You should definitely, without a doubt, charge for flowers and figures, otherwise you’re just spinning your wheels. Detail work is where the money is and it takes too much patience, hard work and skill to do it for free. Clients should expect to pay for it granted that it’s quality work. I do, however, throw in small things that take me ten minutes to make like ribbon roses because I want the cake to look its best, regardless of the budget. I would trade that Wilton turntable in for an Ateco with a cast iron base. Wilton also makes one. It will make your life so much easier and your work more professional-looking. There’s just no comparison. Also, keep practicing! You can learn so much from trial and error. I’m fairly new to the cake world myself and by no means am I an expert, having only sold my first cake about 15 months ago. I’m entirely self-taught in that I didn’t take any classes but there is a wealth of knowledge to be learned online through youtube.com, cakesdecor.com, cakecentral.com and even Facebook. Look at some of your favorite cakes on this site and find the bakery’s Facebook page. Most of them post tutorials and are very forthcoming with tricks and techniques to help you. Good luck!
