Why does my custom cake cost so much?
If I were not as grounded in the foodservice industry as I am , I too might gasp at the price tags on some of these custom cakes, however as a baker and former pastry chef, I truly understand what labor, value and time goes into creating that delectable work of art. WIth that being said, I thought I would take the opportunity to give sort of an inside look into what exactly goes into a custom cake order and some of the time and costs associated with created a custom cake so that (1) you are well informed and educated ( 2), you can develop a new appreciation for all that goes into creating these masterpieces from your baker.
First off, what exactly is a custom cake? For us at Crumb Goddess Cakery, a custom cake is a cake that goes above and beyond the call of a traditional cake in all aspects. It contains premium ingredients, no duplicates in design, and it takes time and passion to create. Making a custom cake what it is can include the preparation of handmade wafer paper or gumpaste flowers that mimic the realism of nature, custom buttercreams and cake flavors because after all we aim to make your sweet dreams a reality, and free-standing decorations like that baby elephant on your baby shower cake. Wedding Cakes require meticulous attention to detail regarding design, and correct doweling to ensure during delivery and setup so we can make sure your cake looks almost as fierce as you.
So let's dive inside just what it takes to create your custom cake:
Client Consultation - This includes an in depth collaboration of ideas, inspiration, and getting to know you! This assists with helping us design the cake of your dreams which can include sketched designs, reference photos, and custom color palettes.
Ordering - If any special supplies are needed for your order, we need to make sure all supplies are well stocked ( Think cake boxes, cake boards, cake toppers, fondant, special molds, etc).
Putting in that Work! - Now we bake your cakes, make our custom fillings and buttercreams and put it all together. This includes torting your cake to ensure all layers are stacked and filled evenly, crumb coating it and then the application of a base coat of buttercream or fondant Following this there can be doweling of cakes if a tiered design is desired, and then the aesthetics which can include, handmade flowers, gumpaste bows or lettering, paint splatter, gold tassels, etc. This part can take anywhere from 4 hours to several days depending on the complexity of the design and drying time for custom pieces. Most of our value comes in this step, as we pay meticulous attention to all details to make sure your cake will be everything you want!
Preparation for You - We package our items thoughtfully as first impressions are everything. This could include heat sealed bags for custom cookies, down to building custom bakery boxes for your tiered cakes. We also include stickers and business cards just in case your friends want in on the action too.
If your cake is being delivered, this can include travel time, and setup, as well as on site touch ups.
As you can see, a lot goes into the process so that you can say yum with every bite. Hopefully this provided some insight into what your baker goes through to bring your edible work of art to life. Want to see some of our previous designs? Dive in!
