Individual Xmas Cake

gerturdeanna

I'm thinking of making individual xmas cakes and batches of mince pies to sell at car boot/ craft fairs to make some extra cash for xmas. Does anyone have any good recipies? I was also wondering how much you would pay for six homemade mince pies and an individual xmas cake?
I was thinking of selling them at £1.00 each.
Thanks

kathyd_2

I'd pay a bit more than £1 for any homemade cakes. Don't forget to add in the cost of gas/electricity when working out the cost.

cabra1

why not also buy an oblong christmas cake slab
the kind that have the icing and marzipan
on the top.cut into thick slices wrap in
cellophane,perhaps decorate with ribbon.
Sell £1 a slice theres some who
like christmas cake but not lots.Single person,
pensioners or like me the only one in the family
that eats it,so I never really want to buy a full
cake.I only like a small piece so a thick piece
I would cut into two slices.

I know its not baking but more cost effective
you could still cut up a cake this size into three
square pieces and sell them around £1.50 each
bit of cellophane & some ribbon to decorate.

kethry

gerturdeanna wrote:

I'm thinking of making individual xmas cakes and batches of mince pies to sell at car boot/ craft fairs to make some extra cash for xmas. Does anyone have any good recipies? I was also wondering how much you would pay for six homemade mince pies and an individual xmas cake?
I was thinking of selling them at £1.00 each.
Thanks

for christmas cakes: delia's traditional christmas cake is a winner. you might also like to look at her other varieties of cake for those who don't like traditional cake or fruit cake. I think the poster above who commented above on selling big slabs is onto a winner, but also, think about selling traditional cake but without the icing/marzipan, you can decorate with glace fruits and nuts with a glaze on top which look lovely. I'd also make some bigger cakes, might be worth selling those too.

for mince pies (I'm not delia, honestly): delia's, again, with delia's mincemeat.. the ONE difference i would make - and this will put the price up but it's worth it: in the pastry, instead of using water to bind the pastry, use a mix of OJ and rum, and put orange zest and mixed spice in the pastry before you bind it with the OJ/rum mix. it really is worth it, gives a lovely light, crispy pastry.

i would also decorate in a number of ways: closed pies (with steam holes), lattice, a star or some other decoration, or a closed pie with the steam hole being a star cut into it.. some people like to have a selection of different patterns on a plate when they're entertaining

finally, if you really want to draw the crowds in: see if you can find some way to warm your mince pies, especially on a COLD sunday, you would probably sell an awful lot just from people wanting some to eat there and then (and the gorgeous smell will help a lot), plus, if you're good, they'll take one bite of a warmed pie (with maybe some brandy butter/cream/icingsugar) and decide they want a box of 6/12/18/36 (lol) to take home..

damn, i should do this myself.. LOL... anyway, recipes i've mentioned are all on the net, and google should find em.

good luck - and let us know how you get on!

keth
xx

kethry

p.s. if you make it over to the smithfield market in east manchester.. i wanna know so i can pop over and try some!!!

gerturdeanna

Thanks for all your advice!!! There are a few table top sales/car boots etc coming up over the next couple of weeks so am just about to get busy baking!!!
PS Kethry I will mainly be in Radcliffe and Bury (more North Manchester)

gerturdeanna

One thing I've just thought about..the legality of selling homemade produce. Would you not need Health qualifactions etc

In_Search_Of_Me

can I just say, habing brought ingredients for 4 christmas cakes (delias classic recipe) that by the time you've iced, decorated & wrapped I'm not sure you make any money - definately not if you sell for £1...not trying to be unhelpful but by the time I'd got my tins etc it cost over 50! Just done want to to go to all that effrt & loose money! Also need to check re regulations as OP said - I've got a feeling the counci have to check your kitchen if you're selling food! sorry....

bluenose1

Tesco's sell individual tiny ones for £1.03.
They looked cute but were tiny.