I just did this cake. it was a 10 inch square-1layer. The truck is made of rice krispies covered with fondant. The truck took me at least 5 hours to make on. The customer paid $35, but thought that was to much.
I'm really frustrated, to put that much time and detail into a cake......if my customer base think a cake that was this much work is to expensive, then I may as well throw in the towel.... what do you all think?

http://www.cakecentral.com/modules.php?name=gallery&file=displayimage&pid=1477956

*Deep breath*

Oh honey. You paid her to make that cake.

A 10" square is 50 servings of cake. Even without the semi you sold that cake for $0.70 a serving. My costs for a cake usually come out a little over $1.00/serving, without the specialized model on top.

Here's an article with some pricing tips to keep in mind from now on. How did you arrive at that $35.00 figure?

People like that are not your customers. If she thinks it's too much let her go to the grocery store.

Way way WAY undercharged! That's custom work right thar! And really great clean work to boot! That cake looks amazing. People just want a better than great deal because times are hard right now- and people in general all want something for nothing. She got an exceptionally great deal and should be singing her way tot he party. Assuming it is legal for you to sell cake where you are- raise those prices!

Sister, she took you for a ride! You do excellent work! Very clean and precise and that truck is just too cute! Look at it as a lesson learned and don't let someone like that take advantage of you again!

wow! the sheetcake alone shouldn't have even be $35! she abused you and your time. never make a cake for her again, as she cannot afford your level of work. you said the truck took you 5 hours (i can totally see why; the truck looks AMAZING...very clean work for sure) and the cake mising, baking, cooling, icing, crusting, etc. probably took you at least 2-3 hours? if so, you just made $4 per hour...not even minimum wage. you should explain that to her! you could have charged $100 for that cake and still would have been underpaid. good luck next time...but gals like her aren't the kind of customers you want!

if the cake was only 1 layer then it was only 25 servings, but everyone is right... you way undercharged. I'd have told them that if they thought it was too much they could go to walmart and buy a cheap plastic truck to slap on their nasty sheet cakes.

I know how you're feeling. I live in TX where I cant have a bakery out of my home, so the cakes that I do are strictly for family and friends. That being said, I always cut people a great deal. 90% of my cakes are free. And the ones that I do get paid for are cheap cheap cheap. I plan on opening up my own bakery one day, so I look at it as though I'm getting practice and filling up my portfolio. I get better with each cake I do and I always try and do something different. When I quote a price for someone I'm usually not adding in my time that will be spent actually doing the cake. I live in a small town where most people are used to the price from WalMart and don't want to pay more. I usually do sheet cakes for around $30-$40, and I tell them if they went to Walmart, they'd pay around the same amount. For the work that you've put into that cake, I'd have to agree with everyone else, you completely under priced yourself. You have to make it worth your wild and try and make a little extra on the side I understand that, but don't sell yourself short. You've got amazing talent and if others don't see that, then send them packing. Plastic toys are much more affordable than custom cakes. Good Luck in the future.

single layer 10" serving 25 would be at least $20 alone. 5 hours to make the truck = $7/hour BEFORE the cost of the cake, BEFORE the time to make the cake, BEFORE the cost of the materials for the truck.

You would have been better off handing her a $20 bill and sending her somewhere else.

I have a lady picking up a birthday cake for her daughter next weekend .... she's a previous bride who LOVED her wedding cake, so it's the only reason I'm breaking my rule and (1) baking a 6" cake that's NOT part of a wedding cake (2) turning on my oven for a cake that's only $35.

We're not here to beat you up. We've all got a story or two like this in our cake files and we've lived-and-learned from it. This is your live-and-learn moment!

The hardest lesson to learn is that it's ok to say "NO" to a cake order that is not profitable.

In my local cake shop (that does fondant and custom cakes) they sell simply iced undecorated 4" cakes (approx 6 inches tall) for $25!!!! That truck alone is worth $35 -your cake is worth $100 like the pp post said - she got a huge deal at $35 - she's just a lemon customer - you're NOT the lemon here

Ouch. Live and learn, huh?

Absolutely love your cake! You did an outstanding job. Keep smiling and keep doing these great cakes. Now you know for the next customer who comes along wanting something like this. Keep up the great work.

Goodness no it's not too much! It's not enough! Your truck alone is wonderful and worth that much. Let her comments go in one ear and right out the other.

Your cake is great!!!! so sorry you didnt get what it is worth....

Sweetie; your cake is fantastic! You didn't charge enough.
Let it go, chalk it up to a bad experience.

Don't give up, just don't undersell yourself, because your artistry is beautiful. Very clean lines, awesome, masculine truck! Sheesh!
Chin up.

just got home from my little guys football game. wow, thank you all so much for you support! it means a lot, and I know that I need to get "tough" I just am very insecure about my caking making ability...so chin is up and move forward! Thanks for being my support system, I don't know what I'd do with out all of you! and all of you are so right I pretty much pay people so I can make their kids cake messed up, I need to grow a backbone.

I have a couple of extra sets of cojones you can borrow as needed!

you did a wonderful job on this cake.. truck looks fantastic..you will learn more as you go... what to charge. forget this one.. keep on decorating. you are really good..

i don't grow any "cojones" till i turned 40....ha ha ha....

don't feel bad...the work is really tight, you got the experiance so next time it will be easier...and you got a picture out of it....so theres that...

i can't even tell you the number of cakes we undercharged for the first year of being open.

people are stupid....you can see it in almost everywhere.....i was watching the HGTV network.....it's almost the same watching the property virgins being appauled at how much houses cost.

some cakes are so labor intensive it's hard to get the money they are worth....i'd have to charge 300.00 for that cake, and i couldn't get that around here...so i don't do stuff like that.

you did a great job....you should be proud.

I haven't even read your post yet but 35$ is never too much for anything related to cakes.

ditto ditto to what everyone. Dont bother taking orders from people who wont apreciate you. yes its tough times right now, but if they want amazing work for nothing, well they best do it themselves.

You made an adorable cake! And as everyone else said, it's worth much more!!