Amazing cakes, how sweet the sound

A person’s number one concern when planning an event is pricing. Of course, an event isn’t anything without some sort of dessert to occupy the guests.

Mike McCarey of Mike's Amazing Cakes putting the finishing touches on a guitar cake

Unfortunately, custom-made cakes can run a little pricey, as much as $20,000. Joyce Scardina Becker, author of “Countdown to your Perfect Wedding” states that you should expect to pay at least $5-$8 per serving of cake for an event.

I recently found a wonderful and cost-efficient baker operating out of Washington, USA. And, he ships anwhere in the country!

Mike McCarey has been perfecting his craft since high school, and has since worked at various hotels, restaurants and bakeries in New York. He even has clients such as Dustin Hoffman and Julia Child, but his prices remain low.

For example, Mike’s base pricing for a wedding cake is around $2.10 per serving, which is significantly lower than the $5-$8 range Becker cautions. Even if you order 300 servings, the cake is approximately $500. When compared to other leaders in the industry, such as Buddy from Carlo’s Bakery, the price is incredible.

For more information, or to order a cake for that next big event, visit Mikes Amazing Cakes and make your dream cake a reality.

Sweet Treats for Spring

Spring is in the air, so let’s add the smell of freshly baked cupcakes!

I recently took a trip to my local grocery store and spending under $20, bought enough supplies for 24 spring cupcakes to get in the spirit.

Candy prices soar during Easter, so I tried to get in and out with what I needed fast! In fact, during the Easter season, over 700 million Peeps are sold – I bought some as cake toppers instead.

Using these small, cheap resources, I was able to make a batch of beautiful and festive cupcakes for friends and family to enjoy.

There is no better way to get in the spirit of the holidays than by eating!

Themed Cakes without the Theatrics

All decorators have had a last minute whim to make a cake for a close friend. And all decorators have had the last minute panic of what to make.

A simple casino themed birthday cake from Caketopia.

According to Baking Buyer, 34.7 percent of bakery sales come from decorated cakes, which are less personal and more expensive than a homemade cake. It is time to cut out those extra costs and do it yourself!

To begin, decide on a theme that is personal to the birthday boy or girl. Perhaps they really enjoy James Bond films, or have an affinity for Coca-Cola products. Pick something that is completely “them” and run with it. Then follow these three simple steps to achieve a personalized, themed cake for that certain someone.

1. Choose a color scheme. Make sure the colors represent the object or theme you are trying to convey. If they love poker, it is wise to choose red and black as your colors. If they enjoy the outdoors, lots of greens and yellows would be perfect.

2. Pick an element to base the cake around. Again, if they are an avid poker player, focus the cake on a single poker chip or hand. Simplicity is easier to work with, a lot cheaper and it still sends a personal message.

3. Add symbolic flavoring. You can have a lot of fun with this step. Try spices that add to the feel of the cake. A fall themed cake can benefit from cinnamon and nutmeg, while winter cakes taste great with chocolate additives. If they are a Coca Cola fan, you can even add Coke to the cake!

Experiment with various spices, color and elements until you find a combination that works. It’s as simple as saving money and celebrating that unique person in your life.

 

Time to cut the…cupcakes?

Springtime is the season for weddings. It is also the season for overspending on wedding cakes.

An elegant cupcake display with brown accents. Image courtesy of Le Cupcake flickr.

The traditional wedding cake has been around for centuries. Most do not realize that the pastries and bread that symbolize wedding vows date back as early as Roman times as a symbol of fertility and luck for the couple. It is this tradition that many wish to continue, and it results in what once was a large wedding budget dwindling down to very little money.

Within the last few years, this industry has seen a drastic change. Brides-to-be are choosing non-traditional wedding cakes over the basic, 3-tier white cakes. According to BK Bakery owner Brandon Kelley, more than 80 percent of brides shopping for a cake at his Missouri bakery request more non-traditional alternatives. And what’s better? They’re usually cheaper!

A popular non-traditional alternative is the 3-tier cupcakes display. Instead of slicing a full cake, guests can easily  grab a cupcake from one of the tiers and continue to mingle with other guests. A budgeting bride can save a ton of money and still maintain a semi-traditional, elegant display.

This website offers an array of examples if you wish to go this new, non-traditional route. Go cupcake crazy!

Manning’s Money-saving Morsels

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Christine Manning, a long time baker from Louisville, KY, was kind enough to sit down with me and talk about her cake making career.

Manning, 34, is the head baker at Bowling Green, KY restaurant, Griff’s Deli. She has been making cakes for over 15 years and expertly balances her school life at Western Kentucky University with her job at the deli.

