Would you be willing to share what you charge for the following?
8" round
10" round
9 x 12 sheet
11 x 15 sheet
12 x 18 sheet
what distinctions you make-- buttercream, fondant?
I am having a very difficult time pricing. My cakes will be sold at my daughter's coffee shop and we're in a small town--- know that doesn't matter to some though. Thanks!

$2.50 a serving buttercream and $4 a serving fondant regardless of the size of the cake. HTH

Ok, here's where I'm having a difficult time--- do you say that an 8" round serves 25 (from Wilton's chart) and therefore charge 62.50 for buttercream and 100 for fondant?

Sorry to harp on this.
I need some guidance--- do you set your prices based on the Wilton chart or Earlene's chart the same for a wedding-- which is what I feel these charts are assuming--- as you would a birthday?
Really-- 62.50 for an 8" round buttercream birthday cake?

Yep, I just quoted a girl $60 for an 8" cake, and she placed her order.

Price your product for what its worth.

For a lot of people that works out to being $2.50-$3.50/serving for buttercream and $3.00-$4.00 for fondant. For some its more.

Depends on what ingredients your using, etc. You really need to sit down and figure out a cost of ingredients chart for yourself, at least to just give you an idea of what your spending on making your cakes.

Then there is your time, how much do you want to be paid? How long does the cake take you?

When you look at 'an 8 inch round birthday cake' and think $60 is alot, you're not even giving yourself the opportunity to find those customers who are going to look at it as 'a custom home made work of sugar art' for only $60?

I also looked at all of the pricing for the custom cake shops in the area and stayed in line with them also. They price around the same thing and I'm right in line.

Thank you for your responses-- I appreciate your imput. I think it's like someone said-- so much of it is a confidence issue.

Your cakes are gorgeous and worth every penny! Just remember, you are not the grocery with frozen cakes and premade buttercream. You are an artist and you do beautiful work!

And just because someone has to say it, when you wholesale to another retail biz, not sell directly to the consumer yourself, you may need a different license. Around these parts, I'd have to add a manufacturing license, I think. Anyway, wholesaling frequently changes things. Don't set your daughter up for trouble with the HD.

I bake and decorate them at her coffee shop, does that make a difference?

I went to the local bakery today to pick up a couple of snack for my nieces. They had 7 in rounds for $15.00. Not beautifully decorated.. just BC or ganache with simple borders. The 6 in were under $10. I bought five petit fours (and got a free sugar cookie for my son) for $5.50. I know that doesn't compare to what you do, but I just wanted to add that.

Thank you-- I appreciate your reply. Can you imagine doing petit fours that cheaply?! I have nothing like that to compare-- only a grocery store bakery and a few at-home decorators. I don't know what they charge and don't feel like I can very well call up and say, "I'm trying to price my cakes. Can you give me a run-down of what you charge?" Wish I could!

Just a thought...if I want a dessert at a coffee shop or cafe I would expect to get a nice size serving and pay from 3.50-5.00 (the more expensive would be something ala mode.) I would not really care what the whole dessert looked like...just my serving.

Thanks so much for stating your prices-- you know what's coming. You don't charge nearly enough! I appreciate you for posting-- part of my hopes for this posting was to show that there's a HUGE difference in pricing out there.