Tuesday

How much will a cake with _____(blank) theme cost?

 How much does a cake with _____(insert your party theme here) cost?

The real truth behind why some cakes really, really, really expensive and some are not

Sure! You can buy a short sheet cake from the supermarket that's been frozen for 4 months for $7.99, but it doesn't taste good and it's NOT a work of art!

Artisan Bake Shop: "Good morning Artisan Bake Shop, how may I help you?"
Caller: "Yeah, I'm having a party with a Minion theme, how much does a cake like that run?"
Artisan Bake Shop: "Well, first things first: what is the party date and how many guests will you need to serve."
Caller: "Uhhhh....I don't know I just want a price."

OK...this is where we put the brakes on!!  If I had a dollar for every time I picked up the phone and this was the conversation I would be a millionaire! Here's the deal: cakes are like cars: the more options that they have = the higher the cost. 

A few details are a must: 

1) Guest Count (always within 10 people, for example 10-20 guests or 20-30 guests) WHY? Well, a 4 tiered cake can only be made so small. WHY? Because the top tier can only be so small for and then the remaining tiers get larger and large

2)  Party Date, we can't take an order without one! WHY? Certain sculpted sugar items take a certain amount of time to make. Sometimes we even have to special order supplies and items for your cake and these take time to come in. AND we need to be able to tell you when you need to tell us if you actually want said cake.

The more elaborate, the more it costs

If you want a sculpted cake (meaning we start with a giant block of cake -- think ice carving-- and then shave it  down to the shape of...let's say a dog) that's going to be way more expensive than it we sculpt a little doggie in sugar clay and plunk it on top of a round cake---- like you see here---------------------------------->
See how the Minion is plunked down on a round cake.

So why is this cake design so much more afforable?
Because we can make the minion a couple days before we make the cake!  The full sculpted whiddled down dog has to be made the DAY OF the party and take way more time on top of that!

A cake, is not a cake, is not a cake...

If there is a feat of engineering involved...hanging things, standing things, things floating on the side of cake, standing up on top of a cake...this takes:
1) Knowledge: whoever makes the cake needs to know how to support it well enough that it will stand up, then travel from point a to point b and THEN sit outside (or inside) for up to 4 hours....
2) Understanding of the medium: you have to have past experiences that tell you what TO DO and what NOT to do.
3) Equipment that helps you create these things: And this stuff's expensive!
4) A person who can make it happen: this person has to be a knowledgeable, professional artist.

I've bee sent this minion photo (see the one on the right!!) A ZILLION TIMES!! This cake is expensice to make! There is pipe and supports involved to hold the heavy blue overall clothed minion up from the scary purple minion guy!!  This cake is WAY MORE EXPENSIVE than the cake below


Moral of the story...

If you want a cake that doesn't look like a cake. If you want a cake that tastes really really good. If you want a cake that looks really really cool. It's probably gonna cost a lot. But be honest with your baker about what you're looking for and most of us are always willing to give you options within different budgets!

The Art and Craft of Cake
Serving, Cape Cod, Southeastern Massachusetts, Newport, Tiverton and Bristol, RI
for weddings, special events, birthdays and more! 
Beachy nautical, seaside, vintage, rustic, elegant, glamorous, winter, spring, summer, fall.
We LOVE Weddings!
Artisan Bake Shop
265 Walnut Plain Road Rochester, MA 02770
phone 508-763-4905  /  web  www.artisanbakeshop.com