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?

I presume because they like cake, and it get one that looks good (and tastes good, I hope!) they are willing to pay what they go for.

I personally dislike any cakes with more than a thin layer of icing and even then its not appealing. I'm a Victoria sponge type.

Absolute worse for me is chocolate biscuit cake covered with fondant icing to look fancy. Just not worth any money to me. Cheap or expensive tastes the same, but quite evidently other people think differently!

It's not gone forever it lives eternally on my butt 😆

My sister is guilty of paying for such cakes for her daughter. They are beautiful and delicious I must admit, but, but....
Her daughter can't eat them (lots of dietary issues), my sister doesn't want to eat them (weight issues) and my other sister wouldn't be caught dead putting sugar in her mouth (food issues). And I'm not in the same country and I have both weight and food issues (but would still eat it). There is t anyone else, so I think most of it gets chucked (or taken in to her daughter's school most likely for the teachers to eat).

More special

I don’t buy supermarket cakes for celebrations. I don’t like the flavor. I either make my own from quality ingredients or I buy one from a bakery that does the same. I know from experience how much that kind of cake costs to make and that it takes more time to make than the supermarket equivalent, even without fancy decorations.

Supermarket cakes mostly aren't great.
I either go to a proper bakery/cake place, or bake them myself.
With high calorie foods, it's just not worth eating unless it's really really good. I'm not going to waste that kind of "calorie budget" on crap.

"Supermarket cakes taste of cardboard" — take it from a former xylophage, they really don't. Alpro soya yogurt, on the other hand, literally does taste similar to cardboard (though not corrugated cardboard, which is its own unique flavour nightmare).

@HerRoyalHappiness

You have a cake lady??? Is that like a coke dealer???!!!!! Tell her I want a Colin the Caterpillar (nudge nudge!)

@Deathraystare yes! She's my cake dealer. Reasonable prices, free delivery, excellent taste and fabulous looks. Last year DS1 got one in the shape of a jacket spud with cheese and beans, DDs was a cat and DS2s was king Kong. This year she's doing pokemon for DS2, shrek for DS1 and leopard for DD.

I was very much the same as you until this year. DD has always had shop brought cakes however this year she was having a Barbie themed party and I knew I would struggle to get one from a supermarket so I got one made. We were on holiday for her actual birthday so got a cake from Morrisons for that. The difference was unbelievable. The Morrisons one was dry and tasteless. The one I had made a week later was full of flavour and very moist. I actually got a lot more out of the cake we had made so comparing portions it probably wasn't that much more really.

It's like anything though isn't it? People put a different value on what they feel is important. I can make a cake easily but for some people it would be far too challenging. I don't understand why people pay ££s for an indifferent meal in a restaurant - but some people like paying for the 'atmosphere' & the fact you don't have to wash up. I never understand why people pay ££s for a festival ticket but clearly a lot of people like that sort of thing my idea of hell.

Because they have the money going spare and it’s important to them I guess. I’ve always baked them myself. I’ve tasted one decent supermarket cake in my life and it’s the M&S chocolate birthday cake. Others are always a disappointment.

I find supermarket cakes far too sweet and sickly. They have a really thick layer of icing and in lots of case where I helped at a children party, the icing was left behind. What a waste.

We used a local lady three times, lovely cakes, quirky designs with attention to detail, the icing was just thick enough to keep the cake moist and in shape and was always eaten as well, even by my very fickly husband.

These were special occassions where I was happy to pay £50-75 for a cake. Normally my cakes taste good but I can't decorate and wanted something special.

I agree. I like looking at fancy cakes online (free!) but I wouldn't pay for one. To me, it's just not worth it.

But then I recently paid over £100 for a perfume, which younger, poorer me would have found absolutely ridiculous. We all waste money on something.

I'm not. It's ridiculous for a cake. But I'm not really into cake and my husband always does pay loads of cakes and I can't stop him, so I still have them, never eat them, but my daughter likes them. Does she appreciate them for the price? Not one bit. Would a cheap cake suffice every single time? Yes.

Would my daughter have these if it weren't for him. No

I’ve never really understood it, but I can’t abide any form
of icing so they are rather wasted on me. I love cake, but not with anything decorative on it.
I’m trying to stick to homemade for DD for as long as possible. But if she starts to notice I’ll give in. I’d much rather have a basic cake with a fuckton of wine instead quite honestly! But then I didn’t bother with a wedding cake either.

It depends what you’re wanting the cake for doesn’t it? A 4 year olds birthday party isn’t the most discerning clientele so a supermarket £5 tray cake is fine. However if I was having a big fancy do for a landmark birthday I would not want a cheap cake. The Costco ones are foul. I think they’ve got a cheek calling it cake tbh.

I make my own cakes, I am not great at decorating but I can bake and my trick when the kids were little was too get a small toy for whatever theme they wanted as a decoration on top.

i wouldn’t spend money on lots of things that other people do like fake nails, designer handbags, fillers or £200 trainers.

I'm going to make myself a birthday cake and I'm already astounded how much the ingredients are costing. Factor in time for a professional to make it...I'm surprised they make any profit.

I should have got a Colin!

I spend around 80 pounds on my daughter’s birthday cake. It looks beautiful but it’s all about the taste for us. It’s just heavenly. I did laugh because the entire thing was eaten in about 3 minutes last year. Still worth it!

We’ve had a Colin cake before, but it wasn’t that nice. I don’t get the obsession with them.

I"ve done it in the past - £75 for my daughters second birthday. I won't be doing it again. It is just cake after all. It really wasn't any better than an M&S £12 cake.

I appreciate why they cost so much though - it's the hours of work that go into them that you're paying for, not the cake ingredients per se.

I haven't as I can make a decent cake myself but do see why people would. The quality is far better than a supermarket cake and, quite frankly, I'm not willing to get fat for supermarket cake. The exception being Waitrose Fiona cairns chocolate cupcakes which are reliability most and lovely, even if they do have a bit too much icing. Yum.

I will admit to being slightly baffled by the incredibly intricate and beautiful cakes that don't actually taste nice though.

I'm paying big money to avoid being embarrassed mostly.

My kids tell me they'd rather have a homemade birthday cake made with love. They're right of course.

Uh... I want to hear about this? How did you start, why did you stop?

Back to cakes. My child requested a supermarket cake instead of Mummy's amazing how made and decorated cakes. Child regretted the choice, it was lacking in both taste and texture. Shame really as I can do without slaving for hours to make a birthday cake.

It feeds 12 and costs £76 - that's £6 a slice, not much more than a mass produced cake in a coffee shop made with probably not great ingredients
Depends where you live I guess but there are loads of lovely cafés near me serving home made cake for around £3 a slice. £6 for a slice of cake actually sounds like loads! I just make my own and it's about £6 for the whole cake.