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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Fucking 70 quid for a cake????

593 replies

Hairwizard · 21/02/2020 20:42

As title says. Quoted 'from' 70 quid for a Christening cake. This was based on a 6" square cake with 4 sponge layers. Not tiers. Buttercream icing. Any decs toppers etc would be extra and from 8 - 15 quid!
Am i missing something?? How the f does a cake cost that much?

OP posts:
Thread gallery
24
Nightsofthunder · 21/02/2020 22:08

Do you not think people deserve to be paid a reasonable amount to work?

thewinkingprawn · 21/02/2020 22:08

We regularly pay 60 for birthday cakes. As an aside those Costco cakes posted in that link look cheap and nasty - there is no way anyone is paying a professional cake maker to create something that looks like that so it’s a completely different market.

WotchaTalkinBoutWillis · 21/02/2020 22:09

@bigchris
I'd only pay that much for an epic themed cake , like the whole of Hogwarts intricately done !
60 quid for an intricate Hogwarts cake?! Um... yeah. Good luck with that one lol

nervousfirsttimer1985 · 21/02/2020 22:10

I think YABU and some people seem to be missing the fact that it has 4 layers, so will be quite a big cake. It should feed around 20 people too.

catmg · 21/02/2020 22:11

Buy a plain one with white icing from waitrose/M&S and get your edible decorations from ebay. We got letter blocks and little shoes for the top of ours. All in all probably cost less than £25

Glitterblue · 21/02/2020 22:11

This is why the 2 friends I have who has cake businesses had to give up. They did them as cheaply as they could whilst still making a profit, but cakes do take hours to make, and you get good ingredients without additives etc. I once toyed with the idea of starting a business, I make cakes for friends and family for the cost of the ingredients but I decided it wasn't worth my while because of hearing about people not wanting to pay. I made a wedding cake once and the ingredients alone cost about £70 or more before I even started with the electricity for the oven, or the time I took to make it - which was days.

NotEverythingIsBlackandwhite · 21/02/2020 22:11

pollysproggle

I'm with you on avoiding Costco cakes. I saw a carrot cake there once, looked nice enough but the ingredients list was extensive! About 30 crazy ingredients, palm oil, glucose syrup, food colourings to name a few and 4% carrot.
My homemade carrot cake has 7 fresh ingredients in- you get what you pay for!
Different horses, different courses. IMO, Costco carrot cake is the best cake in the whole wide world.

MyDcAreMarvel · 21/02/2020 22:13

@Cati1234
For example I charge £ 20 an hour
And my profit is 30%
But your profit is the £20 an hour. Why are you charging an extra 30% ?

TaniaArse · 21/02/2020 22:16

If someone insisted I made them a cake I would want more than £70 in compensation. It's a right pain in the arse, especially if they were going to be demanding about it.

TheCoolerQueen · 21/02/2020 22:17

Six inches? I completely understand all the posts talking about expensive ingredients, time and skill...but six inches?! Seriously?

TaniaArse · 21/02/2020 22:18

Different horses, different courses. IMO, Costco carrot cake is the best cake in the whole wide world.

This! The sole criterion for judging cake is whether it tastes nice.

CatherineOfAragonsPomegranate · 21/02/2020 22:19

I cross stitch in my spare time.. and I often get asked by family members to do one if they buy the items needed.... but not realising the time it takes....I'm half way through one at the moment, 1 sister and 1 cousin have taken a shine too and I'm already 132 hours in...and 4 needles down, it cost me £40 for my threads needles and aida.. I've tallied my hours out of curiosity if I only charged NMW @ 8.72 it would already cost £1195.26p

@Cati1234 It's like I constantly get told about my baby quilts: 'You should sell these!* To which I respond: No one would be willing to pay what I'd realistically have to charge if I wanted to have a business and not just a women's hobbyHmm The hourly rate in ironing alone!

As for charity @viccat, I have seen some horrible attitudes. Not sure I could do it myself without getting the rage.

I agree that when women have a crafting skill it is looked down on. Skills typically associated with men like carpentry, Ironwork, glasswork are much more valued, as are trades as they are overly represented by men also.

TaniaArse · 21/02/2020 22:19

But your profit is the £20 an hour. Why are you charging an extra 30% ?

You're confusing wages and profit. They are different things.

pippop1317 · 21/02/2020 22:19

Good cake isn't cheap. And cheap cake isn't good. Simple.

DrivingMsCrazy · 21/02/2020 22:19

@Herpesfreesince03 OP specifically said layers NOT tiers.

OP I think quite a few people have skipped where you said it's a 6 inch cake. That's pretty damn small. I've had a cake made by a fabulous local baker for birthdays with a themed colour and decor that's around double that size for the same price you've been quoted. I'm absolutely happy to pay that for her cakes as they do a full party of hungry kids plus a family do the next day too! and extra for me in the kitchen it's a lot more cake for the same money! So I'm not surprised you are a little shocked at that for a simple small 6" cake.

ButtonMoonLoon · 21/02/2020 22:20

If that’s too much, get one from M&S,
www.marksandspencer.com/l/food-to-order/cakes/cakes/christening-cakes?scroll=2

Original poster
Hairwizard · 21/02/2020 22:21

@TheCoolerQueen

Her suggestion as the 8"she said would feed 50 easily which would have been too much for what we need.

Like i said i will get something sorted in my budget, im not the client they are catering to.

OP posts:
OkMaybeNot · 21/02/2020 22:22

@TheCoolerQueen I know Grin

6 inches is quite small. Even with 4 layers you're looking at no more than 18 servings. £70 before decorations. Icing a plain 6" square takes no more than an hour, crumbcoat to fondant.

I'm a cake maker, I am appreciating all the posts defending it. But £70 for a plain cake in the smallest size most bakers will offer, is a bit expensive.

Unless you live in Kensington or something.

Iwantacookie · 21/02/2020 22:22

I dont think £60 is extortionate however I do think people have got used to picking up a £10 cake with their weekly shop so think £60 is expensive and they are being ripped off.

WotchaTalkinBoutWillis · 21/02/2020 22:24

I agree that when women have a crafting skill it is looked down on. Skills typically associated with men like carpentry, Ironwork, glasswork are much more valued, as are trades as they are overly represented by men also

Good point, sickening really Angry

C8H10N4O2 · 21/02/2020 22:25

But your profit is the £20 an hour. Why are you charging an extra 30% ?

She is running a business.

the £20 per hour is the labour charge for skilled trade, not profit.

ClientQueen · 21/02/2020 22:25

Checked my local cake shop and it says a 6 inch round to serve 15 is £60
She has people complaining about cupcakes being too expensive at £2, but they're beautiful, I happily pay it. They're usually filled, and have chocolate/sweets etc on top too

mypoorfurbaby · 21/02/2020 22:29

So you want a bespoke cake but don't want to pay for it.

Ingredients alone £30/40
Electric or gas
Equipment costs
Time for cake artist

Seriously you want a bespoke cake pay for it!

Original poster
Hairwizard · 21/02/2020 22:30

Yes she said feeds 16, even with 4 layers i thought it a little steep.

OP posts:
TheCoolerQueen · 21/02/2020 22:30

Surely buttercream icing and no decorations isn't that time consuming compared to say, royal or fondant icing where it shows every little lump or bump?
I must be living in a parallel universe where people think a 6 inch square cake, no decorations, is worth that much.