27 Replies

It depends. I find that if it is something that I am excited to try out I start early and plan things out. If it’s something that I’m not too keen on, I tend to procastinate.

I’m with you on this one. I really try my best to plan my work out so I’m not hot-footing it in the days leading up to a big cake, but invariably I leave most things to the last minute. I’m getting better at forcing myself to get stuff done earlier rather than later, but like you, my best work is always done under pressure…

I’m a terrible procrastinator! Every time I tell myself I’m going to get things done early and every time I end up rushing around last minute. But like you I work well under pressure! I’m just glad to know I’m not the only one out there!!!

Er… I am a procrastinator when it comes to posting or sharing my finished cakes? Lol!

But I enjoy making sugar figurines so much that I start almost immediately after the client confirms on the cake.

No matter how much time I think it will take, because I get so wrapped up in the detail it always takes longer.
I always seam to get my orders done by the skin of my teeth too…..lol :-)

Ellie you took the words right out of my mouth…lol I’m a terrible procrastinator to! Every time I tell myself I’m going to get things done early… but some how every time I end up rushing around last minute. But I really work mutch better under pressure! I’m very glad to know I’m not the only one out there!!! LOL

I am the complete opposite – I plan too far ahead – especially the figures I will be using on a cake – so I end up getting anxious waiting to use them – LOL! Like Karen, I get very wrapped up in the details of the cake and it ALWAYS takes me twice as long to finish the cake!

for sure haha!! :) xx

I’m with Pauline – I love making figures and toppers but
tend to be a bit slow getting on with the actual cake!

Usually am a procrastinator. I always leave things to the last minute and then have a week’s late nights in order to get everything done on time, instead of getting an early start and preparing. But that is just me and I am never going to change.

Iam…my best work is done a few hours before delivery time… ;-)

I guess we’re all guilty of proscrastinating in one way or another. At least one element from every reponse on this topic applies to me—I am not kidding. No matter how much planning ahead/procrastinating/preparing I do, I always find myself rushing to the very last minute.

Hi Whitecrafty, I’m naturally a procrastinator at heart also. But as much as I love to put things off, I hate stress even more. So by telling myself if I get cake orders finished early, I’ll enjoy my work much more and have plenty of time to fix disasters, I’ve gradually overcome my procrastination habit. Now if only I could apply that great attitude to other areas of my life….!

Procrastinator here,I also do my best work under pressure,every day that is !

Guess there must be something special about “pressure”……. seems to bring out the best in most of us – cake decorators. Hmmh, must be the adrenaline it generates, can be quite addictive – LOL !

I ALWAYS ALWAYS wait till the last minute with EVERYTHING!! I’m in school working on my bachelors degree, last semester I waited until the night before to write an 8 page paper… I got an A. I do the same with cakes. I guess it’s a good thing I bake for family and friends. My fiance’s daughter’s birthday is tomorrow, we are celebrating tonight and needless to say, I just finished her cake. She loves it.

I too do my best work under pressure.. Few weeks ago I actually dropped a cake 1 day before due for pick up!!!! OH MY … did I have to put some hours in to have a complete new cake made xxx and it was a Hand painted bag cake! xx

Not really a procrastinator on purpose but sometimes I feel like I’m cramming a full time job of cake decorating into part time hours – with cake orders back to back every weekend I find myself rushing to complete every cake and I never quite feel like my cakes are truly finished… simply because time is up!

Ugh…I am EXACTLY the same and hate myself for it….I leave everything right up to the last knockings..I don’t think I’ve ever been early for anything!! :)

Totally! Faff far too much :)

I love this post Toni!!Great topic! :) xx

Definitely a procrastinator! I’m more focused under pressure.

I’m a terrible procrastinator no mater how often I say I’m going to start earlier or even do start earlier I still find myself against the clock in the end and under lots of pressure, think it must be something about caking being under pressure brings out your best work lol x

Absolutely. Me too! I work extremely well under pressure! It brings out the best in me. If I have too much time for a cake, I tend to be sloppy as I think that I have all the time in the world!

I also plan, especially if I have cakes I’ve never done before, but I tend to relax with cakes I know exactly what to do. It actually bores me to death.

I am really a procrastinator. I have a lovely calender drawn up to allow me at least 7 days per cake but do i listen to all my google calender updates and warnings and my personal calender – oh no. How many times I find myself busy at midnight with something I could have done 3 days ago

I normally try to get my cakes done quite quickly, I love to decorate cakes but the tedious repetition of sugar flowers for a big wedding cake can sometimes drive you insane, but, the end result is worth it. If I know I have a lot to do I make sure I have everything done way before it needs to be, that way I can just concentrate on the baking closer to the time the cake is due.

When i’m making a cake for my family, I literally will make it up as I go along, and, it always turn out better than a planned cake, you’d think it would be the opposite.

I also do my best work when under pressure, I love the challenge of creating something new (even though it can take me forever to come up with a design sometimes)

Procrastinator to the extreme over here…..but this the only time I’ll admit it! lol I will do everything but what I should be doing, then I’m scrambling at the last minute and I try to play catch up and end up working until the wee hours on projects. I do agree with some though, that there are some projects that I get excited for that I’ll do in a timely manner. but most of it is just being distracted with so many other things. I think back in April I vowed to get “caught up” on Cakes Décor and I believe that is where you will see my last cake post…I am months behind posting cakes on here and Facebook that I’m now working backwards. Who does that? Anyways, I figure it will get done when it gets done. Like tonight for instance I knew I had to bring the dessert to my sister’s for tomorrow. But I didn’t actually bake the cake until 6:30pm…then after it cooled, cut filled, and masked ever so lightly with the little bit of buttercream left ( I was too lazy to make more), then I covered in fondant- came up with a plan/design on the fly of how I wanted to decorate it. (Thank God I have some gumpaste flowers kicking around) and I think I made the coolest vintage pumpkin cake in record time. My love it actually and it’s probably one of the fastest cakes I’ve made). I think I’ll start by posting it here tomorrow! (let’s see if I procrastinate?!) So procrastinator or not…I do still meet all my deadlines..just with a few more grey hairs and a lot less sleep… C’est la vie!