feraltrucker22 said:. . There is some logic to it. The cake will have five tiers stacked directly on top of each other—not separate stands—with each tier being about 6 inches tall. To keep the whole thing stable, the first three layers really should be a denser parfait rather than a fruit-based filling like I originally wanted. Apparently, the fruit ones aren't "sturdy" enough to support that much weight without collapsing 🤷 that's what my baker is telling me...
Your baker is spot on. I went through the exact same thing once... same explanation. It makes sense when you think about it. 🤣Imagine starting with a light fruit layer and then piling a heavy mousse tier on top? Honestly, most bakery pros don't care about matching flavors if it means the whole thing collapses. They just want it to stand up, which is why she's giving you the real advice. Mine was three tiers, and the bottom one was a denser type specifically meant to hold up the other two.
Look, ladies, price depends on a ton of factors. High-end bakeries like Magnolia Bakery or Levain have sky-high prices because they’re paying premium rent for storefronts and selling individual treats all day long. A small cake house, on the other hand, is usually just a home business doing custom orders for weddings and events. They don't have the overhead of a retail shop, so their prices stay lower since they specialize in made-to-order stuff. Then you've got a massive wholesaler like Bond out in Columbus—they do high-volume production, their stuff is everywhere, including grocery stores, so they're basically running an assembly line. Their rent in Ohio probably isn't hitting the crazy levels you see in Chicago either. Even those ladies baking from home near $17 can keep prices steady because they aren't dealing with delivery costs or commercial rent; they just use their own kitchen and maybe skip the industrial walk-in cooler. I think I've just scratched the surface of what drives up a price tag. You've also got tradition, brand reputation, and a whole bunch of other variables. You can't really compare them apple-to-apples. My best advice? Get a word-of-mouth recommendation from someone who actually ate them (since taste is subjective anyway) or just go sample them yourself. That's my move—I'll grab a pound of samples, if they taste good, I buy. Simple as that. Good luck picking
P.S. My sister tried some from Bond and they were actually pretty solid.
John Hayes5 said:Seriously though, tell me—are you actually happy with them????? I went to one of those places recently and they only offered dry-as-a-bone cookies, and honestly, I am just not about that life!!!!!!
I was beyond satisfied. Found them by total accident, then later some buddies mentioned they’ve been regulars there for years—cookies, cakes, service, the whole nine yards. Everything hits the mark. My only gripe is their prices have spiked since I first started using them, but at least they haven't gone up to $30 like those other guys....
Maybe try that little bakery over on the corner... though I bet their prices have spiked too. About a year and a half ago, they were still $20... but their sweets are killer. They've done custom cakes for me before, and I think they make those mini cupcakes too.
Quick update... my sister just got married and she had these cookies from a bakery in Chicago... I think they were Bond Pro or something like that... honestly, they tasted great and looked amazing. I'm hoping to grab a photo where you can actually see them, so if I do, I'll post it. Bottom line: the cookies were a hit. Oh, and they cost $16/kg
northernhawk87 said:Well, I have spent the entire evening typing away, and yet here you are, asking me again where 😬 we got it from the Little Bakery located out in the forest. It wasn't merely beautiful on the outside; it was incredibly delicious! In fact, they actually removed the decorative icing in the hall because they didn't want it to "bother" anyone, which led some of the guests to wonder if the slice we were eating was somehow even more real than the one they saw originally. 😬
northernhawk87, I'm stoked you loved The Cookie Corner... honestly, they were the absolute highlight of the whole setup... totally nailed it... and that cake is stunning...😘 Plus, those cookies look killer...😁
They served us 80 ounces on the plates and tossed another couple of pounds into a box on the side... If I wanted to double-check the weight, I would've just weighed it myself or told someone else to grab a scale... that’s really the only way to be sure.
