To spend £100 on a 1st birthday cake?

[FannyTheFlamingo]

DD is almost 1 and we're having a small family get together to celebrate. I've seen a couple of beautiful cakes and would like to have one made, but it costs around £100. DP says this is ridiculous and wants me to get a cheap(er), supermarket cake. I'm so excited for her 1st birthday and just wanted a special, unique cake. I know she won't remember, but she'll see the pictures one day.

For info, we can afford it, so it's not a budget issue. The small party isn't really costing us anything as it's at home with a bit of party food and some balloons. If I had the time and the skill I'd love to be able to make my own, but it would be a disaster!

FWIW, DP thinks a family party is a silly idea and I should have a get together with mums and babies from the baby groups I go to, which I've tried to explain is a silly idea because I only talk to a couple of the mums, so it would just be awkward!

Go to a decent cake maker. The statement 'will look nice bit be too sickly' is not true at all!
My DP is a cake maker and he doesn't over use fondant. His cakes are not only beautiful to look at, we have had cake makers come and ask us for recipe for taste. If you find the right maker then the taste should be just as good as it looks

My friend has a cake business. Her cheapest cake is £100. It's not that unusual for London. Probably not normal for other parts of the country.

If it’s a cake that serves 30 and you only have a small gathering, it is an awful lot of leftover cake. Either you will end up eating stale cake or throwing half of it away.

Have you looked at M&S/Waitrose made to order cakes?

@LagunaBubbles The cake maker is in a pretty posh area, not far from a lot of footballers wives types! We don't live near there, but family do, and it's the nearest to the party. I thought the area would probably have something to do with the price.

I make cakes an 8” cake for that many at £100 would be something fairly special (and I live somewhere fairly affluent)
You could look for a cake maker locally? Might bring the price down?
If you post something similar I can tell you what I would charge if that helps?

I'm a cake maker but I don't charge that much (I know a lot do), I would never spend that much on a cake but a lot of people do. If you can afford it then I don't see a issue. Cakes can cost a lot as a lot of work goes into making them and they are unique for the customer (unlike a supermarket cake).

My greatest memories from a child was the terrible cakes my mum attempted to make, a train that looked like a poo and the clock cake that I had 3 years in a row .

Ah I see you have posted since.

If they are individual blocks of iced cake like children's blocks with her name in the letters on it and a number one cake then I think that price is reasonable. Number cakes take longer to ice as they are trickier. The extras will add to the cost. It sounds lovely. Make sure the person has a good reputation or is it a bakery? Don't pay until you see it finished. You might need to pay a deposit that is ok. If it is an individual and you are really pleased with the cake if you can afford to tip him / her an extra fiver or so. It meant the world to me if someone gave me a little extra as usually I was too cheap. The ingredients are very expensive...boards, fondant icing, petal paste etc you don't get much per hour for making the cake.
I hope you have a lovely party of course you want your family around. Grandparents will want to celebrate too. DP probably thinks DD would like her baby friends but she is too young to be bothered and would much rather have family/familiar faces around her. In future take my word for it leave him out of the planning just invite him along, it is much easier. Have a fun day!

@SendintheArdwolves I thought it was very odd that he didn't see the value in a family party, especially considering it's HIS family we'll be celebrating with! He has other DC, so maybe he's just going on past experience. I think he's just being selfish, doesn't think he'll enjoy a family party, so doesn't see the point!

I was all 'hell, no' until you said you never had birthday cakes as a child, and then I went all gooey and thought 'you do it!'

But I'd agree that £100 is a lot and you can probably get something just as nice, made locally, for half that.

Enjoy your party!

My dad always made our cakes for us.
I have really fond memories of them and can't wait to make my son a cake for his birthday.
£100 is a lot!

so maybe he's just going on past experience

His experience may be that 1yr olds have no clue what is going on anyway and get grumpy and tetchy, due to all the people and excitement.

Most of the parties I've been to for 1yr olds have been like that (and yes I made the same mistake with my eldest). Have a party for the adults by all means but don't expect the baby to engage with it overly and be prepared for them to end up spending half the aftenoon asleep.

*be prepared for them to end up spending half the afternoon asleep
*
I can only dream of what it's like to have DD spend half an afternoon asleep. Or half a night for that matter 😂

KERALA1

I suggested home made because they usually taste better, but I am a competent baker.

IME the only shop bought cakes worth buying are from M and S. Supermarket cakes are all style and no substance and just don't taste as good as home made IMO.

I think if it’s just a small get together you’ll end up throwing most of it away. Could the bakery do something similar but smaller?

My DD has a beautiful elaborate unicorn cake for her 4th birthday but most ended up in the bin, I did feel that I’d wasted money, despite the fact that it was a beautiful cake and we have photos.

Have you checked out pre-order cakes from M&S and Waitrose?

I understand why you want a special cake - tell DH you’re also celebrating the fact you became a mum a year ago :)

It is alot. Buy a cheaper cake or make one and give what you would have spent to children in need.

I can only dream of what it's like to have DD spend half an afternoon asleep

Ah yes but bear in mind this is only after hours of exhausted grouches or tantrums and fighting off the sleep whilst you try to keep her happy for the audience.

Honestly I wished I'd done something smaller and less exciting for DC1 in the afternoon and kept the bigger family get together for later which a short appearance for DC1!

Put the £ in an account or buy good walking shoes and a winter coat or whatever!
Get a Colin the Caterpillar cake and be sensible, OP!
Happy 1st birthday to your L.O.

To everyone who says I should make it myself - yes, in theory it's a wonderful idea, and I would love to be able to, but my baking skills are almost non existent, and I survive on about 4 hours sleep a night, so really don't have the mental resilience to do it. When DD is older, I'll definitely give it a go.

When my DC1 was very young someone taught me how to make birthday cakes and top them. It is actually really easy to teach yourself. I used to be able to make fondant toppers but don't bother now and just decorate the cake with icing and a flat decoration. DH and I have a ritual now where I bake the cake, ganache or butter cream it and then put the icing over. He then does the theme on top. Our DC love that we make their cakes. They cost a fraction of the price, taste loads better and you know what is in them.

Oh, screw making it yourself OP - unless you actively enjoy baking and have the time and space to stick on some music and spend four uninterrupted hours in the kitchen there's no point feeling like you 'ought' to bake a cake. Do you make your own bread and sew your own clothes as well? Nope - you buy them from a shop. Hurrah for capitalism!

Colin the Caterpillar is one of the best cakes ever.

For future, you need to work on your negotiating skills. You should have suggested a £200 cake and then ‘compromised’ on the 100 squidder. Simples.

The supermarket cakes are really lovely nowadays, how about looking in M&S? Waitrose stock Fiona Cairns cakes which I think you can pre order, she does lovely 1st birthday cakes, she made William and Kate's wedding cake too, I'm not sure how pricey she is though!

I'm sorry, Fanny, but I can't really say without a picture because I can't judge how long it would take to make.
For those of you horrified by the cost-how much do you get paid per hour?

I had a cake made for my dds birthday it fed 100 people and was beautiful. It was £70. Can you compromise on a personalised cake that costs less.
Nb my kids gave never been interested in looking at a picture of their first birthday cake so I would not buy a cake on that basis 😂