I used to do something like this on Facebook and it was always popular so I thought I’d give it a shot on the blog. Ask Me Anything is literally that – you can ask me anything.
I know as a reader, I often have questions for other bloggers and I have no way of reaching out or knowing if they’ll actually read it or respond. Well, today I promise – I will respond! Me. Not my assistant or anyone else.
If you’re struggling to figure out what to ask, here are a few of the topics you may want to know more about:
Cake Decorating
Cake Business
Online Business
Pricing
Blogging
My Life
Earning Extra Income
Photography
Homeschooling
Large Family Life
Any anything else I might not be considering…
Ask Me Anything!
Seriously… ask me anything in the comments. I will take the time to answer every single one. Maybe not immediately, but I will do my best to check in daily.
*I will likely close comments after a month or so.* If this post is a success, I may do this regularly.
Of course, please don’t ask anything inappropriate or creepy. You’ll know your question was too much if it happens to disappear… haha!
Also, please make sure you’re following me on social media and my other blogs if the topics interest you!
Instagram
Pinterest
Facebook
All Things Cake Facebook Group
Twitter
My Other Blogs:
Pressure Cooker Meals (for any of you Instant Pot fans!)
Cake Blogging
RoseAtwater.com
Have a sweet day!
Rose
How do I charge for the product I make to sell?
Oh gosh – so many factors play into that. You need to consider your ingredients/materials, time, location, competition and more. I’m sorry I can’t give a good one-line answer to such an in-depth question.
I have been in business about 5 plus years doing OK. My business needs a jump start but I’m not much of a marketer. I have a specialty cake shop with bakery goods. The only place we advert is facebook along with several local events and bridal shows. Can you offer any help. I have taken boxes of our treats around town, done referral programs, joined Chamber, etc.
I don’t know much about marketing a brick & mortar bakery, but it sounds like you’re already doing a lot of what I’d recommend. Usually offering a sale, coupoon, discount, etc. is a good way to draw new attention to your business. You could also offer incentives to current customers for referrals (free 6 pack of cupcakes if they send you a new customer). I used to also offer a loyalty program – for every 5 dozen cupcakes purchases, the 6th box was free. That encouraged them to keep coming back for more. I have one blog post on how to grow your cake business here, but probably not everything will apply to a bakery.
Good morning Rose,
well it is morning in Australia, I would like to know if you have or could recommend a recipe for BLACK buttercream?
Thanks in Advance
NIkki
Hey Nikki! I have a friend in Australia… I hope to visit one day 🙂 So I have only made it once and don’t have a recipe of my own, but I know I started by making chocolate frosting (use dark cocoa or black cocoa if possible), then using black gel coloring. My friend Rebekah has a recipe here.
What is your best method for stacking and securing a 3 tier cake
I use bubble tea straws, cardboard rounds between tiers and a center dowel rod! I have a blog post about it here: https://rosebakes.com/cowboy-western-cake-smash-cake-how-to-stack-cake-tiers-tutorial/
Do you print out any cake labels listing the ingredients in your cakes that you sell to customers. And are you required to have a food cottage license where you live.
Thank
You
Linda
Hi Linda – here in Mississppi no license is required, but the cottage food law does require labeling with ingredients. Of course, the laws vary state to state so it may different for your location and I don’t give out specific advice on this other than to research your local laws. I have some information about that here.
How do you keep your business thriving when it seems that the market is being saturated?
The short answer is God poured out his blessings on me and my business and I have no idea why He chose me. But “thriving” will depend on how you look at it. I live in a pretty rural area and while there are a lot of cake decorators within driving distance, not all of them do what I do. And I actually take a lot fewer orders than I used to, but I do it on purpose. I have lost some customers to new cakers in my area, but I’m okay with that because I wanted to cut back. I also raised my prices which took me to a level where a lot of potential customers couldn’t afford me. So I work less and earn the same or more money. In addition to that, years ago I developed a loyal client base and they continue to send me new customers through referrals. I’d recommend findinig your niche and getting really good at one or two things that your clients love. For instance, my clients LOVE my petit fours so that’s something special that no one else in my area offers (that I know of). I’ve also made connections with high-end caterers and wedding planners which gives me an advantage to book weddings with high-end clients.
