Cakes for 40 plus colleagues?

michelefauk

Hi
I wonder if anyone can help me. I am leaving my job tomorrow and it is the tradition to take in cakes or other goodies when someone leaves. Some people take in scones with jam and fresh cream, strawberries and cream, that kind of treat. The trouble is there are approx 45 people to buy cakes for (I work in a primary school and the cakes are usually left in the staff room with a note saying help yourself!)

I am worried that if I go down to Asda tonight, it is going to cost me a fortune to buy that amount of cakes, even large cakes if cut into slices are going to cost a fair bit. As I also will be buying goodies for all my children in my class (28 of them !) I really need to cut the cost down, any ideas? I am happy to make cakes myself, but would it cost more to go out and buy all the stuff? I have in butter, sugar, flour, eggs but thats about it!

Any help much appreciated, thanks!

tattoed_bum

can you make lots of fairy cakes in different colours for the kids

8oz butter ,8oz flour ,8oz sugar and 4 eggs should make about 30 fairy cakes or even choc rice crispy cakes for the kids .

how about making 2 or 3 large sponge cakes put jam and cream in the middle this should cover 45 people or make 1 large square cake and then slice it ,

hope fully someone will come along in a minute with some better ideas

Phoolgrrrl

I brought in work treats for 50 ish people last week. I did sponge buns, some with hot choc in the mix and some with lemon and lime juice. Put a wee blob of icing on top and some sprinkles. Also did half a batch of twinks as a lot of people are on weight watchers. I already had everything to make them so not really sure how much it cost but def cheaper than buying them Also only took an hour cuz buns cook quicker.

Work ppl seemed to enjoy them more than bought ones too! I got lots of thank yous and they were surprised I could bake (I'm 22).

You could get tesco value sponge mix if you were in a rush.

Pippad

At my work we do the same and roughly the same number of people. We do it on our birthdays, leaving, announcements (like I'm having a baby) and anniversarys of working there!)

I will often bake a cake and some fairy cakes, but will also take in fruit as one of my friends can't eat wheat (forgotten what it is called!) and some other treats like a tin of sweets!

The idea of rice crispy cakes is a good one for the kids, add some smarties and they will be extra special! Mind you I am not a kid and I love rice cripsy cakes so maybe you could make some large adult ones? Muffin sized? Here is a link to photos of cakes I have made for work in the past!

PippaD

helping_hubby

We have a cake club at work...Flapjacks (so easy to make - oats, golden syrup, brown sugar and some marg), Rice crispy/cornflake cakes (use sains basics chocolate, and own brand crispies, they'll never know) both go down very well.

Normal sponge fairy cakes go down very well too. Make a butter icing to go on top for some sweetness. And I think it's cheap. I made mine with value self raising flour. The paper cups are very cheap. I think you'd save a lot by making it yourself and it's more thoughtful too.

With cupcakes, you can split the mixture and add cocoa to half of it for a chocolate favours. I made mint cupcakes recently. Added peppermint flavouring to the sponge mix, made a butter icing with green colouring and mint flavouring and mixed in chocolate chips...it looked like a splodge of mint choc chip icing on top!

Good luck.

juliejay

If I have to do large numbers of cakes I bake them in the roasting tins. Use the all in one method (throw everything in together) and equal amounts of all the ingredients. Just remember an average egg weighs 2oz so I would use 6oz SR flour, 6oz butter/marg, 6oz sugar and three eggs to fill my usual tin which is 7 x 11inches. But you could scale up to 8/4 if it was a big tin. Anything bigger than that and I'd make two cos the middle probably wouldnt cook. Then cover with different toppings.

White icing and coloured sprinkles is easy and always goes down well. Mix the icing with lemon juice instead of water and grate the rind on top for lemon cake. Mix the icing with lime juice and some coconut is nice then add grated lime on top for coconut and lime cake. Replace some of the flour with cocoa powder for a chocolate cake and make a chocolate topping maybe with chips (chocolate chips of course!)

Then when they are cold cut into squares or slices or lately I've been doing triangles - big squares cut diagonally. Leave them in the roasting tins to take to work. They will carry better. Also forgot to say, line tins with foil rather than paper. It works just as well but makes the tins look better!

Each of my tins makes 16 pieces. I've just sent 64 into school for DS and DD classes for the end of term. All gone!

michelefauk

Thank you all for your ideas so far, lots to think about! As well as how many tissues will I need tomorrow to get me through my goodbyes!

freyasmum

I think traybakes are the way to go

Brownies, Millionaire Shortbread, Plain Shortbread and Raspberry & Coconut Slice. Depending on the way you cut them you could get at least 48 pieces and everyone gets a choice.

Much easier, IMO, than standing mixing, filling the cases, and decorating (though I love it!!).

Good luck

Raspberry_Swirl

tray bakes and loafs are the easiest way to get lots of portions for minimum cost and effort!!!

Cakes that i have baked for work that go down well and are pretty cheap are:

carrot cake
lemon drizzle
tea loaf
chocolate cake
coffee cake

all of the above are pretty much a basic sponge recipe with 1 or 2 additional ingredients, which keeps the cost down.

poohzee

Pippad wrote: »

At my work we do the same and roughly the same number of people. We do it on our birthdays, leaving, announcements (like I'm having a baby) and anniversarys of working there!)

I will often bake a cake and some fairy cakes, but will also take in fruit as one of my friends can't eat wheat (forgotten what it is called!) and some other treats like a tin of sweets!

The idea of rice crispy cakes is a good one for the kids, add some smarties and they will be extra special! Mind you I am not a kid and I love rice cripsy cakes so maybe you could make some large adult ones? Muffin sized? Here is a link to photos of cakes I have made for work in the past!

PippaD

Your cakes look great - how do you do the icing photo ones?:T

morganlefay

Wow PippaD - what fab cakes, and I'd like to know how to make photocakes too please ?:T