Square Cake or Round Cake?

[tberube]

So - my budget for a cake is pretty much nothing, beyond what's included in my venue package ($2.50/head).

I went a couple weeks ago to order my cake, and it's very, VERY simple. Just 3 layers, butter cream frosting, fresh roses and ribbon (which I'll even be supplying). When I asked for a square cake, they told me "So are you really stuck on a square cake? Because it'll be $1 extra per head."

At first I said fine, went with the round cake to save having to add an extra $100 to the price of my cake. But then I went home and I was sad because I really kinda wanted a square cake. But I've already added extra costs to everything else in my poor little budget, and it's going to be really hard to save what I've already spent, let alone an extra $100 bucks.

So I'm torn: What's more important? Having a square cake, or saving $100? Does the shape of the cake actually matter in the end? And if so, do you think I should try to get their $1 extra price down a bit, considering it's so simple and I'm even supplying some of the decoration?

And no, I'm not really into looking for another baker, because part of the reason I went with an all-inclusive type package was so I wouldn't have to go interviewing tons of vendors who may or may not deliver to the venue, etc...I've so many other things to worry about, I want this to be easy as possible.

Advice? Opinions?

 

[Courtneylub]

I could really go either way. $100 isn''t much when you''re looking at the big picture. On the other hand, if you''re trying to save $100 here and there, a round cake is perfectly fine. I think round cakes are very pretty...and classic. One shape isn''t any better or prettier than the other.

 

[sunnyd]

Why would a square cake cost more?

Maybe when you get the round cake you could cut off the sides to make it look like a square and redecorate? Sorry, that''s not helpful, but seriously, why is a square more?!

 

[mimzy]

i would try to negotiate w/ the baker you''re already working with first. if that doesn''t work, take some personal inventory. no, the shape of the cake ultimately doesn''t affect much - but if it is super important to you, then it deserves some consideration. i couldn''t care less about the cake so i''m going to go for what''s cheapest - but i haven''t chosen the cheapest option on other things because i care about them more.

it sounds like you''ve already compromised soo much on so many things. if a square cake could make up for that, then i say go for it and make it your splurge. but if you are going to worry about the 100 dollars, then it might not be worth it.

 

[Stephanie]

Date: 4/21/2008 12:22:35 PM
Author: sunnyd
Why would a square cake cost more?

Maybe when you get the round cake you could cut off the sides to make it look like a square and redecorate? Sorry, that''s not helpful, but seriously, why is a square more?!

I can''t understand why it would cost more either. Just a different pan right? Could you do a round bottom and top tier with a square middle to compromise?

 

[doodle]

i read in brides magazine a while back that, if you have a square cake and a round cake of the same basic size, the square on will feed more people (think about it--a circle is a square with its corners chopped off, so you lose that much cake per tier). $100 seems like a steep add-on considering that the only real difference is the shape of a pan! i know you didn''t want to fool with it, but i would at least consider what other options are out there--a lot of grocery stores, for example, can make really pretty cakes on the cheap. otherwise, there are cool ways to snaz up a round, too, so if you wind up going that route, it''ll still be lovely!

 

[SarahLovesJS]

I think it depends on how important the square cake is to you. Did you always envision having a square and not a round cake? If so, then yes it is totally worth $100. For me, I'd probably just go with the round.

ETA: Definitely try to negotiate it. Maybe they'll go down to .50 a head.

 

[Elmorton]

I had a square cake and it was more expensive...but not $1 per head! Square and octagon were $.35 more per head and heart was $.45. I''m not sure why non-round cakes are more expensive (could they be harder to bake and decorate due to the shape??), but I do believe it''s standard to charge more.

Maybe you could ask to have 1 square layer and negotiate the price? I''ve seen some really neat cakes that mix the shapes.

 

[oobiecoo]

I agree that it depends on how important is it to you. FI (from the very beginning) wanted a square cake with layers set diagonal from the layer before… does that make sense? Looking from the top it would look like a square bottom, diamond center layer, and square top layer…. get it? That is one of the only things he has asked for and I really didn''t have an opinion either way so we went with his idea and I just picked the outer decoration. If he didn''t have a strong opinion then I would go with the cheapest option probably… if there was a price difference at our venue. Will it matter to you in 5 years? It wouldn''t to me…

 

[brazen_irish_hussy]

Although I am getting a square cake for pattern reasons, I think circle cakes are prettier.

I personally wouldn''t pay more for one shape over another, but I would pay more for better appetizers, etc. My guests won''t care either way. It just really depends on what matters to you.

