A friend of mine wants me to make these mini cake blocks. I figure I'll make each block 4x4 inches. Its 9 blocks so I'm guessing about 4 servings per block. So a total of 36 serving, does that sound right to you guys?
How much would you guys charge for this ?
It looks like alot of work, I would have to bake a sheet cake and cut out all of the pieces.
I'd say approx 36 servings sounds right. I'd charge about $125-$150 because it will be a pain and time consuming.
There are 4" square pans out there, but unless you plan on doing this frequently, at $9 each you probably wouldn't want to invest the money in buying as many as you'd need to bake a full batch of mix all at once.
http://www.countrykitchensa.com/catalog/product.aspx?T=1&ShopId=38&CatId=536&SubCatId=986&productId=632575
Baby blocks are so deceptively time consuming and challenging.
http://forums.egullet.org/index.php?showtopic=119019&hl=block
I think each 4" block will make 8 servings.
I would change $5- $6 a serving because on these you are only decorating two or three of five possible surfaces.
Here's an idea for you--just make one as a test and see how it does for you. If you can do it fast & easy, smile and have fun then charge low.
If after you do one, you see it as each one is a sculpture requiring as much expertise as any other sculpture then price higher.
They seem so simple.
Baby block thoughts for you.
I would change $5- $6 a serving because on these you are only decorating two or three of five possible surfaces.
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Why do you say you only decorate 2 or 3 sides? to me it looks like ea block is totally decorated?
EDITED TO ADD oh ok, sorry didnt think about the the difference between iced and decorated 
a bit of a blonde moment 
The sides that are facing eachother can be iced and left blank. Only the tops and the sides that show outward really need to have anything on them (besides icing) as they are the only ones you can really see. And k8memphis is right, you'll get 8 1x2x4 servings. I tend to count servings larger as my experience is that people tend to take larger servings than what the charts show (as a result, I charge more per serving, if that makes sense). So by my count, you get 4 2x2x4 servings. It really depends on how big you cut your servings.
The sides that are facing eachother can be iced and left blank. Only the tops and the sides that show outward really need to have anything on them (besides icing) as they are the only ones you can really see. And k8memphis is right, you'll get 8 1x2x4 servings. I tend to count servings larger as my experience is that people tend to take larger servings than what the charts show (as a result, I charge more per serving, if that makes sense). So by my count, you get 4 2x2x4 servings. It really depends on how big you cut your servings.
Ok wait wait wait. At your quote of $150 and 36 servings (the larger ones) you are charging $4.10 per serving. You consider that more money to cover a larger serving? Well I guess if we charge like $3 for a wedding serving but those are half the size smaller--ooh help my brain is on fire. Can't do math. Aghhh...
I finally got my entire (book)store on Quickbooks all caught up yesterday and my brain is toast for numbers and cyphering as Jethro would say (from Beverly HillBilly's). Accounting is not my forte. grr
So anyway--all mathematics aside--here's my sage and never ending advice--
When in doubt, charge More, Kids and Fellow Cakers of The World,
the bakery you save could be your own.
8 cubic inches is a typical serving of cake. a 1x2x4 or a 2x2x2 is 8 cubic inches. a 4x4x4 cake will yield 8 servings.... 64 cubic inches per cake divided by 8 cubic inches is 8 servings....math person here...LOL!
8 servings from each 4x4x4 block? that seems like the size would be so small. I have serving size issues.
The good news is that square cakes are easy to "do the math". Let me see if I can help illustrate it.
The standard servings size is 1x2x4. Here is a pic of a 1x2x4 piece of cake .... a nice dessert size: http://www.cakecentral.com/modules.php?name=gallery&file=displayimage&pid=1156785
To cut the 4x4x4" blocks into 1x2x4 inch pieces, you would cut the block in half (now you have two pieces of cake that are 4 inches tall, 4 inches long and 2 inches wide).
Cut each of those halves into 1" slices .... so you will cut each 2" wide rectangle into 4 slices.
Do that to both of them and you have 8 nice dessert-size slices of cake.
People hear "one inch" and they tend to think "paper thin". As you can see from the photo, it's not.
I cut my wedding cakes this size and FREQUENTLY have people ask me to cut them a smaller piece.
Absolutely, a 4 X 4 block cake serves 8. No question. I charge $3 per serving, so each one of those little things is $24. And I use an 8" square pan. Each pan makes two blocks. Tha's another math thing. lol
And they are a total PITA, so if this isn't a gift, CHARGE.
Thank you indydebi I needed a visual picture. So I've been making all my cakes with the wrong serving sizes, I'm such a dork. On paper it looks so small, and I'm always worried there wont be enough cake (thats my nightmare). I have been useing Earlenes guide , but I guess thats to big.
Anyway it seems I'm not gonna make the cakes anymore. I told her $140 when I thought it was 36 servings and she decided her other friend is gonna take care of the cake.
I can just imagine what she would say if I told her they would feed 72 people and would cost around $215. lol
I dont know why everyone thinks I'll do stuff for free
Yes .... You're ready for Final Jeopardy!! 8 cubic inches is a typical serving of cake. a 1x2x4 or a 2x2x2 is 8 cubic inches. a 4x4x4 cake will yield 8 servings.... 64 cubic inches per cake divided by 8 cubic inches is 8 servings....math person here...LOL!
thanks so much.. i was just trying to figure out this same scenario (different sized cake though) at work yesterday....none of the guys could figure it out 
can you apply this same formula to round cakes?
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