I am trying to price my first wedding cake (14;10;6) all in cream cheese (no fondant). I looked at the recipes, and counted how much flower, eggs, etc, and I am going nuts...BAD in math - I know you can't help me with the math (even teacher couldn't). So is there general rule of pricing, like example $3.5 per slice of BC, etc??? Matrix doesn't work for me - to difficult. I am BAAAAD!!

Okay...Earlene Moores chart say a 14 inch will feed 65 and a 10 inch feeds 30 and a 6 inch feeds 8.That is a total of 103.I charge $3.00 per serving for Basic Buttercream so I would charge a bit extra for the cream cheese.So that would be 103 servings x $3.00 is $309.00 plus extra for the cream cheese plus extra for the support systems..plates,pillars etc...plus extra for flowers etc...The base price would be $309.00 and go up from there depending on the design.I would probably charge about $420.00 basic...more if they wanted gumpaste flowers and a more inticate design.

These are double yaers also...

all this charges includes the cost of ingredient and the work, right??

I can't use any of the matrix's on here either (and man, I can tell I'm old, because "in my day", they were called spreadsheets. A matrix is a science fiction movie! ). When I plugged in the numbers, the bottom line number was half of what I normally sell my cakes for.

Remember that the ingredients is the LEAST of your expenses when figuring cost. We work in an industry in which labor is the biggest expense. And most people who try to figure pricing seem to think if they dont' write a check for it, then it's not part of the cost of the cake. Bad. Very bad thinking.

Another big factor is your area. Calif pricing is way different than Iowa or New York, or Georgia pricing. If you underprice your cakes, it's like comparables in the housing market .... you devalue EVERYONE else's house, uh, I mean cake.

Thank you everyone for your advice. Still getting nuts, but at least have idea of the cost.

totally agree with indy...the cost of the actual ingredients are a small percentage of the overall cake's worth. that being said i *know* i undervalue my cakes and i have started doing the same thing - trying to figure out a reasonable cost per serving.

crystalina1977
I see you are from CA, may I ask how much would you charge per serving, base charge of BC cake, no fondant???

Have you thought of calling a local bakery and asking them how much the cake would be. Just pretend you want it for yourself. Then you will know if you are charging the right amount.

ZlatkaT
I just wanted to tell you that the cookie avatar that you have crack me the hell up. It look like .... hug me please......

Yap, I am pretty proud of this one (cookie), my own design (not "stolen")

oh gosh you dont want to ask me that....i'm horrible. i just sold two 12" cakes, iced with buttercream, one filled with chocolate mousse, one filled with homemade lemon curd, custom toppers (eagle scout cakes in my pics) for $60 each.

that's what prompted me to start looking at how i should price per serving...and to avoid hearing my husband fuss at me about how i don't charge enough. so...i am trying to start off with something similar to 1.50 per serving for buttercream. **which i know is not enough and i am bringing down the value of the whole cake neighborhood**. and then more like 2.50 for fondant. now i just have to figure out some kind of formula for fillings...

since i am still learning things i take each opportunity as a chance to learn and practice and experiment so that might be why i dont charge what i should, because i am getting something out of it too. i dont know.

looks like we are together in one boat. I am cheap, because I want to get any opportunity to do cake and learn. My very big problem is that I am thinking the same way as consumers do, I probably won't spent that much money for a cake, cookies etc. So far I am having fun, and it gives me something to do as stay at home Mom. Who know what future will bring

yes, it sounds like we are in the same boat =)

Ouch, ouch...I know I deserve this....and if I tell you, what I did, you will really come and smack me I had one customer, who backed up from order, and I went back to her bagging for the cake order, and did it for her just for ingredient cost. I just feel like I need to practice, and need every opportunity...

alright, I am going to check the practice icing right now. No more smacking, I am all bruised. I am going to pour some vine for myself and get thinking
THANK YOU EVERYONE, I can see strait now

What is Toba Garrett's practice icing, googled, but came up with nothing!

..........would like to share it with you but I don't know the actual legal ramifications for posting a recipe found in a published book. Does anyone know? Is it allowed?.......

Legally........NO.
You can share it e-mail or pm

I'm in the same situation y'all are in! I live in "small town" MS without any bakeries or cake shops. The nearest one is 30 miles away and they charge $3.00 per slice for wedding cakes. I charge $2.00, and I hear a pause when I tell people how much their cake will be then it sounds like they are trying to pick themselves off the floor. I've lost several because of that price, but I won't go any lower!! I actually would like to go a little higher because that's alot of work and time put into wedding cakes (& tiered cakes), but I'm afraid if I do it'll hurt me too bad.

Indydebi~The $3.50 you charge, is that for all your cakes (sheet and tiered) or just wedding?

I read several sites that list the basic white wilton recipe as practice icing. That is what I use, but with a little extra flavorings and people LOVE it. I think it's weird, I hate myself, always scrape it off, or knock cake on side and eat up to it, THEN STOP!! UGH!! Can anyone recommend a winter white recipe that works the same or better, is as cheap or close to it, and tastes better. Maybe that doesn't coat the tongue and give you yuck-mouth? I think it may be too much to ask.....Is this hijacking?

Okay, I solved the problem with the question of the decorator's recipe for practice icing: it's all shortening. Here is a recipe I found online:

Professional Cake-Decorators' Icing
2 boxes (2 lbs.) powdered (confectioner's) sugar 1/4 c water 3/4 c shortening 2 t flavoring color as desired

Mix and fill pastry bag(s).

To make bags more cooperative, fold down the top of the "sleeve" and set the bag, tip down, in a glass or cup to support the bag.

This was found at the following website:
http://www.marthabeth.com/icings.html

I think that solves the legal issues since it is already posted on the web.

Since it is all shortening you won't have to refrigerate it.

Now go practice, practice, practice

Ok...I think it's time to order HiRatio!!! I just got out a new tub of my "GV" shortening and I noticed it looked different and was very strong smelling. I thought it might be out of date, I looked and it had a year left. I looked at the ingredients and to my horror...NO TRANS FAT!!!!

I just bought and went through several tubs last week they had trans fat, I stocked up on new for this week and no trans fat! I hope my cakes turn out ok for this weekend until I can get some ordered.

That's probably what it was, no trans fat. I've used the Great Value for a long time and it's always had 2.5g of trans fat. Now, the new I just bought has 0, and it smells and is off white.

Maybe it'll be ok. That's why I stopped using Crisco, when it went no trans fat it wouldn't stick to my cake well.

When I switched to the GV it was because it felt like I threw a handful of sand into my icing. It was clogging my tip as well. I'd go to pipe a rose and a clod would lodge somewhere in it and I'd have a mess, and have to go for a tooth pick. When I would smooth the sides I would have tracks in it from dragging hard bits through the icing with the spatula. Not to mention they would really look like poop when I colored the icing and the bits of slag would be white still......I LOVE TRANS FAT!! BRING IT BACK!! More and more government regulation....grumble...grumble.....

My first Rant!!