When you look back at the pics, will you even notice the shape? Or will it bother you that it wasn''t quite right? That should be what decides it. 100 bucks is not that much if it will keep you from feeling a little down when you see the cake in pictures

 

[tberube]

Thanks for your advice, ladies. I thought that $1 per head was a lot, too. And I wonder if the high upcharge is there to deter brides from picking them. When I ordered the cake the lady told me that it takes much longer to frost a square cake, because it''s not easy to get the corners right. I dunno. It may just be an expense that''s not worth it to me. I could put that money into cameras for the tables, or gifts for hotel guests...yanno?

But I am a bit bummed. Everything else in my wedding is square.

 

[FrekeChild]

Date: 4/21/2008 5:54:58 PM
Author: tberube
Thanks for your advice, ladies. I thought that $1 per head was a lot, too. And I wonder if the high upcharge is there to deter brides from picking them. When I ordered the cake the lady told me that it takes much longer to frost a square cake, because it''s not easy to get the corners right. I dunno. It may just be an expense that''s not worth it to me. I could put that money into cameras for the tables, or gifts for hotel guests...yanno?

But I am a bit bummed. Everything else in my wedding is square.

Its because a round cake is MUCH easier to frost. I can frost a round 8 inch cake in about 5 minutes. A square 8 inch cake will take 15-20, and even then I won''t be pleased with how the edges come out. I''ll post an example of a square cake I made a couple of years ago... You''ll notice that the corners are VERY uneven, even though I spent about 45 minutes on them. I ended up spending so much time on them that I did bit of a hack job on the rest of the decorations.

And this was a 14 incher BTW. Also free for a friend, so I didn''t feel THAT badly about it-plus, no one else noticed. But I can totally see why they are charging more. However, I would try to talk them down, and perhaps agree to $.50 charge per piece extra, because it is extra labor.

BTW-I think your cake sounds beautiful!

 

[doodle]

Its because a round cake is MUCH easier to frost. I can frost a round 8 inch cake in about 5 minutes. A square 8 inch cake will take 15-20, and even then I won''t be pleased with how the edges come out. I''ll post an example of a square cake I made a couple of years ago... You''ll notice that the corners are VERY uneven, even though I spent about 45 minutes on them. I ended up spending so much time on them that I did bit of a hack job on the rest of the decorations.


And this was a 14 incher BTW. Also free for a friend, so I didn''t feel THAT badly about it-plus, no one else noticed. But I can totally see why they are charging more. However, I would try to talk them down, and perhaps agree to $.50 charge per piece extra, because it is extra labor.


BTW-I think your cake sounds beautiful!

hey Freke, just a question for you because i don''t know anything about this, but since i want a square cake, too, you''re the person to ask! does the type of icing make a difference as to the amount of work to ice a cake? like i know fondant has to be more precise because it''s smooth, so a goof is like "HI!!! I''M MESSED UP!!!" but would say, buttercream icing be different or no? sorry if this counts as a thread heist!

 

[tberube]

Date: 4/22/2008 2:33:15 AM
Author: doodle

Its because a round cake is MUCH easier to frost. I can frost a round 8 inch cake in about 5 minutes. A square 8 inch cake will take 15-20, and even then I won''t be pleased with how the edges come out. I''ll post an example of a square cake I made a couple of years ago... You''ll notice that the corners are VERY uneven, even though I spent about 45 minutes on them. I ended up spending so much time on them that I did bit of a hack job on the rest of the decorations.



And this was a 14 incher BTW. Also free for a friend, so I didn''t feel THAT badly about it-plus, no one else noticed. But I can totally see why they are charging more. However, I would try to talk them down, and perhaps agree to $.50 charge per piece extra, because it is extra labor.



BTW-I think your cake sounds beautiful!

hey Freke, just a question for you because i don''t know anything about this, but since i want a square cake, too, you''re the person to ask! does the type of icing make a difference as to the amount of work to ice a cake? like i know fondant has to be more precise because it''s smooth, so a goof is like ''HI!!! I''M MESSED UP!!!'' but would say, buttercream icing be different or no? sorry if this counts as a thread heist!

From what I learned, buttercream is a problem too...I''m having buttercream frosting. I would actually think fondant would be easier, since you just roll it out and stick it on. But I''m no expert. Besides, fondant tastes yucky.

 

[HollyS]

Maybe they''re thinking that square cake feeds more people than round cake? Charging per slice, like a lot of baker''s will do?

Had to laugh ''cause I was reminded of my DH: He WOULD NOT entertain the notion of a square cake. Or anything other than round (cylindrical or otherwise) centerpiece vases/mirrors/etc. He ''drew a line in the sand'' about the shape of any plates we might register for -- they had to be round. Round, not scalloped. Not oval, not octagonal. Very OCD -- but kinda funny too. Imagine his dismay when he realized I wanted a square-shaped diamond!

 

[Gypsy]

Go for the square hon. You deserve it. It will bug you in all the pics, for YEARS to come, otherwise.