Hi, All! I recently struck a deal with a small deli/pizza shop to sell my cakes from their kitchen. I have my portfolio of custom cakes in the shop, and have been keeping a few simpler items (cake truffles, small 'every day' cakes without customization, cupcakes, etc) in the case for sale and display. My question is, for those of you who own/work at bakeries, what are your best sellers? Cupcakes? 1/8th sheet cakes? 1/4 sheet cakes? Cookies? Inquiring minds want to know I'm sure it's different in different areas, but I'm more curious than anything. Right now my cake truffles and small (1/2 recipe sized) cakes are selling fairly well. Seems like people want plain Jane flavors, too. If I do fancier items they sit longer.

Thanks!
Missy

As far as flavors, I don't sell many plain flavors, my big sellers are red velvet and key lime pound cake. Maybe put out some little bite size samples of the flavors you are pushing, and once people try a bite, they may be more willing to buy the whole cake. (Everytime I do a tasting, I have my key lime pound cake out, and even though people say they don't like key lime, as soon as they taste it, they fall in love with it.) I can't help you with sizes as I am a custom, special order only shop. Good luck.

It might sound boring, but chocolate, vanilla and red velvet are the top 3 all the time.
I stray around the different seasons and make different flavors, but the top 3 are always #1.
Good Luck in whatever you choose!
Jodi

After 11 years in the biz, my top three best sellers have always been, white, chocolate and strawberry.
::sigh::

Unfortunately people always ask for the old stabdby Chocolate, yellow or marble. Although whenever I add a more interresting flavors to a tasting they almost always select it. People are afraid to venture away from what they know- so sampling might help increase interrest in more gourmet flavors.

Mocha chocolate chip cupcakes, vanilla bean cake, hummingbird cake and cc, and red velvet are my biggest sellers.

I don't sell, only bake for family and friends, but when they request it is always white, choc, or marble. I really wish people would get more imaginative. lol.

for flavors: red velvet, german chocolate, and white cake with raspberry filling...those are my most requested. My top sellers at shows are peanut butter and chocolate cupcakes, sugar cookies, and chocolate/ganache cake pops. HTH

I am also a custom, by appointment only, baker. But my top sellers (not in any particular order) are red velvet w/ cream cheese icing, Almond Sour Cream with buttercream and French Vanilla with French Vanilla buttercream.

I like the idea of putting samples out of it's feasible in the pizza shop. People always try freebies. Make them venture out of their comfort zones.

When i worked in a bakery a million years ago, 1/4 sheets were our biggest quick sale for birthdays.

WASC, dark chocolate fudge, red velvet, and dulche de leche.

Pattycakesnj, could you share your key lime pound cake recipe?

TIA

Thanks for all the replies, everyone! I didn't get any notifications, so I didn't think anybody had responded.

It seems that it's the same everywhere ... chocolate, vanilla/yellow, red velvet, and marble! I have made mini cupcakes and mini cookies to give away as free samples, but it hadn't really occurred to me to push some of the more complex flavors that way. Silly me, I did yellow cuppies with vanilla buttercream (guess I'm a plane Jane, too, ha). I have sold some chocolate cakes with peanut butter frosting and a black forest cake, they just didn't sell as quickly as, say, red velvet or yellow. I think I'll make a little print out of all my flavors to post on my display case. I have it in my portfolio, but not everyone takes the time to read through that.

For wholesale I recommend keeping things very simple, and think about the other items people will be buying at the retail shop. For a casual deli/pizza place, I wouldn't stray far from vanilla and chocolate flavors for cupcakes, although items like cookies and muffins might end up moving more quickly than cupcakes.

Have you looked at other similar restaurants to see what types of baked goods they offer?

I know, no matter how many options I give them, they always settle on either WASC, chocolate, yellow or maybe lemon or strawberry (IF they're brave and daring!)

Only once in 3 years have I had someone ask for "yellow" cake. Never use it here!