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Original poster

Would you buy this cake?

90 replies

Shannith · 30/05/2021 10:47

It's DDs birthday this week and she's obsessed with dogs - specifically Great Danes.

She requested a Great Dane shaped cake. This is entirely beyond me. I made her a dinosaur cake one year that looked like a green hedgehog.

For a school project last week she randomly decided to make a cake with a picture of a sunset on it and had great fun making a scene out of food colouring and icing sugar.

Which gave me idea - cake shaping is not my forte but I can draw a bit.

So I've just make this using black food dye (mostly), an eyeliner pencil and a toothpick.

It was a bit of an experiment but it's worked (this is not a stealth boast, I can draw but didn't know if I could drawn on royal icing - I'm genuinely pleased with it)

Some family members have suggested I market myself on local Facebook groups as a cake painter.

Would you buy this or similar (I can draw most things though best at animals) and what would you pay.

It took me about 3 hours but I'd maybe get quicker with better tools and practice.

I can't draw well enough to do pet portraits (and it's a crowded market) but it's struck me I might have found a niche where people are a little more forgiving of less than 100% accuracy.

So, should I market myself or just be content with a happy DD and kind family members.

OP posts:

Cactusowl · 31/05/2021 20:44

I think it’s lovely and agree with everyone who suggested making cake toppers as then you can really concentrate on the art.

MissingTheMoonlight · 31/05/2021 20:53

I would absolutely buy this!

EveryFlightBeginsWithAFall · 31/05/2021 21:25

I bought a stranger things cake topper off Amazon a couple of months ago for d's 10th birthday so it's definitely something people buy

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ArrrMeHearties · 31/05/2021 21:26

Yes I'd buy that no problem it is a gorgeous cake. One of those cakes you would be very sad to cut into

stuckinarutatwork · 31/05/2021 21:27

The pp who mentioned tutorials is bang on.

You're very talented and could make great toppers but relatively few people will be prepared to pay you what you deserve to make a minimum wage even, based on the time it will take you to do these. No doubt, there will be a market, bit it won't be widespread.

However, selling courses on Udemy, Simplero or similar platforms, making YouTube / Instagram / Facebook mini 'how-to' videos and so on could net you a decent income that's accessible to more.

tentosix · 31/05/2021 21:31

I'm not sure I would. You can get pictures professionally printed onto icings

Original poster

Shannith · 31/05/2021 22:10

@stuckinarutatwork

The pp who mentioned tutorials is bang on.

However, selling courses on Udemy, Simplero or similar platforms, making YouTube / Instagram / Facebook mini 'how-to' videos and so on could net you a decent income that's accessible to more.

I'd love to have filmed the process.

It involved me spending 10 mins working out how to roll out royal icing, realising I had no suitable paintbrushes, so going to find an eyeliner brush and attempting to transfer a sketch with a toothpick. Realising it was sitti g to the copy yet so googling g how to stop it doing so (icing sugar if you ever need to know. And then painting with said brush and a toothpick (quite useful for detail/hairs as it turns out.)

It would be a how not to do it.

It's also why it took me 3 hours. A more methodical/sensible person could probably do it in an hour or so. Maybe an hour and a half.

I'm going to do a few more and see if I can be a bit more efficient.

It wouldn't be a business (I have a job) but quite a nice and unexpected way to maybe get paid to draw.

OP posts:

Original poster

Shannith · 31/05/2021 22:11

Well thanks phone... realising it was sticking to the countertop

OP posts:

Original poster

Shannith · 31/05/2021 22:14

@EntropyBanana that sounds amazing. I'm probably limited to animals. No real reason why, I'm just confident doing them. And I like it.

Do you have any photos?

OP posts:

messeduphair · 31/05/2021 22:38

It's great but sorry to put a downer- if you want a cake with a picture you can get printed icing. Cheaper and easier

eatingpopcorn · 31/05/2021 22:44

Genuinely so impressed by your talent. Saying it would be cheaper to get a print on a cake - if you want a print on a cake, then get a print on a cake. This is another level of talent, and it really shows. I'd be thrilled to see the likeness of my dog drawn like this.

Newmum110 · 31/05/2021 22:46

It is absolutely amazing, you are seriously talented. My only concern for you would be some people wouldn't appreciate the time & effort you put in & the fact that it is done by hand & would be comparing prices to printed cake toppers. Best of luck whatever you decide.

IdblowJonSnow · 31/05/2021 23:09

Yeah, I think plenty of people would go for that OP!

Go for it!

Casmama · 31/05/2021 23:31

I think you have done a great job but I agree with others that you would be competing with the photo on cakes idea and would depend very much on what you wanted to charge.

If you were doing it mainly for the enjoyment then go for it but be prepared to be a bit thick skinned about what people will pay and not take it as a reflection on your talent

ComtesseDeSpair · 01/06/2021 14:13

I really like it and you’re very talented; but realistically I wouldn’t pay more than about £20 for a cake topper, even a very lovely one. If these take you at least three hours and you’re buying the materials, tou need to be realistic about how much you’d need to sell for to make it worthwhile and how much most people are willing to pay.

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