Check 'Cake Decorating Online' for schedules for our chats . A special topic has been added for this. If there is something you would like as a subject line for a chat, let us know here. Also, you may offer your comments and suggestions here. (If you haven't yet found 'Cake Decorating Online' Here is the way (add to 'Favorites heart): From the AOL opening menu, use Keyword Cooking Club, at Cooking Club, find Cooks School, then Cake Decorating Online...Look for the topic Discuss Cake Decorating. This is our message, question and answer board just for cake decorators. The February Chat subjects are now listed in this area. Do give us your input - This is your place to add comments, ask questions, give suggestions, list items needed or for sale, otherwise it is OUR cake decorating information area. --- Don't forget to turn on your LOG to record our chat tonight: TO DO: At the AOL opening menu, Click on FILE, then on LOG MANAGER, click on OPEN LOG...save it as any name anywhere you want. After you exit AOL you can use any word processor to read it. (I use a folder called chat logs)

• Lbs0526: Also, do you need a special software to "UNZIP" your files? Don't know how. Only thing I can do is print out your recorded chats
• Dolores777: No you won't. These files aren't zipped anyway. Please read in 'Discuss Cake Decorating' under the first topic about 'chats' and there is now a file telling the novice how to open/read a chat. TO PRINT: Open the file in a text reader (Write or word processor) and print as usual.

• Lbs0526: PS - Curious, I took a class (modified Wilton) where they said bring in a frozen cake to ice
• Pwd Sugar: A frozen cake? In the past or in the future? Lbs
• Lbs0526: PS- We actually brought the frozen cake into class & iced it.

• Questions from last week that I did not see Twittt: Pwd: Did you teach yourself to decorate cakes, or did you have to attend classes?
• Pwd sugar: When I started playing with the cake decorating (31 years ago) - there were no classes....... So for the first five years it was trial and error that were my teachers. In the last 25 years I have taken over 25 classes. When I began teaching the Wilton classes I told my students that they were learning in five weeks what it took me many years to learn. TAKE THOSE CLASSES WHEN YOU HAVE THEM AVAILABLE TO YOU. But that is not the end of learning - be creative, try new things, experiment, don't let the rules stop you. When I first learned about Gumpaste flowers and Rolled Fondant the rules said only pastel colors and small arrangements of flowers. That is the traditional way but I am not very traditional - I assume whatever my customer wants is right - I just have to figure out how to do it. I try to take at least one class a year - sometimes I miss a year but, this is one profession where you never quit learning.

• For those who are new to the chat room this question came in last week OnlyRoady: what is a chat?

• GMMARBE: Will you e-mail out or post in library?
• Pri95: Pwd do we e-mail a request the recipes from you or get them from the library? The chats will be posted in the library after the chat. Our organizer has a big job and sometimes it takes a couple of weeks for her to post them. Dolores also puts the chat info on her web page. She is on vacation right now and when she gets back she will post the four weeks info while she was gone. If you want the chat info sooner please feel free to E-Mail me for the chat info or the chat log. The IM is not a good place to request this as I don't keep a record of these messages and I might miss sending this to you. E-Mail is preferred.

• Royemus: ??when I e-mail a recipe to someone and I want to keep it handy, but not type it again where does it go? Type your recipe on your word processor, name it, save it in a recipe folder and you will be able to find it quickly. Such as the doctored cake mix recipes. When someone wants those recipes I just copy and paste into the E-Mail form. NRJCAKE: Pwd, What is rolled buttercream? NRJCAKE: Pwd, sounds like regular buttercream? The difference is regular buttercream is soft and spreadable and the rolled buttercream is a firm dough that you can mold, shape and etc. Rolled buttercream is equal parts of Karo and Crisco. Then add some flavor, and pwd sugar until you have a firm dough. The final addition of pwd sugar must be kneaded in by hand.

