I really need some help.

I need to give a quote for a 5 tiered cake that has chocolate fondant pearls around each tier.

I use Jen Dontz's recipe for the choc. clay pearls.

I have no idea how to price these. Please help!!!

Thanks,

Amy

I don't add extra--it's just the border.

Some websites sell them for $20 per 100, or something around that amount. I figure how long it takes me to make, them, but I roll them each individually so that they look right. Go ahead and make some and time yourself, then figure out what your hourly wage is and base it on that. How big are the tiers, and how big are the pearls? You'll have to figure out how many you'll need. If you use an 8mm pearl there are about 20 in 6", so use that as the guideline, then figure the circumferences of the tiers and you can figure out how many you'll need.

Geez I don't charge extra if I put them on the cake either--I just figure it's decor.

Do y'all charge the customer more for pearls??

My decorations start at $25 per tier. If it was just the pearl border I probably wouldn't charge for them (I use a bead maker)

Whether I charge "extra" or not depends on whether there are a ton of them or just enough for the borders, but it's all figured into the cost of the cake. I wouldn't do a bunch of gumpaste flowers and not charge for them, so if it takes me time to make the pearls (or anything else) I add that into the price, too.

I have a cake booked coming up, and the bride is talking about putting a lot of pearls on the bottom tier and tapering them up on each tier so that there are fewer at the top. I'm definitely charging her extra if she goes with that design, that's 4 tiers worth of pearls that have to be handmade! I don't use the pre-made nonpareils because I don't want someone to break their teeth on them, they're hard as a rock.

Lady and Czarina--oh ok yes me too.

Of course we charge more for gp flowers. Well again one or two I might toss in, but jes' depends.

I always figure what my decor time would be in terms of old fashioned 70's and 80's cakes--we rarely charged extra for all that piping.

So I can easily make a coupla gp flowers in that time or make the pearls or whatever so that's how I do that. Because so many cakes now are so plain. I mean the cake's usually gotta have a border. But cascades or bunches of flowers yes there's an additional charge.

So I'm in sync w/yahs for the most part.

i don't charge extra for borders, i really don't like to nickle and dime everything. i say charge a good base price for your cakes with basic decorations included instead of charging extra for every element on your cake. people really appreciate that and plus, its so much less confusing!

Sorry, I didn't know there were replies! I didn't get any email notifications.

Thank you all for the replies. I guess I feel like if I am charging for a buttercream cake and they want 5 tiers of white choc. fondant pearls and some fondant pearls also on the tiers that is more than a regular boarder.

If the cake was fondant, I can see in not making it an upcharge but for buttercream pricing I think it would be fair.

What do you think?

Me, I would not charge extra for that.

If it was a covering of pearls yes I would charge more but not for a scattered amount and not for the borders. But that's just me.

I'm all for everybody charging most adequately to help offset those of us who undercut so full steam ahead--charge!!!

But I would not make it an upcharge, not make it a separate additional cost.

So if you have a 100 serving cake and it's $3.50 per serving--I'd jump it to $3.70 per serving so as not to alert to the diddling with the price. So then you'd be getting $20 for pearls--or whatever figures you need.

Pearly thoughts for you.

k8memphis,

Thanks for all your help. I am a little stressed about this cake. The total number of guests will be appx 700. So I am doing the main cake to feed around 300 and then using kitchen cakes for the rest.

It is definately the largest cake I have ever done!

I have a BASE price of $3.00 per serving on buttercream. BASE price of buttercream with fondant accents (pearls, stripes, circles...) is $3.50 per serving. BASE price of an all fondant cake is $5.00 per serving.

That's a whopper for sure!

Geez I'd come help yah if we were closer--wash dishes--something.

You'll do great.

Just write you out a nice plan.

I make my boxes & boards first, Make sure everything fits in the car nice. Like I know I can get an 18x18 packing box into my car without having to tip it. I know how many of those I can fit in there.

I mean I know you know what you're doing I'm just rambling.

But I mean you run the risk of them possibly changing the size if you start too far in advance so you gotta not start too far out to make boxes n boards. Because when I start with the last things first at some point you meet yourself and you can go ahhhh. I like to plan it that way. Because at the end of the decorating and all, I have no brain left for the logistics of packing it up and getting 'er down the road.

I mean I did a 600 serving cake once and I had to make two trips in my car.

So you will do great.

Yeah charge for pearls and charge for pia factor of so much fricken cake.

Can't wait for pictures!

wow that is a lot of cake... Big ticket too I bet!!

k8memphis,

Thanks for all the tips. I will take any I can get!

I wish we were closer too but you wouldn't be washing dishes, you would be in on the action! Your cakes are awesome!