My niche would be candy apples. I have been practicing but I am still making mistakes. For instance, my candy apples are too sticky to put in cellophane bags. I made candy apples for my niece birthday party and they were sticking all over the bags and hard to take out of. My temperature is right so I’m not sure what I am doing wrong. Does it matter how long I sit the apples out after I wash them? Any suggestions? Out of curiosity, have you made jolly rancher apples before? I have ideas, but i feel like I’m not at the stage to execute them.
April – I have not made Jolly Rancher apples. I let my apples dry for several hours – even overnight if I can before dipping. I know that refrigerating the apples will make them sticky and you don’t want to make them more than a day ahead if possible and bag them as late as you can.
I would like to know more about blogging and really how to get started everything I have read or paid for has been so complicated and so very time consuming also, ad’s for the blog how do I get started with that and thank you in advance for answering or being willing to answer our questions.
Blogging is definitely not an overnight thing. It takes years of work to see big returns. But it doesn’t have to be complicated. I’d recommend saving up some money and hiring a designer to make a pretty site for you (my first web designer charged around $250 I think). I have a few blog posts about it that I’m happy to share if you want to email me at [email protected] or discuss it further.
Okay so I’m just now starting on the cake decorating journey and my soon-to-be 4-year-old has asked for a Batmobile cake for his birthday later this month. What would you use for the little stiff parts in the back of the car? (I guess you could call them wingtips…?) I thought about fondant… But I kinda don’t get along with fondant well just yet.
I’d probably do gum paste, but if you don’t want to do that, maybe look at a craft store for some kind of plastic that you can cut and paint black. Or I once even bought a flexible plastic cutting board and cut it up to use as something stiff on a cake.
How do you get buttercream to hold up to hot summer temps? I’m in Texas and sometimes my buttercream will get really soft after being in warm temps and start to slide off the cake.
In short, you don’t. Butter melts when it’s hot and there’s no way around that. You can use all-shortening frosting which will hold up a little better, but even that is not going to hold up in stifling heat. If someone insists on a buttercream cake in summer then it needs to be set up inside or you need a signed contract that they realize serving it outside is NOT recommended and you’re not responsible if it doesn’t hold up.
Thanks so much! I enjoy your posts!
Was it hard caking with all your kids? How did you handle the demands of wife and mommy while running your buisness when you where most buisy? I’m a mom of 2 and I’m thinking of starting up again after a long break. Thank you for your time God bless!
Cristina – it was definitely hard at times, but somehow I stumbled through it. I prayed a lot – and my home often suffered (ie., stayed a wreck A LOT), but my husband has always been incredibly helpful and supportive. He would cook many nights while I did cake and take care of getting the kids in bed, and things like that. And since I’m also a homeschooling Mommy, I got my kids involved as soon as they were old enough. My daughter has been making batter for years and 4 of my sons make frosting, cookie dough, etc. When they were little it was harder – I didn’t get a lot of sleep because I’d work when they went to bed or before they woke up but now that they’re older, they work along with me. Depending on your kids ages, you could work during naps, while they’re at school or while they sleep. Or get them involved 🙂 Hope this helps!
How do you get customers if you are not a good salesperson? I have made cakes for family that I get a lot of compliments on but I don’t know how to put myself out there.
Hey Martha! I have a post here about ways to grow your business : 5 Ways to Grow Your Cake Business.
Hello lady Rose. pls help me with my cake. It doesnt come out very fluffy. Iv tried different methods of baking and recipe. Pls help.
Hi Adefowoke – it’s nearly impossible for me to help with something like this via a blog post. I’d need to know your recipes, baking times, ingredient details etc. I’m sorry!
I feel overwhelmed I take so many classes can and have so many supplies any tryingvto do logo website work and keep up. What did you do when you first started to stay organized?
