Cake Order Fail

Cake Business Order Fail

Video: Cake Order FailIn the bakery business, we get all kinds of weird phone calls. Every once in awhile, we get one from the type of customer who just doesn’t understand the laws of physics or the limitations of cake. Here’s an example of … Continue reading

Valentine’s Inspiration 2 – Bakery Tricks

Valentine's Heart Cakes

VIDEO: Valentine’s Heart Cakes – Bakery Recipes & How-To Happy (almost) Valentine’s Day! Here is an example of how I made three different kinds of cakes using one kind of heart mold at a commercial bakery. LINK: Freezing Cakes Video NOTE: This … Continue reading

Cloth vs. Disposable Pastry Bags

Cloth Versus Disposable Piping Bags

You can usually tell how clean a pastry kitchen is by how well the piping equipment is maintained. In well-managed kitchens, the pastry bags get emptied and cleaned at the end of every shift. There are places for the bags to … Continue reading

Culinary Bench Test

Culinary Bench Test

The logistics of bench test hiring and interviewing in the food industry. Definition of a culinary bench test: A hands-on interview in which the applicant performs a set of cooking or baking skills in order to demonstrate their level of competency in … Continue reading

Real Chefs vs. Phony Chefs

Real Chefs versus Phony Chefs

In an effort to clarify the widening gap between the word chef and it’s true definition, here is an explanation of the difference between a real professional chef, an independent cottage law chef, and a phony chef. click below to … Continue reading

Layer Cake Filling Recipes

Layer Cake Fillings Recipes

I have gotten so many questions about my cake filling recipes that I finally decided to share the formulas here on this website! This article presents a streamlined menu that includes 10 cake filling variations based on two buttercream frosting recipes. … Continue reading

2015 New Year’s Cookie Resolution

Women United in Business

In the bakery business, January is the slowest month of the year. While customers make New Year’s resolutions to get back to the gym, forego desserts, and slough off the holiday pounds, bakers from all over the world spank the … Continue reading

How to Price Wedding Cakes

Wedding Cake Pricing Guide

For bakers who sell wedding and stacked cakes, here are my prices for different shaped cakes with explanations as to why certain cakes cost more money than others. Info on how to charge customers for add-on edible decorations is also included. Click below … Continue reading

Buttercream Cake Frosting Recipes

American Buttercream

When faced with the challenge of frosting a classic wedding or special occasion cake with buttercream, the goal is to make it look crisp and symmetrical. This is entirely possible with the right technique and some practice! 3 Keys to Smooth Cake Frosting #1 Start … Continue reading

Five Disclaimer Forms for Your Cake Bakery

Cake Bakery Business Forms

Protect your cake or bakery business from scam artists, customer disputes, and loss! These five disclaimer forms will help you manage large wedding and specialty cake orders that involve outdoor events, customer pickup, dark colors, allergens, and special recipe requests. Click below to access the … Continue reading

How to Write a Cake Contract

How to Write a Cake Contract

The cake contract is a business tool that helps when working with customers on larger sized orders such as wedding cakes. The purpose of the contract is to clearly outline your policies and avoid loss due to customer fraud or order cancellations. Click here to … Continue reading

Cake Consultation Tip – The Color Deck

Wedding Cake Color Swatch Fan

This tutorial demonstrates how to use a color deck during a cake design consultation or bakery client meeting. Follow this link to read the article >> Cake Consultation Color Deck << Follow this link to read the article >> Cake Consultation Color Deck << … Continue reading

10 Web Marketing Strategies for Your Business

10 Web Marketing Tips

So you want to start a cake business or you already own a home-based or commercial bakery? Here are 10 internet marketing strategies for you. #1 Get Active on Pinterest Pinterest is one of the most powerful social media platforms … Continue reading

How to Slice Cake Layers

How to Slice Cake Layers

This step-by-step video tutorial contains instructions on how to slice level cake layers like a professional baker. I often see bakers slicing cake layers by sawing with the knife. However the back-and-forth motion is more likely to result in jagged, … Continue reading

Butter vs. Shortening

Butter Versus Shortening for Cake Frosting Recipes

While working as a pastry chef here in the U.S., I’ve noticed that many Americans prefer shortening-based cake frosting over real buttercream. Probably because it’s what’s used in supermarket cakes, it’s in the center of so many cream-filled goodies, and … Continue reading