I have a colleague who wants a half sheet with raspberry filling and an edible image on top.

Since it's filled, I was thinking 2 layer cake instead of torting, because it's so blinkin' large and torting something that big is generally a pain in my keister.

My normal prices are $3/serving, but this is a sheet cake with an edible image and a border. No big deal. So how would you advise I price it? Based on Cake Boss, my ingredients are going to be $82 with the box and board and edible image. It's for a stateside reception after an overseas wedding.

Thanks, and sorry for yet another pricing question.

$82 for the ingredients and the boxes and boards? Whoa! That's a lot for a sheet cake! You're going to have to charge what you have to charge so that you make a profit!

That must be a typo, or is this cake sealed in expensive chocolate and coated in lusture dust or something? Woah.

Regardless, charge so you make a profit.

I'd have to agree with Cylstrial, $82 seems like quite a bit for just the ingredients, boxes and boards, not to mention a lot for half sheet. It would also matter too if you plan on using fresh berries, I know I'd charge more for fresh rather than just "flavored" buttercream filling. I'm sure your cake would taste better then any store bought cake, so I guess if they're okay with paying $3/serving, then that's what I would charge to make any kind of profit.

My chocolate cake recipe would be $44.88 plus the filling, which would be $6.50, plus frosting which costs about $10-12 for this size. Then a half sheet board and box plus foil for the board and the edible image (which is $9). You're right, I mis-added somewhere, but only by $6.

I'm cringing, too. But it is 2 layers with filling......

When you say "half sheet" what size do you mean in inches?

I also am shocked by "your cost" for the supplies and ingredients. I'm an all scratch baker, I do buy wholesale however so that's probably why I'm shocked at your price. WOW!! I wouldn't make any money if I had to pay those prices for ingredients.

At first I thought maybe you were in Canada and that was Canadian money quoted.

My half sheet pan in 12x18 in. I buy most of my stuff from GFS (cake flour at ~15/50lbs vanilla extract...can't remember now how much per pint and 25lb boxes powdered sugar), sugar, coffee creamer and butter at Sams, but my eggs come from a local farm. More expensive but I hate factory farms. My cocoa powder is Callebaut....can't offhand remember the price. I think my cake box for half sheet is $1.50 or so, and my husband cuts me a masonite board for them since they are so big. I like something more stable if it's 2 layers. I use Sugarshack's frosting recipe.

Where do you get your stuff?

I'm fortunate to have a baker's wholesaler about 15 minutes from me.

Maybe if you don't fill the pan as much as you would normally (since you're not torting) then you won't need as much batter/ingredients.

If you bake 2 separate layers they really don't need to be 2" high, this could save you some money.

My cost (including utilities) are about $1 to $1.50 per serving depending on flavor.

Yah, that sounds incredibly high. Are you breaking down the prices on the baking conversion sheet first before you put it into CakeBoss? I know when I first got it, I was putting the ingredients in and not realizing that it wasnt breaking it down for lets say a half cup of something but pricing it like I was using the entire container. So once I converted and plugged the recipe into Cakeboss with the correct number, it was a lot better.

Yes, I have everything in cake boss properly.

I figure if I cut this 2 layer half sheet into 1x2in pieces, just like a wedding cake, it will serve 108. That makes my cost per serving 70.2 cents. (Not including electricity, though). Of course, if they cut it like they would a single layer sheet cake, then it's twice that as the piece would be 2x2in square. I did ask her how many people she needs to feed. I thought I would suggest a quarter sheet if she only needs to feed 50.

I agree with the other posters. That price sounds extremely high especially with you buying in bulk. Is the +/-$82 for just one recipe of your chocolate cake or two?

You have a couple of choices:

You can torte the half sheet cake to put in the filling which would bring the cost of your materials down or You can make two small halfs e.g. 2 1" cakes and eliminate your torting issue.

If you make two separate 2" 12X18s and put one on the top, you should price it as you would a full sheet cake with extra for the edible image and filling.

It is for two 2" thick 12x18" chocolate cakes with filling between and an edible image on top. If I could get some ideas what you guys would charge for something like this, it would help me think. This is making my head hurt. I spent so much time inputting that info into Cake Boss....I follow The Cake Bible's charts.....I see quarter sheets decorated with airbrushing and sprinkles at Wal Mart for $12. So frankly I'm at a loss as to what is reasonable for what is being ordered.

She did say that if we are cutting it like a 2 layer wedding cake, ie 1x2in squares (not a single layer sheet ie, 2x2" squares) then 50 servings would be plenty....so I'm thinking she only needs a quarter sheet now. But I still would appreciate some ballpark figures from you guys. If something is decorated, then I have no problem quoting price. But with an edible image I almost feel guilty charging her at all.

My costs per serving usually come in right under $1.00 so I'm not seeing this as an outrageous cost for cake, filling, frosting, board, and box for 108 servings. You might consider coming down a little off your $3.00/serving for the simplicity of it, but not much. $2.50, maybe. It's a lot of work to bake and torte and fill a big sheet like that.

I did a cake for a lady that was similar to this I charged her the 3.50 per slice which is my norm and only upcharged her the cost of the image which was $8.00. The cake was 9x13

What chocolate cake recipe are you using? What type of cocoa powder or chocolate? I just can't seem to think of where the recipe itself would cost so much.

I can almost do a four tiered wedding cake for that price! So I really dont get it. I only charged $60 for a quarter sheet cake with a small edible image. I usually charge $1 a person. That is a single layer. If I have to have a filling then I bake two 2" cakes because torting sheetcakes are a bitch!

I discovered a mistake I made in pricing....I was counting the frosting as filling between the layers, too, when in fact the filling will go there. So I need to subtract $3 from my cost.

I use a variation on The Cake Bible's chocolate butter cake. I use Callebaut cocoa powder that I buy in 5lb bags. My eggs are more expensive, $3/dozen.... that does have an impact.

Thanks to all who responded. I've got some food for thought now, it will help a great deal.