prices

Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Lynzey Surgenor on March 9, 2010 at 6:01pm

Looks like we have the exact same prices! How do you up charge for fondant, intricate work, teirs, etc? I've had a couple requests for wedding cakes and I have no idea what to quote them!!

Deah Aldridge said:

Here's an exersize for you--

Next time you bake a cake take note of how much you spend out of pocket for ingredients, add a little for your electricity, etc and then really look at your time. Make sure your price pays fairly for your time.

How much per hour do you deserve to be paid? Would you EVER take a job making $2-3 per hour? People aren't paying for ingredients, they are paying for the workmanship and your time and talent are worth it. In the end if someone wants a grocery store cake price they need to go to the grocery store to get it. Don't feel bad about that.

FYI - Here are my base prices
2-layer 10" round, 8" square - $35
2-layer 12" round - $50
Single layer 9x13 - $35

Additional for fondant, additional layers, gumpaste, intricate work, etc.

Permalink Reply by karen on March 12, 2010 at 5:17am

thanks this is realy helpful
hugs
karen

Permalink Reply by Teneisha Williams on March 13, 2010 at 6:13pm

Tara make sure you price your cakes properly...make sure labour is covered...and if you have experiences like what I had over the past days...charge for your MENTAL STRESS!!!! and your NERVOUS BREAKDOWN!! :).....my pricing will be amended as soon as I recover!

karen said:

thanks this is realy helpful
hugs
karen

Permalink Reply by jeri c on March 15, 2010 at 2:17am

Just finished a very hectic week and mad $0 zip zilch.... but was able to make 3 people very happy so it was worth every hour of work. The first was a sweet 16 cake for a friend who is also a photographer and she was the back up photographer for our daughter's wedding last summer and would not take a dime for her time. I paid their accomodations and meals but neither of them would take anything for their services so this cake was a thank you to her. And the second was a Western Themed wedding cake with a hillbilly hot tub on the top... another I love you cake... for a coworker who just got married. Just my wedding gift to them. What did I get out of it... much gratification knowing that I made each of their days very special!
Next up... my daughter's 30th birthday cake... and Easter Cake and..... then a break till wedding season begins.

Permalink Reply by Tara Lynn MacLean on March 15, 2010 at 5:58am

You are absolutely right it's a great way to give a gift. I've done many so far as gifts and have enjoyed doing so too. My latest was my niece's birthday. She was asked what was the best part of her birthday and she replied "my cake" it made it all worthwhile.
Happy caking
Tara

jeri c said:

Just finished a very hectic week and mad $0 zip zilch.... but was able to make 3 people very happy so it was worth every hour of work. The first was a sweet 16 cake for a friend who is also a photographer and she was the back up photographer for our daughter's wedding last summer and would not take a dime for her time. I paid their accomodations and meals but neither of them would take anything for their services so this cake was a thank you to her. And the second was a Western Themed wedding cake with a hillbilly hot tub on the top... another I love you cake... for a coworker who just got married. Just my wedding gift to them. What did I get out of it... much gratification knowing that I made each of their days very special!
Next up... my daughter's 30th birthday cake... and Easter Cake and..... then a break till wedding season begins.

Permalink Reply by Angela Wright Pineda on March 15, 2010 at 12:05pm

I devised a price grid years ago. I do adjust as needed for inflation, but the basic formula remains the same. I have attached the file. The price includes all decor elements with the exception of a cake topper unless it is gumpaste flowers that I make, and are part of the design, and all disposable items.

Attachments:

• Doc1.pdf, 135 KB

Permalink Reply by Kathy Kmonk on March 17, 2010 at 1:17pm

Angela, how do you determine the different levels?

Angela Wright Pineda Kyle said:

I devised a price grid years ago. I do adjust as needed for inflation, but the basic formula remains the same. I have attached the file. The price includes all decor elements with the exception of a cake topper unless it is gumpaste flowers that I make, and are part of the design, and all disposable items.

Permalink Reply by Angela Wright Pineda on March 17, 2010 at 2:04pm

It is broken down into decor elements. Basic is something that has a border a few BC flowers, or non edible decor, or a few pre-purchased gumpaste decor, not custom made gumpaste decor. Level one has some easy side piping and/or a few more flowers/gumpaste items. Level 2 includes more ornate side piping and a few custom gumpaste elements. Level 3 includes 3d, offset architecture (topsy turvy), advanced piping styles, and/or gumpaste figures, intricate flowers, stenciling...etc. You can go to my site and click on wedding cakes and see examples of each level and icing choice.
www.cakes-divine.com

Permalink Reply by Kathy Kmonk on March 17, 2010 at 5:42pm

Thank you so much for your explaination. I will check out your site.

Permalink Reply by Jennifer Ponder on April 24, 2010 at 12:11pm

Anybody sell cake balls? May I ask what you might charge per dozen for cake balls? I've started making them with my left over cake parts & they are big hit, so I thought I might start offering them for sale, just not sure what to do for pricing. I figured up the cost of ingredients on them, just a simple cake & homemade buttercream & dipping choc & then timed 3 & come up with about $12-15 a dozen, not sure if that sound reasonable or high

Permalink Reply by mary lacy on April 26, 2010 at 2:07am

Hi Tara,
The subject may be hard to understand but the thinkin is to make money at doing a good job on cakes, it will eventually pay the bills. On average cakes no matter the size or servings is between $2.50 to $3.00 on basic cakes. For wedding cakes the price is completely different as they require more time to finish. On average $4.00 to $6.00 per serving. Keep in mind that these cakes are with buttercream icing. the price increases with fondant. Also the price increases with the difficulty of the decorations, and if using gum paste flowers you have to cover that cost or you will never make any money.

Permalink Reply by Kathy Kmonk on April 28, 2010 at 2:57pm

That sounds reasonable to me, Jennifer. They look like they are time consuming.

Jennifer Ponder said:

Anybody sell cake balls? May I ask what you might charge per dozen for cake balls? I've started making them with my left over cake parts & they are big hit, so I thought I might start offering them for sale, just not sure what to do for pricing. I figured up the cost of ingredients on them, just a simple cake & homemade buttercream & dipping choc & then timed 3 & come up with about $12-15 a dozen, not sure if that sound reasonable or high

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