Have a question.... how do you all price things when someone wants a wedding cake (3-tier, stack, 12, 10, 8in) with a sheet cake on the side (sheet cake won't be on the cake table - it'll stay in the kitchen)? I know the sheet cake still needs ingredients, frosting, and work... but it's not as difficult as the wedding cake.

So.... do you charge less per serving for the sheet cake vs the wedding cake? The wedding cake will definitely be a little more time consuming to decorate......just wanted some ideas! Thanks!!!

I charge 30.00 for a 1/2 sheet cake to accompany a wedding cake. You still have your time and ingredients in it and utilities and eggs aren't gettin any cheaper!!

How does that work out per serving compared to your per serving price for a wedding cake (just a base wedding cake price)?

You're right about the eggs!

I do not charge less for a sheet cake for a wedding.

1) Sheet cake pricing does not include delivery, so if they want me to bring the sheet cake with me, they are paying the "with delivery" price-per-serving.

2) They are getting the same amount of cake, no matter what pan I bake it in.

3) It is not faster for me to do a sheet cake than a wedding cake. If the wedding cake is "iced with a ribbon around the border" that is so simple, it can be done in minutes .... just like a sheet cake.

4) Sheet cakes are MORE work for me. Here's why:

Let's assume they are planning a wedding for 150 guests.
She wants a tiered cake for 100 and sheet cake for 50.

A tiered for 100 is a 14/10/6. Sheet for 50 is at least one 12x18.
A tiered for 150 is a 16/12/8.

I can bake the 16/12/8 in about the same time as the 14/10/6.
Decorating time for both is about the same.

So with the 14/10/6 option, I NOW have to ALSO bake a sheet cake, plus buy another cardboard, plus a box to transport it in, plus it takes up more room in the delivery vehicle (and when I do caterings, this CAN cause me to have to take two vehicles, which is double gas and double wear and tear).

And the bride is suppose to get this cake cheaper WHY??????

When I explain this to brides (and they are always SHOCKED when I get to the "sheet cakes are more work for me" part), they forget about the sheet cake thing and just go with the grander cake.

I also explain to them, "Now if you're getting your cake from a place that bakes a big surplus and throws them in the freezer for a year, then pulls one out and slaps some icing on it for you, then yes, you MIGHT be able to get it cheaper there. But I dont' make your cakes a year in advance."

Hmmmm ... now that is an interesting way to look at it. Hadn't thought of it that way.

I was guessing that the ingredient cost and time baking would be about the same (compared with no sheet cake & bigger wedding cake). But... I was figuring that the decorating time would be less - as the sheet cake will just be plainly decorated with BC.

The wedding cake will have some beading and scrollwork (not difficult, but more time consuming than the sheet cake). The wedding cake will have more time invested in it trying to make it look as perfect as possible, whereas, the sheet cake will just be a quickie.

I was just thinking that the per serving price would be less because there wouldn't be as much time spent decorating.

I charge 1.50/serv. tiered cakes and 1.00/serv. sheet cakes. IMO there is less stress, and time decorating a sheet cake (w/border, no flowers or other decorations) therefore a lower price.

Val

I'm with Deb on this one--sheet cakes are still cake and work, and they're still buying dessert for their wedding reception guests. I learned the hard way how MUCH work twice this summer by doing two and three giant sheet cakes to accompany two different weddings ON THE SAME WEEKEND, all heavily decorated (see my pics...don't know how I survived that weekend!).

I differ only slightly in that I charge my sheets $0.50 cents less per serving than my wedding cakes, and this is ONLY because they are two layers of cake with one layer of filling (still, they are 4-1/2" deep), whereas my wedding cakes are 4 cake/3 filling layers in each tier.

My wedding cakes start at $3.50 and sheets are $3.00, but at that price I only say they will be "lightly decorated" to match the bride's cake, not as heavily decorated as the ones I turned out for those two brides this summer! What a lot of work!! (and boards, ribbon, boxes, fridge and car space, and trips up the stairs to deliver!)

Definitely don't undercut yourself on the cost of your sheet cakes!!! You'll be the only one losing out. I only do filled kitchen cakes for the sheer fact that I've been that guest who gets that scrawny piece of sheet cake that's half of a wilton sized slice. Gosh darn it, I want something to wash down that dried out rice and rubber chicken they just fed to me so I refuse to do flat sheet cakes.

O.k. what I do on the pricing end... $3.00 base price (I know WAY too low given my slice size average) for the main cake up to what can realistically be made without creating a monster sized cake which I have to haul in without any help), then I do $2.50/serving for the remaining servings of kitchen cakes. My average slice size factors into things bigtime. I also will only rough-ice the kitchen cakes so there is no smoothing time (total decorating time for a 14" square is 30 minutes (15 for the crumb coat/leveling, then 15 for the top coat). Yes, it saves time doing it this way, but there is still the cost of ingredients.