• JGnadt8008: Pwd-I do a lot of 3D or sculpted cakes. Any ideas how to price?
• Pwd sugar: 3D Sculpted cakes and not just flat shaped cakes - I start the pricing at $5.00 per serving. Then it can go up from there depending on how complicated and how big it is. The smaller the cake the more expensive. If someone wants a cake for 25 in a 3D Sculpted Amtrak Train it should be around $10 a serving. I actually had to do this one for 25 servings and I fussed and fumed to myself about how little I charged her for the work it took. I had to draw and build all of the parts that hang down under the train and figure out how to hang them so they actually looked like they should). And the tracks, rocks and etc also had to be made of sugar. It took a lot of thought and work. If they wanted that same cake to serve over 150 I might charge $5.00 to $7.50 per serving. You will have to do the same amount of planning, drawing the patterns, building the armature for the small cake as you would for the large cake. The actual construction for a small number of people will take as much time to do as the large one for a fraction of the money.

• Cakestmper: You're not charging for actual cake as much as skill and talent for what goes ON the cake
• Lbs0526: PS -IS that $5 per serving on a fondant 3-d or buttercream?
• Hmebaker: Would like the price on any of the character cakes, like top of pg 23

• SAvanna673: Pwd.. Do you think the flowers on Martha's cover cake are gumpaste ?
• Pwd sugar: I cringed when I saw this cake on the cover of the latest Martha Stewart Living - A special issue for the Bride and Groom. It is wonderfully creative and yes those flowers and leaves do look like gumpaste. The thing that bothers me about this cake is the delivery. I live on a dirt road and the paved road that connects with it is also full of potholes. This cake will have to be constructed, completed and then delivered as is. It is going to wiggle and shake and I would sweat the delivery of this cake. I would price this cake between $4 and $5 per serving.

• User555922: Price the cake on the cover of the 97 wilton yearbook
• Pwd Sugar: That cake on the cover is a multitude of royal pansies that must have detail painting.
• User555922: Yes, I've done it twice. Charged 18 dollars.
• Pwd Sugar: Star fill in cakes are a pain. I never do a cake for less that $25.00 and that is basic

• Cakestmper: I have some info on ICES convention re rooms question. Rooms are available. Be sure to tell them you are with ICES, rooms are 99.00/night Lbs0526: Ckstmpr- Are rooms still available for ICES? I have to join.
• Cakestmper: Rooms are available. Be sure to tell them you are with ICES, rooms are 99.00/night. You might not get into the Contemporary, but Disney has lots of overflow rooms

• Pwd Sugar: A Kopycake machine is a projector that will put your picture right down on your cake to be drawn and filled in
• ILENE0617: JPine.... a copycake is a projector that shows the picture up on the cake
• DB4MB: I paid $175 for mine about 16 years ago P
• wd Sugar: Very expensive unless you use it a lot - with a little artistic ability you don't need it

The most important information should go across the top of your form and then other information as information for your reference. Such as the brides name - wedding date and time - reception location - set up time brides phone no., Address, town, state and zip code brides mothers name, her phone no., Address, town and zip code groom's name, phone number - location of wedding photographer - florist - caterer date the order was placed - deposit or retainer received - cancellation date brides letter - referred by why do you need the brides mothers phone no. And address? A few weeks or days before the wedding the brides are in the process of moving. Sometimes they move back home or into their new home. Otherwise they are in transit and mothers name and address may be needed to contact them if necessary. Why do you need the photographer, florist and caterers names if you don't get a good picture and need one you can not depend on that bride to get one for you. It is a much better procedure to contact that photographer yourself. One thing you are letting that photographer know who you are and what kind of work you do. If you are building a business and that photographer likes what you do they are a good reference builder. After all they have the cake pictures they might put in their sample albums.

