The Scariest Parts of the Holiday Rush , and How to Survive Them Without Turning into a Zombie
Hello, my sweet friends, I hope this holiday season is busy with many orders, filled with
creativity and profit, and hopefully not too stressful.
I love the Autumn-Winter transition, and it is my most Creative season and my busiest
one.
As cake decorators, we know the leaves are falling, the pumpkins are out, and you can
smell the chaos in the air that we promise to avoid every year.
You know what that
means: the unholy trinity of holidays is upon us: Halloween, Thanksgiving, and
Christmas. In the cake world, this isn’t just “the most wonderful time of the year.” It’s
also the most exhausting, sugar-fueled, and schedule-devouring.
If cake decorators had a horror movie, it wouldn’t be Scream or The Exorcist — it
would be called The Return of the Last-Minute Client. And instead of a creepy
soundtrack, it would feature the sound of your phone pinging at 11:47 PM: “Hey, could
you make a three-tier cake… for tomorrow?”
But fear not (or at least fear less). Let’s take a sarcastically honest look at the scariest
parts of the holiday rush and how to survive them without losing your mind or your
mixer.
The “Scary” Truths About Busy Season
Let’s be honest, if you’ve been in the cake game for more than five minutes, you
already know the holiday truth bomb: you want to sell all the cakes, all the treats,
and make enough profit to carry you through January’s slow season. But you also
dream of sipping cocoa with your family, maybe even baking a cute batch of
Halloween cookies for the neighbors. Sounds adorable, right?
Except… reality check: between orders, admin, and frosting-induced meltdowns, the closest you’ll
get is eating leftover cookie dough at midnight while answering client messages.
Here are some of those “ Scary” truths
1. Overbooking Like a Hungry Vampire at a Blood Bank
You say yes to everything because of money. And then you remember you also need
sleep, food, and possibly some interaction with other humans.
2. The Last-Minute Order Ghost
They vanish all year, then suddenly reappear when they “just remembered” their kid’s
party is this weekend. Spoiler: they’re going to ask for “simple” but send you a
Pinterest photo of a six-tier showstopper.
3. The Great Ingredient Shortage
It’s 10 PM. You’re knee-deep in buttercream. You realize you’re out of butter. Cue the
desperate texts to every baker friend you know.
4. Pricing Panic
Nothing says “holiday spirit” like realizing you just undercharged for a cake that took
12 hours and a part of your soul.
5. The Pre-Christmas Burnout Curse
You’ve made hundreds of cakes and cookies for other people’s celebrations, and you
can’t even look at a gingerbread man without wanting to cry.
But not all is lost, like in the movies, there is always a hero to save the holiday!
Here are 5 Quick Fixes for Surviving the Holiday Rush
Cap Your Orders:
Decide your maximum order capacity before the season
starts, and don’t compromise for anyone, not even for your cousin’s
neighbor’s friend.
Create a Holiday Menu:
Fewer designs and flavors equal fewer headaches.
Keep it festive but simple.
Batch Everything:
Bake, decorate, and answer messages in batches to avoid
bouncing between tasks like a caffeinated elf.
Prep Your Supplies Early:
Stock up on ingredients and packaging now. Trust
me, you do not want to be in the butter aisle the day before Christmas Eve.
Set Boundaries with Clients:
No urgent orders. No midnight pickups. Your
kitchen, your rules.
However, you know me. With me, everything is about strategizing and Time
Management, so as my pre-Christmas gift here is a long-term fix you can apply for next
year and avoid or even end the chaos forever!
If you want to stop reliving this nightmare every holiday season, build systems and
processes now. Templates for quotes, automated order forms, a clear pricing guide, and a repeatable
production schedule will save your sanity. Next year, you’ll be sipping hot chocolate
while your perfectly planned calendar hums along without drama.
So my sweet friend, the holiday rush doesn’t have to be a horror movie. With the
right planning, it can be, well, maybe not calm, but at least controlled chaos. And that’s
enough to let you enjoy your own Halloween, Thanksgiving, or Christmas cookies
without collapsing in the frosting.
Before you drown in buttercream and candy canes, pop in your earbuds and join me
on my podcast this holiday season! I’ve got more tips, plus downloadable PDFs to help
you wrangle your holiday workload before it turns into a fright fest.
For now, have a wonderfully spooky Halloween, a joyful (and organized) Christmas,
and let’s meet back here next year for more cake business management tips, because
the only thing we want scary in your bakery is the Halloween cupcakes. 🎃