Gwen – I took things VERY slow. I only bought supplies as needed and gradually built my business. As I got more orders, I bought more supplies, etc. I didn’t really try to buy a whole bunch of everything up front so that I never really went into debt. I already had a blog when I started doing cakes and at the time, my blog had nothing to do with cakes so I slowly began blogging about them. I still don’t have a dedicated website for selling cakes, so that was obviously never a priority for me.
Should wedding cakes and other special occasion tier cakes be priced differently like a base price for Birthday/Baby showers cakes and per person for weddings?
Hey Nicole – I actually use the same base price (which is a per serving price) for all of my cakes. I just talked about that here if you’d like to read more. I increase based on size and difficulty – but that also varies cake to cake. I’ve done some really complicated birthday cakes that cost more per serving than very simple wedding cakes per serving.
I love your blog and your cakes!!! You are so talented!!! I have a couple of questions…. what is the best way to stack layers… like for a 3 layer cake?? …..bottom of cake on the bottom? Or cut ends together?? Etc??
Also sometimes I have the bulge between layers!! I pipe a dam and fill in between the layers, but I still can see the bulge between the layers.
Thanks !!
I always stack my layers with the top (dome-side) down. I also use an Agbay to trip off the domes so they sit more smooth and level. The bulge is such an annoyance. Using a dam and filling is the best way, but you may want to do it ahead of time and weigh them down for a few hours or overnight, then trim again to remove any bulge. I usually put an empty cake pan on top (the same size as the cakes) and then a few magazines on top. You want SOME weight, but not so much as to crush them. Hope that helps!
Thanks for this opportunity!!! One of the most important questions for me is.. how a get more customers? And the second one is when I can start see my production in $$..God bless you more everyday!!
Hey Mayrim! I have a post here about ways to grow your business : 5 Ways to Grow Your Cake Business. Because I only bought supplies/ingredients as needed, I immediately saw small profits. Then when I gained more customers and was busier than I wanted to be, I increased my prices, too fewer orders and saw my profits continue to grow. If you take it slow and charge appropriately, you can make some money right away.
Hi, I sell mainly cupcakes and small treats. I vendor at a lot of events but I am not sure of what to do those times when I have a lot of inventory left over after an event. Mainly cupcakes b/c the shelf life is not as long. Thank you!
Do you have a Facebook group set up for local customers? If not – set one up and start promoting it to local clients. Then you could sell extras there. You could also start a local email list. If you don’t want to sell them, donate to local businesses or a local nursing home. Add business cards to the boxes and you might gain new clients!
If I am not mistaken from reading ur blog over the years i use 2 inch magic line pans. My question is how many layers of cake do u use per tier on regular birthday cakes and wedding cakes on average? Love u blog and refer to it often.
I almost always do 2 (2″) layers per tier 🙂
Hi! I love following you and reading your blog posts. I have been doing cakes out of my home (regularly) for about 6 years. I have acquired a lot of tools and items over the years, and I have slowly been “upgrading” them to better ones. With Christmas coming, I would love to ask for some “must have” tools…specifically ones that will help save time for me. Do you have any “must have” tools that you suggest?
Also, how do you get super crisp corners and edges with icing and/or fondant? Thanks!
Hey Courtney, I have a couple of posts about my favorite tools here and here. Unfortunately, my lists are too broad to write in a comment and what you’ll need varies greatly by what kind of cakes you do. To get sharp corners wtih fondant, I highly recommend paneling over draping. With buttercream, my best tip is practice, practice, practice. I still haven’t mastered perfect buttercream corners!
How does the “cottage law” work for in-home bakeries? I, too, live in Mississippi and make cakes/cookies as a hobby now but would love for my business to grow bigger. What about a health department inspection, ServSafe certification, and anything else that would need to be done before I could be “legal” with my home bakery business? Thank you for being so helpful!
Cynthia
Hi Cynthia – I have a post here about general legalities. In Mississippi, you do not have to an inspection, certification or anything like that. You simply have to stay under $20,000 gross income, have labels for your packages, and not bake/sell things that require refrigeration. I also highly recommend getting a sales tax permit because you need to collect and remit sales taxes to the state. There are good articles about MS laws here and here.
