Why are people prepared to pay so much for cakes?

[SnowyLamb]

The beautifully done handmade birthday cakes etc?

I understand why they cost much with the hours of work that goes into them, but to the end user, why are they worth paying so much more than a decent supermarket cake? I appreciate that they are "better", but 10 or 15 times better?

The price tags on wedding cakes is the one I really don't understand. Several hundred pounds for a single cake. No thank you, but the people pay which is why they charge

You think a usual slice of cake in a coffee shop is just under six quid???

Because your child wants a cake in the shape of a giant red panda and you have no idea where the hell to start with that.

A lady at my work makes them in her spare time and they are amazing. And she only charges about £20 when she could easily charge more. I also support her because she started making them when she had severe anxiety and decided the way to get herself out of the house was to bake a cake so get the ingredients then find someone to give or sell that cake to. Her cakes are awesome though

It’s madness. I’d never pay it, but I realise many people do. There’s an amazing bakery in St Ives called The Makers which do incredible cakes, thankfully they sell by the slice as well as whole ones so I get why people buy them, I just couldn’t do it myself.

The first cake I had made was my wedding cake. It tasted so good I’ve gone back to her for cakes ever since. I love cake and it’s worth it to me. I don’t have any other real vices so why not?

I will quite happily eat supermarket cake too but they don’t taste the same.

Because they have a realistic view if the worth of people's time.

I found a teenager in our town that does cakes. She charged me US$70 for an 8” 3 layer cake that was delicious! She’s been on TV in a kids baking competition a couple of times so I think she is very reasonable.

ive only ever got fancy cakes twice. The first one was a 2 tier with a beach theme that started to melt in the heat and was about US$150 I think, about 8years ago.

Our cake lady is wonderful.
I love a home baked cake over a supermarket one.
Our DSs 5th birthday cake was £180, it was like a work of art. Its amazing.

I do understand some people spend that, But im sure they spend in other ways i wouldn't. Its great that we are all different in life, how boring if we were all the same.

Supermarket cakes are rank. If the only cake was from the supermarket I'd never eat cake. So how little a mass produced cake with a 1 month use by date that tadtes of nothing costs has no impact on my decision to buy a cake. For me the comparison is cost of ingredients plus the cost of my time (I am a good baker). And in that case a handmade cake from a small independent can sometimes look perfectly reasonable.

… and as for why, every time I’ve made my kids birthday cake they take a bite, wrinkle their nose and chuck it in the bin. 😂

Without trying to blow my trumpet, I prefer my own cakes to supermarket ones (I'm not even that fussed about Colin or whatever the other caterpillars are called!)
I don't generally buy handmade cakes but I did splash out for my 40th birthday and pay over 150 for a cake. It was amazing, much nicer than the supermarket, or anything I could make, and was easily enough for about 50 people!

Less additives and preservatives

Supports the local economy

Because life is too short for dry sponge

I also make my own cakes but if I didn’t then I’d definitely pay to have one made.

ingredients that should be in a Victoria sponge: flour, baking powder, eggs, butter, sugar, vanilla essence, jam (fruit and sugar), cream.

Ingredients in a the Sainsbury’s TTD (so nicer end of the range in theory) Victoria sponge: Fortified Wheat Flour (Wheat Flour, Calcium Carbonate, Iron, Niacin, Thiamin), Pasteurised Free Range Egg, Sugar, Buttercream (12%) (Sugar, Butter (Cows' Milk), Dried Glucose Syrup, Cornflour, Preservative: Potassium Sorbate), Raspberry Jam (12%) (Raspberries, Glucose-Fructose Syrup, Sugar, Gelling Agent: Pectin; Acidity Regulators: Citric Acid, Sodium Citrate; Colour: Anthocyanins; Preservative: Potassium Sorbate; Flavouring), Rapeseed Oil, Cows' Milk, Humectant: Vegetable Glycerine; Dried Glucose Syrup, Salted Butter (Butter (Cows' Milk), Salt), Cornflour, Raising Agents: Disodium Diphosphate, Sodium Hydrogen Carbonate; Dextrose, Emulsifier: Mono- and Diglycerides of Fatty Acids; Palm Oil, Preservative: Potassium Sorbate.

No thanks!

To be honest I just make my own, cake is easy to bake, I'm no decorator but I can pipe buttercream or use fondant and you can buy incredible decorations online

Because they look nice, feel special and hopefully taste better, and some people are into that?

It’s like saying why do some people pay £200 for a shirt when you can get one for 20 quid.

Also while plain supermarket cakes can be ok, the birthday cakes are usually grim frosting explosions as it’s the only way to make them look festive for coppers.

No she thinks it’s 4 quid plus which in posh areas it easily would be.

The supermarket ones taste like shit - I'd rather spend more and have something I actually like eating.

They taste so much better. Supermarket cakes all taste like cardboard. Hand made and hand decorated cakes obviously vary widely in their quality, but many are so creative and skilfully done. It's also nice to support a local small business.

They taste better.

They have less processed shite/preservatives in them.

You get something unique and bespoke.

I love cake but I have that sugary butter icing that everything seems to get covered in. Doesn't it mask the taste of a good cake?

I've had some fantastic personal cakes made and they're so special and individual and have brought so much joy to the recipient. Approx £45 which was a bargain possibly would cost a bit more now.

I'm equally happy with a shop bought birthday cake from Waitrose (rainbow cake) M&S (novelty cakes) and a large Tesco or Asda did writing on one large cake which I was pleased with as no idea they did that.

Colin the caterpillar always goes down well with any age group these days too.

Novelty cakes from any supermarket are great for younger DC parties

I know someone who creates beautiful cakes for the rich and famous. She uses Betty Crocker cake mix then decorates then beautifully.

God supermarket cakes taste absolutely awful and look so crap and lame.
i make my own - used to sell them but just make for myself and friends and family now. The time is takes is absurd. I’m talking 2 full days for one cake sometimes.
For me it’s been worth it and I am able to and enjoy the reaction and memories made.