I have been adding fondant figures to some of my cakes and was just wondering how to charge for them. Some are very time consuming and I feel I should charge extra for them but have no idea what to charge. i have included a link to 2 of my cakes to use as examples.
Thanks

http://cakecentral.com/gallery/2017001

http://cakecentral.com/gallery/1953856

Instead of a per slice charge, I charge on a per "cake" basis for detailed cakes with fondant figures (Sponge Bob, Gumpaste shoe in my photos) with a $125 minimum - reason being they are TIME consuming, as I'm sure you know.

We also charge a flat extra fee based on the complexity of the fondant figures: we charge the cost of the fondant + the number of hours needed to make the figures * (the pastry chef's hourly wage + hourly rent for our commercial kitchen) + an extra 25% for the profit margin.

FYI you cannot legally sell copyrighted characters (i.e. Star Wars figures) you make yourself unless you obtain prior permission from the copyright owner.

Thank you jason_kraft...I never thought about them being copyrighted. Good thing that Star Wars cake was for my son. I will remember that. And I don't think people in my area are going to pay much for the figures anyway. I think my prices are fair on my cakes but some are making faces at my prices. I try to explain but they want to compare my prices to places like grocery stores and WalMarts. I'm going to have to charge for fondant because it is just to much time and money for me.

Honestly with bumble bee cake, I wouldn't have added anything extra to the charge. If it was a very detailed cake, lots of piping or what not, with the fondant figures on top, then I could see it. But when it doesn't have a ton of decorations, to me the figures are filling in for that. I'm almost feeling the same way about the star wars cake as well.

To me your price per serving, or even price per cake should include time/supplies for decorating the cake. If you have a cake that is really quick and simple then you make more only on that cake. If you have a cake that takes a little more time, then you lose a little of your profit. But in the end, they both even out.

I usually include one figurine in the regular price, if its not too complex and charge $20 for each additional character. Hope this helps

MistyConfections: Thanks, I will take your advise and do the same.

Your figures are cute. I agree the bees are pretty simple and I would just include them in the price of my cake the same as if I was making a buttercream rose. If I was making a custom piece like a Bride I would charge additional.

I tend to agree with others who have said if you're doing a few simple figures on a cake then the cost of the cake should just include that...I mean a few simple bees don't really take any longer than some flowers or something else you might put on a cake without feeling the need to charge them separately.

I do think if you make people or more complex figurines then they may justify additional charges, because they are time consuming...but as for what to charge for things like that I have NOOO idea at all. I mean obviously you can work it out based on materials plus $per hour work, but often with figurines you start, let a bit dry, come back to it, do a bit more, let dry ...and it's hard to keep track of how long you spend on them. This is one of the reasons I haven't seriously looked into selling my own cakes. What would I charge? How much can my local market afford to pay? Some of my cakes end up very complex and I just have no idea!!

...This sort of thing for example: I get carried away with details so trying to get my head around what I would have to charge does my head in!

Coral3 your modeling is amazing. I love your beach cake. I'm in the process of making one now for a picnic at a nursing home. I think the beach chairs are so cute. I have the chair frames cut and dried and I'm hoping to put them together this weekend.

Coral, your cake is a perfect example to me of when to charge extra. There are many numerous details added to the cake. If you had just had the three pigs sitting on the cake with just grass around them, then I would be like, that's the cake's decoration.

I guess if you take off a few elements and you have a plain cake then those elements count, to me, as the decorations that cake. If you take a few things off and you still have a highly decorated cake, then to me that could warrant an extra charge.