I can't use a matrix yet because I don't have Quattro, etc..., but I think I've figured out (the hard way) how much each batch of cake is, but is anyone willing to share how much their cost per batch ingredients is?
(just a reg size batch, by the way)
I'm trying to come up with a solid formula. I bake scratch, mostly organic, but I'd appreciate any baker's info, and would find it helpful. Until I figure this out, I won't know my actual profit.
Thank you. 
My pound cake recipe costs $4.08/recipe and makes 8 cups of batter. The chocolate cake recipe costs $7.06/recipe and makes 6 2/3 cups of batter.
The chocolate ganache recipe costs $4.99/recipe and makes 4 cups, and buttercream costs $5.89/recipe and makes 8 cups.
I started making my own spread sheet using Word Perfect before I knew about the various matrix's available on CC and the web. It's really not that complicated and once you get it set up, it's easy to add to for your additional recipes. Any word processing software that can use/create tables can be used to make your own matrix.
I actually grocery shopped online and printed out pages of the individual ingredients and then did the math as to what each tsp, tblsp, etc. costs. I added those pages to a notebook to keep all the ingredient info all in one place.
HTH's
Mix baking, doctored mix baking, scratch baking, organic baking, vegan baking ...... all will have a different base cost, depending on the ingredients used, so what my cost or any other CC'ers cost ends up being is not going to really be helpful without knowing the specific recipe being used.
Thank you.
Did you add math formulas to your matrix, or do you still do the math yourself? I'm not sure I can add formulas to word perfect???
I did the spread sheet, formulas and initial math myself. Once I knew the base cost for each ingredient, then I could set up the formulas to determine how much for a cup of flour or 2/3 cup of Crisco, etc. It's pretty much like the cake matrix's seen on CC, just customized for me.
It's not hard to do, just took a little time - I worked on it over a period of time this winter when I was making my lists of what I needed for a big wedding cake I was doing and wanted to make sure I was including everything I needed and to know how much it was all going to cost
i would love to see your spreadsheet if you dont mind! Please PM me. Thanks a ton!
I'll send it to you later this afternoon. My computer that has the file on it is my son's room and he is taking his nap. I'm on my hubby's laptop today cause he forgot it. Hehehe. 
i would love to see your spreadsheet if you dont mind! Please PM me. Thanks a ton!
I'll send it to you later this afternoon. My computer that has the file on it is my son's room and he is taking his nap. I'm on my hubby's laptop today cause he forgot it. Hehehe.
Don't forget to clear the history so he can't "spy" on us! LOL!!
My DH wrote me a program for all of my recipes (same type of thing for say a household's budget), so I have it broken down by the servings.
(I'll ask him tonight when he gets home if I can somehow forward you a blank one that you can try out.) I told him he should "patent" it and sell it. LOL!!
My cakes cost me between $1.25 - $1.50 per serving on avg., depending on where I purchase my ingredients. (Scratch only baker) This includes all of my costs...i.e. cake, filling and icing ingredients as well as my boards, boxes and utilities used.
Support systems are priced separately, depending on what I need for that particular cake.
[quote="dkelly"]
i would love to see your spreadsheet if you dont mind! Please PM me. Thanks a ton!
I'll send it to you later this afternoon. My computer that has the file on it is my son's room and he is taking his nap. I'm on my hubby's laptop today cause he forgot it. Hehehe.
Don't forget to clear the history so he can't "spy" on us! LOL!!
quote]
LOL! Oh trust me, he doesn't need to look at the history to know that I've been on CC all day!
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