I spoke to her at the early hour of 6 am, while she was opening the store and preparing the goodies for the day before her classes begin. She does a quick tally of what has been gobbled up the day before and dives right in to baking.

Manning owned a small bakery in Mount Washington, KY, for nearly 8 years called Lil’ Slice of Heaven, before she had to close up shop after showing strong signs of rheumatoid arthritis. She could no longer do the fine detailing that she loved, but after she came to Western Kentucky to get her second degree in broadcasting, she landed the job at Griff’s Deli making basic, delicious cakes.

She still does a small amount of decorating using extremely cheap ingredients. Most of her cakes cost under $20 to make, allowing her to serve up exquisite, economical and mouth-watering cakes for little to no expense!

Avoiding fonDAUNT and the costs that come with it!

You mix, bake and release a cake and now you have to ice it. We have all stared at that cooling cake and felt a sense of mild panic.

Many decorators’ default option is to ice with fondant. This word is used quite often among cake decorators and a lot of beginners and enthusiasts aren’t familiar with the term.

Fondant is a dough-like substance made of sugar that is extremely maleable. Fondant is also very forgiving, as it is easy to smooth out and cover up minor mistakes. But at what cost?

Fondant is primarily used for wedding cakes, because it offers a flawless finish and makes for gorgeous decorations. However, it is also the element that makes wedding cakes so expensive. The average wedding cake costs $543 dollars according to the Bridal Association of America, and over $707 million worth of wedding cake and fondant was consumed in 2009! I knew there had to be something cheaper.

Wilton, a popular cake decorating supplier, sells fondant premixed on their website. However, it will run you about $24 per 5 pound (80 ounce) bag. This 5 pound bag typically covers two 8 inch cakes and just used as a base icing, excluding extras.

Also, you must account for the tools you have to buy in order to work with fondant: fondant roller ($20), fondant/gum paste tool set for detailing ($20) and various dyes and flavorings (5$ and up). It can get expensive fast.

I have two alternatives to fondant, one of which I briefly touched on in my last post:

1. Decorator Icing: Snag some of this tasty stuff at your local grocery store or straight from Wilton’s website. Decorator icing is harder and dries faster than buttercream, making it more moldable. It will cost you around $14 for a 4.5 pound container, or $3 for a 1 pound container. The icing comes in basic white, but you can purchase icing dyes for $1 a pot to change the color.

These supplies last me about 3 or 4 cakes (the dyes last longer), depending on the sizes. Just spread the icing on top of the cake with a palette knife of some sort, and smooth out by using a cheap fondant smoother or a paper towel. Just rub back and forth until you achieve the desired flatness for your cake.  In order to get the desired result, make sure your cake is completely leveled before you start icing!

2. Gum Paste: The second product I use in place of fondant is gum paste, which contains more sugar than fondant and is typically used for flower decorations. I make my own using glucose and Gum Tex Karaya, both found on Wilton’s website. The ingredients combine to form an extremely maleable goo that makes for beautiful, delicate details. The Karaya can also double as a glue for sealing your elements to your cake.

Both products will cost you around $30 total, but come in resealable cans and can be mixed in portions. I still have the first can of Gum Tex I’ve ever bought!

Firing the Cake Boss and Hiring the Cake Box

My cake decoration fandom started with the show “Cake Boss” on The Learning Channel (TLC). I was so amazed by the cakes that the owner, Buddy, produced. I had no previous decorating experience and definitely no substantial income to achieve the level of cake construction that he did. Despite these obstacles, I did it anyway.

I was left with an empty wallet and a sub-par cake.

I confirmed these prices on Carlo’s Bakery’s website: 5-8 chocolate covered strawberries cost $34.95, which is a stunning amount compared to most locally owned bakeries. A 6-inch classic cheesecake is $13.95, compared to $6.99 at most Kroger stores. The Cake Boss was profitting from the bakery’s fame, rather than the talent of the baker.

I knew that there had to be an affordable way to break-in to cake decorating. So, I symbolically fired the cake boss, and switched to making cakes straight out of the box. I mainly used Duncan Hines cake mix with various flavors and focused on the decorating aspect.

Fondant, one of the main decorating tools, is extremely expensive at almost $9.00 a box at Wal-Mart. I recommend using plain Wilton decorating icing that solidifies faster than regular icing. At $2.95 a tub at your local cake decorator, it is significantly cheaper than fondant. To achieve the fondant effect, I covered the area with a paper towel and smoothed it out by rubbing back and forth. The hardness of the cheap frosting allowed me to manipulate it into the shape that I wanted, and I saved six dollars!

These small changes allowed me to create stunning cakes for a quarter of the price of professional cakes. I was cheating the industry and was completely satisfied with my incredible works of art.