15 years old and decorating cakes?!?

Question

Hey i am 15 years old

girl

AND I LOVE CAKE DECORATING!!

Its really fun for me!

I even have a lady having me do her 8 yearold daughters birthday party to teach the girls how to decorate!

I am pretty good and will probably take classes, now heres the question.....

Can i sell my cakes? How much/How do I charge? How do i advertize?

Answer 1

The only problem with selling cakes that you bake at home is that it may be illegal in some states, or actually in most states.  Since you're a minor, your parents would be responsible if you were ticketed by the health department or sued for making someone sick...so you need to make sure they're okay with you doing it, if it is illegal where you live (you can call the health department where you live and ask if it's legal, or what you'd have to do to get your kitchen licensed).  For example, I know it's illegal in Texas, where I live.  People still do it, though.

As far as what to charge, it depends on how complicated your cake is, and what your skill level is. You probably want to charge more than Walmart but less than the custom bakeries in your area.  It's important to figure out your costs and make sure you're at least covering them (and not fair to get your parents to buy the ingredients while you keep all the money from the cake).  As you get more practice, you will probably start making fancier cakes and your ingredients may get more expensive.  I made this cake: http://darkmindseye.deviantart.com/art/H... last weekend and my ingredients cost about $40, including the supports and boards for the cake.  It also took about 8 hours...I don't count the baking time because I can do other things while the cake bakes, I only keep track of the time that I'm actually working.

About advertising...it's going to depend on whether it's legal to sell cakes out of your home in your state.  If it's legal, you can advertise wherever you want...craigslist is free and you can post pictures.  If it's not legal, it's best to advertise by word of mouth.

Answer 2

Check your nearest cake store and set your price lower than theirs. compute how much you spend on a cake. some decorators charge 10 times what they spend on making the cake.but since you're starting, you can probably sell them with 50% profit. try to give out flyers and posters. also, tell your friends to tell their friends and their friends parents.

Answer 3

i am a pastry chef but now i work in a beauty supply store.  

first off, yes you can sell your cakes.

second, you should take some classes and make some "dummy" cakes - fake styrofoam cakes that you can use to show people your work.

third, practice alot.  there are tons of books and websites that you can learn from.  make flowers by the dozens and become really good at writing and piping.  

fourth: when you buy equipment, by good equipment.

fifth: get Martha Stewart's Baking cookbook.  make all of your cakes from scratch.

if you want to, email me.  my husband went to the Culinary Institute of America and is a chef.  we know lots of resources online and i can send you links.

Answer 4

Of course you can sell your cakes.... and you should charge based on quality and time spent.