Hello Rose,
I am doing my 1st 4 tier wedding cake next week. The cake is for 11/17/18. When or what days of the week should I start baking, crumb coating, frosting, decorating, building the tiers, and transporting to the church??
Thanks Rose
Hi JH! I share my timeline in #4 on this post: https://rosebakes.com/5-simple-ways-stop-wasting-time-money-cake-business/.
Hi, Rose
Ive just recently found your blog. The last comment you posted was exactly what I was looking for. I run a small diner breakfast & lunch and also do sweets for the diner and on the side. I’m always looking for time savers. I am so happy to see you live in MS. I live in Corinth, a small town in the NE corner. My questions: sometimes my cakes sink in the middle a little, what causes this? I use a cake mix. Question 2: cupcakes: what makes them spread ( mushroom) top. Half turn out nice and the other not so nice. Thank you for any help you may have on this.
Hey Amy! Usually the sinking in the middle means it wasn’t quite done. You might try a little less batter or baking for a little longer (on a lower temp if needed). It sounds like the mushroom top might also be that you’re putting a little too much batter in the cups.
How do you pin a whole page of pins at once on pinterest? Do they have a phone support number
I really enjoy your site.
Thank You
Ann
I’m not sure you can Pin a whole page at once, but you can schedule a whole page at once using the Tailwind app and Chrome extension.
I’m making Petit Fours. My cakes always come out high in the middle. How do you get then to rise evenly?
I spread the batter really evenly and I don’t have any trouble.
Hello I’m Catarina Byrd from Petal, MS. I’ve got to do a glow in the dark cake this weekend and was wondering if you could give me some advice on making the icing glow. I’ve googled it and have found several recipes that saids use tonic water. But not sure if it’s going to work.
I haven’t ever tried the tonic water for glowing so I’m not much help – sorry!
What is the best way to stack 9×13 (or larger) layers without cracking/splitting? TIA
Make sure you trim both cakes so that they’re very level. If they’re domed at all, the edges will sag and cause the cake to crack.
I am attempting to layer a 9×13 cake. Any tips to keep top layer from cracking/splitting?
Make sure you trim both cakes so that they’re very level. If they’re domed at all, the edges will sag and cause the cake to crack.
Hi there! I am in LOVE with the Nintendo cake that you made. Would love to try making it for my brother’s birthday… how did you manage the details with the fondant? Different colors being even with one another on a smooth looking surface? The sharp edges? Thanks!!
Can you leave me a link to which Nintendo cake you’re referring to?
I realized after I sent it that it was a January winner, posted on your site and I misunderstood. Still, fondant can be tricky, so if you have any tips, I’d appreciate it!
https://rosebakes.com/january-takes-cake-winner-elevate-cake/
How do you get the rustic “striped” affect on your cakes. Like the pumpkin wafer paper cake you did. The top of the cake was the affect I’m trying to do. I believe it’s just using your small spatula, but I’ve been trying to see it done so I can get a better feel for it before I attempt it. Plus, I have no idea what to call this affect.
Oh sure Shirley – I have a video in this post : https://rosebakes.com/make-lines-texture-buttercream-cakes/
Do you have a recipe and or tips on “dripped icing”?
I use melted candy melts, thinned with heavy cream, OR ganache (for chocolate drip).
Rose I made your cupcake bouquets for Mother’s Day and they went over like gang busters! I sold 30 of them after buying everything you used in yours; the pink boxes (gorgeous!), the pink tissue liner, the green tulip cupcake papers, the 3 flavors…everything! People just went bonkers over them! I posted a demo box on several of our local online market places at 8:00ish and by noon I had to call them sold before I got in over my head. It was a lot of work, because I’m not a professional baker, but fun and rewarding to see how pleased the people were when they picked them up. Thank you for a great experience and of course I’ll be following you for more ideas. People didn’t bat an eye at $21 btw. Sent you a pic of my post and demo pictures. Love ya!
This is AMAZING!! You have no idea how happy I am to hear this news! Congrats on the sales and Happy Mother’s Day!
I give all the props to you girl and have told many of my clients that I completely used your ideas… thanks again!