to help. Again I bring up the point, as long as the budget is reasonable and realistic. Because bakers work hard, in unsociable hours, and don't bake just for love. We need to pay our bills too lol!
I think of it as with online food shopping, the price is there to see. This box of blah will cost X amount, and we as customers have to decide, can we afford it or are we willing to pay that, etc.
But with cake, it's a little bit more complicated. Because you are asking someone, to make you X and Y and you need to know what the costs are. Bakers are happy to be flexible within reason and to a point, as they still have to pay bills and have a business to run.
And just like buying food for the weekly shop, we can't say to the supermarket "Lower your prices", "you're too expensive", "You shouldn't make a profit, its only food".. .the price is the price take it or leave it. This is where understanding your budget and what you can get for it helps, and that takes a conversation and working with your baker.
Tip 4.
Cupcakes or a big cake?
Cupcakes can be cheaper but...if you're looking to give the wow factor at the party, and want really pretty, decorated cakes. or lots of them, then those added toppers and designs and sprinkles raise the cost. So does piping and lace etc.
Your baker has to make or buy them. Or buy in supplies to make them and the time to make them gets factored in too (no one wants to work for free) Then that cost, gets added into the overall cupcake price.
The same as with bulk orders, it takes a long time to bake and decorate each one. some bakers give a small discount on bulk orders but some don't. it pays to ask but please don't expect every baker to accommodate this.
To keep prices down keeping it simple and straightforward helps. With cupcakes keeping it to one or two flavours, helps keep costs down too. As your baker hasn't got to make multiple batches of cake in different flavours which takes time and adds to the labor cost of your order.
Tip 5.
Check for Allergens
How do allergens affect budget?...ahh well you may ask, erm... for one if you, let someone get sick by not checking if your guests have allergies. You may have to pay parking fees at hospital, and a bunch of really good flowers and a bunch of grapes for good measure. (and thats if nothing really serious happens. So Please please please when ordering any cake for a party, check your guests' food allergens. I can't stress this enough. It makes you an excellent host/ess and a good friend /family member (laying it in thick aren't I 😅😉 with good reason)
your baker by law has to give you a full allergen breakdown, and information about food allergens prior to booking a cake. They need to know, if someone has an allergy otherwise they could be blamed and made liable, which costs the bakers business everything, especially if they aren't insured etc, or worse not registered, if someone with an allergy eats their product and becomes sick or worse dies.
Should you have someone with food allergies attend your party, you could ask your baker if they can make some allergy-free cupcakes. if the allergy is a serious one eg, the person is highly sensitive, and or the baker doesn't feel good about baking allergen-free. It may be best to buy some allergen-free cakes, from a supermarket. labeled free from, as to be able to label something free from, it has to have zero traces and be made in a 100% allergen-free environment. (to find out about our allergen info check out our allergen info tab or the fsa food allergen page https://www.food.gov.uk/safety-hygiene/food-allergy-and-intolerance .) the same applies to edible toppers and sprinkles. in a time where food allergens and intolerances are at an all-time high, it pays to be safe and considerate of your guests plus it avoids hospital parking fees (that's the cost-saving bit)
Tip 6
Delivery or collection?
To keep costs lower, you have to ask "Do I want to get the cake/s delivered and pay the delivery charge? Or do I collect them and take the responsibility?"
Being responsible is good but also, so is paying someone to be responsible.
It all depends on your overall budget. When factoring your budget cost, you need to ask yourself this question as many bakers charge for delivery.
Ohh if only fuel was free eh?!.
Another budget tip is, when your baker gives you advice on transporting your cake/s please take notice of the advice. Your baker isn't being extra, they just want you to enjoy what they have created, and they want it to get to the destination in one piece.
just as much if not more than you do lol!
Also, it is good to know that some bakers will, and can, charge for fixing a broken, smooshed cake. Because it wasn't transported carefully or stored well. Well made cakes rarely "just fall over" If the cake is a "cough " DROPPED mess, you may have to purchase a replacement. If the cake was faulty and you know in all good conscience, you did everything to keep it safe, followed your bakers transport and storage information (like going like a gran-ma round corners while transporting your cake, to protect all that hard work and food art).
And it falls over without any nudges or knocks by the customer or anyone/thing else or breaks, cracks slides, the baker as per trading standards has to fix it. If its unfixable then a refund is due as also per trading standards.
Please bear in mind though, that the baker will probably want the cake back, so they can assess the problem and learn from it to create a better product for the next customer. So DON'T CHUCK IT IN THE BIN AND SEND A PIC INSTEAD!.
some cake bakers work on a no cake no refund, and that is in keeping with trading standards. majority of food items have a "return for full refund" on the packet. or "the item needs to be available to look at and dissect while on a customer care call" label on the packet.
Bakers are within their rights, to ask for evidence of the problem and to be allowed the opputnity to dissect the faulty cake to see what went wrong, and improve on their product should it be faulty. food is perishable so there is a smaller expected timeframe. I digress.
Tip 7
What's My Timeframe?
To keep costs low, planning in advance is key. Some bakers require a rush order surcharge, so leaving it to the last minute can bump up costs, most bakers don't have cake frozen or ready-made to buy like in a Shop.
Most bakeries will be creating the customers masterpiece fresh for the date. Some, do hold cake ready to decorate and some are happy to rush bake the cake but not all will. And as I've already mentioned most will add a rush surcharge it's the bakers' version of taxi costs at Christmas time.
Or a business's unsociable hours policy. Due to the fact the baker would have to work all night mostly, to get the cake made, and possibly put other orders on hold (all because the customer forgot and left it last minute 😘😉😜😘 no judgment we've all forgotten something and needed to rush to get it sorted. ) if you have a baker that does this for you...keep them, they are golden and worth their weight in gold!
So to round up
so we're on a budget, we need to do a checklist,
timeframe, am I going to pay a rush fee?, allergens are there any for my guests, delivery or collection, how many portions and most importantly how much am I willing to spend on this cake and party?! well that last one is for you to decide, but seriously theres no such thing an a baker who over charges.
There are bakers in different price brackets. We have our own talent levels and artistry skills. some have been learning and trading for years some are just starting out and are just getting to grips with it all.
We arent regulated or competing like supermarkets are. We ALL have our own overheads and customer base expectations. So set your budget first, and talk to us, we are happy to work with you to get that cake booked and at a price you're happy with and its probably going to be more than a tenner lol!.
And i'm not judging when I say this.
If a tenner is all you can afford, dont sweat it! theres cake in the supermarkets that are good.
A budget is a budget, and the most important thing is, when it comes to kids parties they forget about cakes and frills, but they never forget the love that goes into their lives. Stuff is just stuff.
When it comes to weddings or big celebrations people arent there to see the cake ..(well weddings are perhaps the exeption but you know what I mean) so dont worry everything will eventually turn out right.
With love and cookies (with extra chock chip and sprinkles)
Sincearly and God bless you.
Sammi x
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