I get asked a lot why custom cakes cost so much so here are a few things to consider…

There is a big difference between a baker working from their home, a small bakery and a mass production bakery.

A home baker has little over head to worry about but is also not regulated by the local health department. They are also not able to do larger cakes or even as many at one time that a bakery can handle. Small bakeries have the overhead but do not mass produce nor freeze pre-baked cakes so each cake is truly baked and custom made for you. Larger bakeries have many staff and have the capability of whipping together a multitude of cakes but usually are from a standard, easily reproduced design.

Once a cake is baked it then must be masked, or covered with buttercream to give a flawless finish onto which the fondant can adhere. To colour the fondant alone can take 1-2 hours for larger cakes and if you have requested a custom colour to match a fabric swatch, ribbon or invitation there is also the time spent working out the right combination to match your colour.

The design itself can take some time to work out and get just right and there may be stencils or moulds that have to be made to create certain patterns, logos or designs. A work of art doesn’t just happen, it takes time to lay out.

There are so many tools that a cake designer requires such as cutters, crimpers, rolling pins, air brushers, smoothers, gel and powder food colours, paint brushes, moulds, imprinters, leaf and flower veiners…and the list goes on. It’s not hard for one to spend many thousands of dollars accumulating tools of the trade!

In addition to the exterior of the cake there is the internal structure to think about. If your cake is 2 tier+ then there is an internal support system of cake boards and dowels to hold each tier up. Other elements too may require structural support with wires or dowels.

In the end you do get what you pay for and there are numerous hours spent on the design/concept, baking, fondant and decorating of each cake.