Baking can be an extremely relaxing hobby. When you have a free Sunday afternoon or you’re going to visit a loved one the next day, there’s nothing better than donning your apron and whipping up something delicious. Turning baking into a career, however, can quickly zap the fun out of the experience. Suddenly, you’re on a tight deadline, and stressed out clients are pressuring you to work faster than humanly possible. 

That’s why one hobby baker refused to make their cousin’s wedding cake. But after setting a firm boundary, they began to wonder if they were too harsh with their relative. Below, you’ll find the full story that was recently shared on Reddit, as well as a conversation with Katie Lake Volcof, modern wedding cake designer and creator of Malarkey Cakes.

This person enjoys baking cakes purely as a hobby

Image credits: freepic.diller / Freepik (not the actual photo)

But when their cousin requested that they make her wedding cake, the baker was adamant that they don’t take orders

Image credits: cookie_studio / Freepik (not the actual photo)

Image credits: Extra-Bell-4224

“There is a massive difference between a professional baker and a hobby baker”

Image credits: Mint_Images / Envato (not the actual photo)

To gain more insight into this situation, we reached out to Katie Lake Volcof, modern wedding cake designer and creator of Malarkey Cakes. Katie was kind enough to have a chat with Bored Panda and discuss whether or not it’s ever a good idea to have a friend or family member create your wedding cake.

“As much as I am a professional wedding cake designer and I have to promote my business and say it out loud for all the cake business owners out there, there is something really nice about the sentiment of having a family member make a cake for a celebration,” she shared.

“On the flip side, I do hear lots of horror stories about wedding cakes made by friends and relatives though. The fact is a lot of people think it’ll be easy to make a wedding cake, when the reality is that so much goes into making a great wedding cake,” Katie noted. 

“It’s not just baking and cake decorating skills that are needed, but also experience of how to transport a cake and deal with external factors like the heat of summer, for example,” she explained. “Cakes can and do collapse, melt, get dropped, get eaten by dogs (oh yes, seriously) if not handled or set up with care.”

“There is also a massive difference between a professional baker and a hobby baker, and couples should be aware of which their wedding cake maker is before making a decision, as it can affect so many things including price,” Katie added. 

So how much does a wedding cake typically cost? “Wedding cakes vary in cost so much. It depends who makes your cake, how much work goes into it, the design, the size of the cake and delivery and set up costs,” Katie told Bored Panda.

A custom wedding cake for many guests can cost the bride and groom thousands

Image credits: ASphotostudio / Envato (not the actual photo)

“To give you an idea, if you buy a cake from a supermarket that’s been made partly on a production line and partly customized, that you need to deliver and set up yourself, expect to pay from around £200 [or $267],” the expert shared. “If you’re going for something highly custom, a bespoke-designed cake to serve hundreds of guests, then expect to pay in excess of £3,000 [or $4,010].”

“With weddings, I think it’s all down to what aspects of the day you prioritize. If the cake isn’t important for you, why spend out on it? If the cake is to be an edible centerpiece that’s important to you both, you’ll probably allow more of your budget for it,” Katie added. 

Finally, we asked the wedding cake expert if she had any advice for couples who want to have a nice cake without breaking the bank. “I always encourage my clients to serve their cake as their dessert as a way of cutting costs,” Katie says.

“If your caterer is happy to provide you a package without dessert included, this is a great way of making sure no cake goes to waste and keeping costs down too!”

We would love to hear your thoughts on this situation in the comments below, pandas. Do you think it was a good idea for this hobby baker to turn down her cousin’s request? Feel free to weigh in. Then, if you’re interested in checking out another Bored Panda article discussing wedding cake drama, we have a delicious treat for you right here!

Many readers sided with the baker, noting that they had every right to set a boundary

However, some thought that the baker was wrong for how they went about saying no

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