Honestly, I don't see how that math is hard if you actually own a scale...🤣 If you're going by person, it's 200 grams or 0.20kg... real genius level stuff there. It’s way more annoying than just counting the individual cookies...🤣 But hey, whatever works for you. Everyone’s got their own way of doing things, and that's what matters...😘
So, I grabbed this cake on Saturday that was covered in fondant... basically, it was scaled for about 30 people, so you could definitely tell the fondant layer was a bit thick. But honestly? It wasn't even a big deal. It actually tasted great and wasn't overly sweet. Just figured I'd drop that here in case anyone's wondering.
It really depends on what kind of cake we're talking about... and I'm not following you on the whole stand thing... you can order a cake without a stand pretty much anywhere these days...😕
Man, this last one is gorgeous... How much would an Adonia cost, and what kind of flavors would you go with if you were doing something like this for about 120 people? Just give me a ballpark figure... pleeease
While I was typing this, I added more photos... that beige one with the little ribbons on it... it's the third post up
brightotter25 said:Emma makes cakes using modeling chocolate, but I’ve been told it doesn't taste great and it's a nightmare to slice... does it crack?Zachary Gray35 So you've actually worked with modeling chocolate... and you liked it? At Vincennes, they told me the exact opposite—that the flavor is off, it's way too sweet, and people usually pass on it. Any other girls here have experience with modeling chocolate? Help a girl out...
Look, everyone I know—and I mean literally everyone—absolutely loved the cake and sweets... honestly, I didn't get a chance to taste mine yet, but a friend of mine has a wedding this Saturday and she's having the exact same cake, so I'll finally give it a shot... nobody mentioned it being overly sweet. If it were, my mom would've lost it, and I definitely would've known. As for the cost... I read somewhere that a pound of that stuff goes for about $27. Plus, the actual process doesn't seem like rocket science to me... from what I saw, the fondant wasn't cracking at all; if anything, it was actually pretty soft. Not sure how much that helps you...
I think chocolate ganache can look super smooth and flat, but it seems like it cracks pretty easily...
Yeah, that’s fine... I ordered about 20 pounds for my place too... plus you usually end up with leftovers from the wedding itself. I had a few pounds left over, but I just handed them all out the next day to my family and neighbors.
rustyowl7, did you seriously order an extra 20 kg on top of those 13? If we're counting 20 ounces per person, you're looking at 24 kg for 120 people... You put 1-20 on the tables and leave 4 for refills... I really hope you didn't tack on another 20 kg to that order of 13. Unless you were planning on grabbing a few extra pounds to take home and share...
I’ve noticed a few times now that this bakery everyone raves about for their cookies totally dodges making cakes with fondant... everything she said just doesn't hold water. Look, I'm no professional pastry chef, but I’ve ordered a fondant cake before and none of those issues ever came up... even if it does cost more. If someone wants it, they’ll pay the premium. It's not up to a baker to tell a customer that a certain style is a "bad investment" just because they don't personally like working with that medium. That’s just a weak excuse to get out of doing the work, and it's not okay. maybe you girls know better, but that's just how it went for me... honestly, maybe ask Joshua Clark, she might have a better take.
rustyowl7 said:I find that somewhat strange myself; while I’ve never been particularly interested in wedding catering, I have always had a weakness for the dessert table...
In that case, just put them on the tables and call it a day... I don't see why you'd need a separate station unless that's what you're feeling.
rustyowl7 said:Quinn, do you think 28 pounds of dessert is enough for 120 guests, considering we’ll have four different cakes plus the main centerpiece?
First off, cakes and bite-sized desserts are two different things. People grab small treats from plates whenever they feel like it, but they usually wait to be served before diving into a slice of cake. Nobody is just going to raid the table uninvited, so you need to treat those as separate categories. A standard rule of thumb for small desserts is about 0.17 to 0.20 per person. When I hosted an event for 110 people, I went with 0.20 per person and ended up with 25 kg of dessert... so your 13 kg is definitely cutting it too close. You also have to account for the fact that not all the food is out on the table at once; you need a few extra kilos tucked away to refill trays as they get cleared. For my round tables, I did two plates of about 80 grams per table... which means out of my 25 kg, 20 kg was actually displayed while the rest stayed in the back to replenish empty platters throughout the night. Hope this helps...
