PS

I forgot....all of the paperwork for my new facility is complete which means even more exciting updates to come.

Sneak Preview

Major changes are going on right now. I'm almost done with school and 6 weeks away from graduation. When I started graduate school...I was very new in the cake field (but not the wedding field), and wasn't sure it was going to work out...so I forged ahead.

Thankfully, after lot of late hours and slowly taking on cake orders, I have gotten to the point to where I'm pretty sure this will be my career for at least the next five years.

So...since a new leaf is finally turning, that means change, change, change.

The second major change is my new website! I'm so excited about the layout and design. It matches my business cards and the storefront.

Here is the new address: http://www.austinweddingcakes.net

The couturedesserts.com is still active, and will soon be a mirror site since that is the address that I printed on all 2000 of my business cards. The new one is much easier to remember though.

So take a look at the site and tell me what you think. There are still some glitches that I am trying to work out...and most of the content is missing, but for the most part, this is the final look.

"A cake, Franck, is made of flour and water."

I was out with some friends, when someone asked me about cakes. Then they asked about the price of an average cake for Austin wedding - which could range from $500-$700 (for something basic...not too fancy), BTW. Well the person looked at me like I was crazy and said "Why? It's just flour and water?"

That comment makes every cake decorator cringe. Yes, a cake consists of flour, sugar, eggs, butter, and milk for the most part...but when you mix them together, a beautiful tiered cake does not magically appear. If that's what happens when you make a cake...then I must have been doing it wrong!

That statement is like saying why is a house so expensive? it's just wood and bricks! Or even better...why is a premium coffee $4 -$7 dollars. Coffee costs a few cents people!

You see where I am going? Just like a house, a tiered wedding cake is created in steps with a lot of attention to detail. Every time you create a tiered cake, steps have to be followed in order, each time, to get to the final product.

However, that is only half of it....the other part is skill. It takes a considerable amount of skill and technique to ice a cake so it is smooth, not oozing out a strawberry cream filling, or just falling apart!

If you think creating a decent cake is easy...just take a look at Cake Wrecks and see the hundreds of PROFESSIONAL cakes that have turned into disasters!

Anyway, the price of a (wedding) cake is high because of the time and skill involved, not the ingredients. Although premium ingredients will cost more, it is a negligible amount because it all depends on the size and final design of the cake.

Bottom line, when you purchase a wedding cake, or any custom cake that is not found in a grocery store or discount store, you are paying for the skill, craftsmanship, detail, time, and the gourmet flavors.

Out with the Old, In with the New...

The Haute Cakes staff (That is Me) has been working on a major project that could change things for the better!

I have been searching and searching and searching for a new temporary commercial kitchen so I can make more cakes for more special events. The current set up is a bit complicated and it no longer working for me anymore. It is such a hassle to meet with clients and then actually make their cake. I want to do my best from the moment I meet then client until the moment I deliver their cake...Right now I feel that I cannot do that.

Thankfully, I have found a new location and I am in the process of getting the paperwork complete so I can start working in the new location. (The storefront space will stay the same.)

What does this mean? It means that I will be able to grow the business and have more opportunities and possibly hire some interns in later 2009! (I already receive a lot of inquiries....but this is a one-person show at present.)

I will let you know as soon as everything is confirmed.