In a first-person essay published by TwistedSifter, an anonymous engineering consultant who bakes as a hobby argues that setting high commission rates is the only effective way to stop family members and acquaintances from demanding free custom cakes.
The author works full-time in engineering consulting, where she earns more money than she would baking, but she previously enjoyed surprising friends with desserts when her schedule allowed. However, as more people began asking for custom designs and questioning her refusals, she introduced a strict pricing structure to deter unwanted requests. Her rates include the cost of ingredients, a base hourly rate of $150 with a three-hour minimum, and an hourly rate of $250 for deadlines under 48 hours.
Most acquaintances decline immediately upon hearing about a commission, but two family members recently challenged her prices.
Her Aunt Jess approached her at Christmas to request a cake for a friend’s party and reacted angrily to the cost.
“[She] got really rude, saying that my cakes were nowhere near that good to charge that much and that she could get better at the bakery,” she told TwistedSifter.
When the author suggested she visit a bakery, her aunt complained that she did not want a chain store-bought cake.
The author then pointed out non-chain bakeries in a nearby city, prompting the aunt to argue that the prices were absurd.
A cousin also requested a custom cake for her child’s birthday party and called the rates horrible.
“[She] wanted one of my custom designs,” she told TwistedSifter.
The author replied that custom work was overkill for a child’s party, while her cousin accused her of taking advantage.
How the pricing model reflects opportunity costs
The pricing model is intentionally designed to reflect the opportunity cost of abandoning engineering work for a full day of baking. Because the author prefers to bake spontaneously without the pressure of strict expectations, she established financial barriers that make special requests financially comparable to her professional salary.
Most prospective clients abandon their requests before hearing the exact figures once they learn that custom baking now involves a formal commission structure. The author maintains that those who genuinely need a custom dessert can utilize professional bakeries instead of expecting free labor from a hobbyist.
Why the baker charges different hourly rates
Why does the hobbyist baker charge $150 per hour?
She sets her base hourly rate at $150 to match what she could earn by picking up extra hours at her full-time job as an engineering consultant.
What happens to the hourly rate for urgent orders?
If a client requests a cake with a deadline under 48 hours, her hourly rate increases to $250.
Where did the original essay appear?
The essay detailing the family disputes over custom cake prices was published by TwistedSifter.
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