ED - ?100 for a kids birthday cake? REALLY?

[Angelina]

Come on ED - you can do better than this.

I was quoted this ridiculous price for a sponge / cream birthday cake for my little one.

[goldilocks]

Thing is though - its not a 'kids cake' is it? - just because its for your child it doesn't' make it take any less time to make and decorate. What you're asking for is a handmade cake decorated and unless you want something really simple it takes time and these costs and expertise are what the ?100 cake is quoted for.

if you want a cheaper cake, then supermarkets are able to mass produce more cheaply. Or you could make one. I think that obviously there is a range - I suspect that you could find something a little cheaper, but in terms of a designed cake which will take hours to make, then the price you pay will be higher.

Small kids really don't care that much about cakes btw - they're happy with supermarket ones or home made. My daughter was the most delighted with a chocolate brownie that I dusted with icing sugar and stuck her own frozen characters in!

[Angelina]

you miss the point

a custom made sponge cake (???? erm, just a basic cake) costs significantly less up the road - point being, ED is overpriced.

I was going to go local but not now

[fishbiscuits]

Konditor & Cook charge over ?100 for a large cake with fairly basic decoration. Not sure why a local baker would necessarily be cheaper.

[Angelina]

someone just contacted me and now have my commission.

Four birthdays this month - they doing the cakes and catering two parties... and all for a not overpriced price.

[dbboy]

Try one of the local bakeries such as J Ayres on Evelina rd, Nunhead

[Angelina]

Thanks dbboy

Next birthdays are Jan/ Feb (yep, busy this time of year!) so will hold that for the next one :-)

[fishbiscuits]

Not all cakes are equal. Some might spend 4-5 hours making a cake and decorating it, others might spend 1-2 and use cheap ingredients. It's a bit unfair to brand it "overpriced" without a bit more info, at least. Anyway, glad you got what you were looking for.

[FreyaMikaelson]

Angelina Wrote:

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> you miss the point

I think you miss the point. It's a kids cake. Get a mass-produced cake from a supermarket for all they care. A custom made cake is a luxury. If you can't afford certain luxuries, to no doubt boast to your 'yummy mummy' pals, doesn't mean people should work less than minimum wage per hour, expertise and fork out the cost of supplies for you.

If it's "just a sponge cake" why aren't you making it yourself or buying it from a store?

[Mark]

Reminds me of the wedding cake sketch from Man Stroke Woman:

 

[Angelina]

yummy mummy pals?

you have no idea

[Angelina]

shocking levels of hostility

[Peckhampam]

Agreed Angelina. FreyaM is out of order

[TheArtfulDogger]

Cakegate ?

[FreyaMikaelson]

Perhaps you're not a member of the obnoxious buggy brigade, but if you can't see how your own messages are coming across then I don't think I'm the only one out of order here.

I'm not trying to be hostile here by pointing out the fact that if you can't afford the luxury you cannot slam a company for not quoting you a price that would ultimately leave them working below minimum wage.

Your quote reflects the time, quality, expertise, supplies and goods. We don't know the whole story. We don't know what your custom order required to make a real judgement on their prices.

[Mark]

Angelina Wrote:

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...

> I was going to go local but not now

Really? One shop is considered expensive and all the other local shops are tarred with the same brush?

FreyaMikaelson - if you have a small child you need a buggy, trolling with the "mummy" and "buggy" insults is a bit old now. Interestingly the buggy was first lampooned on the forum in 2006 https://www.eastdulwichforum.co.uk/forum/read.php?5,525,554#msg-554

[Penguin68]

Although the basic ingredients (even good quality) of an iced sponge cake are relatively cheap, the cost of using a skilled baker may well not be, if undertaking custom work. When you think that many tradesmen charge between ?30 and ?60 an hour (and a pastry cook is no less skilled than a plumber*, I would argue) ?100 for what may be a couple or three hours of work (depending on the complexity of the icing) - when you consider that there are overhead (fixed) costs to meet and a profit to be made - is not wholly unreasonable. Bespoke cake making may be overtime if the pastry cook is otherwise fully employed during the normal working day.

* A pastry cook is an artist as well as a technician and should be rewarded as such. Ready-made bought cakes are produced industrially - the design work costs being amortised over many cakes. A bespoke cake will be 'unique' to your requirements, even where pre-designed components are used.

[worldwiser]

I've had a couple of outstanding cakes from the SE Cakery on Upland Rd. They were ?35 although perhaps not bespoke. ?100 for something more individual doesn't strike me as excessive. And obviously the cost of labour and ingredients remains identical regardless of the age of the intended consumer.

[Angelina]

just a basic cake with cream on the outside, no shapes, pictures, special icing, decorations etc. no special anything, not vegan, organic, zero plastic. GM free, gluten free or whatever.

Usually we pay around ?50 for the same (in Peckham), we just missed the usually lead time as the party was brought forward.

I am not trying to get something for nothing, or show off or brag or make people work for less than the minimum wage.

I'm at work all day and literally don't have time before a dozen or so monsters descend on me for the entire weekend.

I am fully aware of how much effort goes into cake baking and I know fully well that what I have asked for (being just basic) is not ?100 and this business are just charging too much,

Glad to know there are still reasonable businesses out there (thank you for you pms).

[TheArtfulDogger]

This is similar to something a tailor said to me years ago, a suit for a child costs the same as a suit for an adult as there is just as much work involved and the material cost is negligible, you can choose to get something tailor made or shop at primark

Same principle when making a cake I guess, shown clearly on shows like extreme cake makers, so I've heard 🤐

[dbboy]

I think ?100 is excessive and to be honest, even ?50 for a children's birthday cake as the OP described her requirements.

I hope the children have an enjoyable time and don't get the cream everywhere. Good luck with it.

[ED_moots]

I used this place before. Quick lead time and about 60 quid for a decorated, personalised cake (red velvet to be specific). I'd recommend them. https://www.thecakestore.co.uk/?utm_source=stamped&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=channel&utm_content=EmailSurvey

[Angelina]

Thank you

[sheff]

Holy cow!

https://www.thecakestore.co.uk/batman-scene-cake/

[micromacromonkey]

sheff Wrote:

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> Holy cow!

>

> https://www.thecakestore.co.uk/batman-scene-cake/

lol. Harrods will do you a custom made cake from scratch for less than that.