The florist? If the bride is using fresh flowers on her cake you will need to coordinate delivery time. I also like to use fresh greenery at the base of all brides and grooms cakes. The reason for this? When you set a white cake on a white tablecloth they blend together in the pictures. You want this cake to be centerpiece and a focal point so that fresh greenery sets you cake off on the table. It is presentation of a product you are proud of.

The caterer? I have one caterer in town that never sets up anything before an hour and a half before the reception. I know not to plan to set up my cake earlier when they are catering that reception. Other caterers I can plan to set up as much as four hours ahead. You have to know who the caterer is to be able to plan your delivery day. The date order placed gives you a reference of how long that cake has been on order. Sometimes I look at a cake order and think what did I mean when I wrote this down. I look up at this entry and realize that this order was done 1 year ago. I then ask the bride to come in about a month or two before the wedding to confirm and review her cake order. I am sure your memories work better than mine.

Deposit received ____? I do not reserve a date for anyone with deposit or a retainer fee. Before I started requiring this i had two cakes that I never received any money. One the bride ordered the cake, I delivered it, she never paid for it, she did not return my things, and when I tried to track her down - no one knew her. She used a church where she was not a member. I had none of the information that I require now. No way to track her down. By loss on my part but, it made me think about the fact that this is a business and I better treat it like one.

Cancellation date ____? If the bride and groom cancel that wedding cake before 90 days prior to the wedding I give them a complete refund. If they cancel after that 90 day deadline that deposit money does go into my bank.

Brides letter ___? I have a letter that I give every bride who comes in to look at cakes whether she books a cake with me or not. This letter gives them all of the info about how I operate, how to freeze their first anniversary cake, all the detail stuff that they need. It keeps me from having to go over all of that detail stuff and I know they have it in writing so they have been told. For instance that they need to get their own cake cutting utensils, a warning that they need to be careful of the kinds of fresh flowers that they use on a cake, that a honeymoon cake will be delivered to their reception along with the cakes ordered and etc.

Referred by ___? I keep track of where the brides find out about me. I do not have a listing in the phone book. Most of my referrals come from people within the bridal industry and former brides and their families. Its nice when they say just everybody told us to come to you - they said you are the best. You know you are turning out a good product and others are appreciating your efforts.

• Lbs0526: PS - How do you work a cancellation non-refundable deposit? Time limit? PS- also how much of a deposit do you usually require (%)?
• Pwd Sugar: If they cancel a cake in less than 90 days before the wedding they don't get the deposit of $100 dollars back. Give them that deposit back. In total
• Lbs0526: $100 deposit, regardless of size?
• SWhittClk: That is a great idea I am often disappointed with my own pictures
• Lbs0526: bill bride directly?
• Pwd Sugar: The Florist handles charging and placing the flowers on the cakes
• Lbs0526: PS - You never place the flowers on the cake?
• Pwd Sugar: Yes I sometimes do the fresh flowers on the cake and if requested to do that. I charge an additional fee of $20.00 for that time
• DB4MB: I like to use Leather Leaf greenery
• SWhittClk: I prefer to arrange the flowers no one cares more than I do about the finished product
• Pwd Sugar: The florist I work with - are very good and they know I am picky about what they do. They must pay in total for the cake 2 weeks to 1 month ahead for the cake. 2 weeks before if it is a normal basic cake 1 month if I am doing Gumpaste flowers

• DB4MB: How many cakes (wedding) do you have for this week-end, Pwd?
• Pwd Sugar: Just one - slow time for us. Feb through April -- May through August 3 a weekend is all I can handle

• SWhittClk: why the photoghrapher?
• I Do Cakes: SWhitt-- A professional pic of you cake looks much better than the small ones we take
• SpecBySue: for home photos try a single layer of kleenex over the flash/works like a diffuser
• SpecBySue: any point and shoot. zoom cameras give better detail and you can stand further away.

• NYCloudy: Pwd what do you charge for a basic wedding cake for 150 people?
• Pwd Sugar: Prices start at $2.00 per serving and range up to $10 per serving

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