Pricing Buttercream Cupcakes

Baking By JLG Updated 1 Jun 2012 , 6:03pm by AZCouture

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JLG Posted 10 May 2012 , 9:26pm
post #1 of 21

What is the going rate for cupcakes? Someone said $15/dozen but that seemed low. Someone else said $2.00 each which would be $24/dozen.

What is people charging for cupcakes and are people willing to pay it?

Looking at just buttercream, boxed mix cupcake (no filling) with small pick type decoration on top.

Thanks!
Located in Suburbs of Chicago

20 replies
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leah_s Posted 11 May 2012 , 7:49am
post #2 of 21

I get $2.75 each/ $30 doz. That's assuming you are legal and CAN charge.

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scp1127 Posted 11 May 2012 , 11:16am
post #3 of 21

From $30.00 to $48.00 per dozen.

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Annie70 Posted 11 May 2012 , 1:47pm
post #4 of 21

In my area they only go for $1.35 and that is with filling.

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JLG Posted 11 May 2012 , 9:10pm
post #5 of 21

Thank you for all the honest, good natured answers. Seems all over the board. Did you hear of the company selling cupcakes out of the vending machine? It's $4.00-$5.00 a cupcake! But I believe that is NY City, so it would make more sense. Always more $$ in the city.

(*Sorry I didn't think of it first. LOL)

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leah_s Posted 11 May 2012 , 11:01pm
post #6 of 21

That's Sprinkles.

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scp1127 Posted 12 May 2012 , 9:24am
post #7 of 21

There is a baker in my WV town that sells one cupcake for $7.00. And I have one here now. She is my favorite baker. And they are always available, so more people than just me are buying them in this recession depressed WV area. This isn't even my target market. I go 10 minutes away to MD where the economy has remained stable the last few years.

My point is that sometimes a product defies demographics. This cupcake is vegan and is sold in a vegan/vegetarian restaurant. I am neither, but this town has only three good restaurants that are not chains. This restaurant is one of them.

I've tried to dissect this cupcake and it baffles me. I never buy sweets, but I went in for a salad to go and there it was again.

She has quite a few absolutely delicious desserts and they are all $6 to $8. A cookie is $5.

You have to find your place in the market, but then ingredients, convenience, delivery, and any other asset that your company has, can affect the final price. For this lady, she has an upper income clientele plus many health conscious diners. Her ingredients are higher too.

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JLG Posted 12 May 2012 , 3:10pm
post #8 of 21

I Totally understand the higher ingredients part. I myself have celiac disease which prevents me from having Wheat/Gluten products. So, I try to help out my fellow friends who need allergy free products and that can be tricky pricing because we do need to charge more because the ingredients are so much higher.

Thank you to EVERYONE who posted such nice replies. Love this forum where people are happy to help eachother out.

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scp1127 Posted 13 May 2012 , 7:24am
post #9 of 21

My husband is a physician with many patients who suffer from celiacs disease. I just delivered my first gluten/bovine product-free cake today. After much trial and error, it was actually better than its wheat/dairy counterpart. And it happened to be my most expensive cake, a 9 inch four layer homestyle German Chocolate cake for $89.00. Even the ganache was just as good.

Pricing is difficult. You may want to read up on marketing, pricing to the local market, and do a practice businesss plan to make sure you don't leave anything out.

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SoFloGuy Posted 1 Jun 2012 , 5:00pm
post #10 of 21

$4 for a cupcake sound really high to me. Basically a cupcake is about 1/2 a slice of cake isn't it?

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kellikrause Posted 1 Jun 2012 , 5:10pm
post #11 of 21

A couple places in town get $3.50-$4 for a cupcake. I have had cupcakes from both places and neither has good cupcakes. They were both dry and bland. I wouldn't buy from either place again, i just had to see what the hype was about icon_smile.gif

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MimiFix Posted 1 Jun 2012 , 5:25pm
post #12 of 21

What does it cost you to make one cupcake?

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SoFloGuy Posted 1 Jun 2012 , 5:30pm
post #13 of 21
Quote:
Originally Posted by MimiFix

What does it cost you to make one cupcake?




10 to 20 cents I'm estimating.

Homemade from box mix with buttercream.

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AZCouture Posted 1 Jun 2012 , 5:34pm
post #14 of 21
Quote:
Originally Posted by SoFloGuy

$4 for a cupcake sound really high to me. Basically a cupcake is about 1/2 a slice of cake isn't it?


If something is truly special and has no equal....then there is nothing to compare it's price to.

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AZCouture Posted 1 Jun 2012 , 5:37pm
post #15 of 21
Quote:
Originally Posted by SoFloGuy

Quote:
Originally Posted by MimiFix

What does it cost you to make one cupcake?



10 to 20 cents I'm estimating.

Homemade from box mix with buttercream.


If that's what you're making your cupcakes with, then yeah, $4.00 a cupcake wouldn't sit well with me. Gourmet ingredients and stellar decorating, now you're moving up in what you can price at,

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MimiFix Posted 1 Jun 2012 , 5:39pm
post #16 of 21

SoFloGuy, you need to figure out the cost of your products. I know it's a royal pain, but estimating can work against you. After you know your cost, add in for overhead and labor. (Where's Jason when we need him?)

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SoFloGuy Posted 1 Jun 2012 , 5:41pm
post #17 of 21

Crumbs in NYC sells their signature size cupcakes (6oz) specialty ones for $4.50

That's why I can't imagine why someone would pay $4 for a regular size cupcake.

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SoFloGuy Posted 1 Jun 2012 , 5:42pm
post #18 of 21
Quote:
Originally Posted by MimiFix

SoFloGuy, you need to figure out the cost of your products. I know it's a royal pain, but estimating can work against you. After you know your cost, add in for overhead and labor. (Where's Jason when we need him?)




I'm just figuring the cost of the ingredients as a home bake and a newbie, I don't have the skill to frost a cupcake to look professional yet, but mine taste delicious enough to sell.
icon_biggrin.gif

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AZCouture Posted 1 Jun 2012 , 5:45pm
post #19 of 21
Quote:
Originally Posted by SoFloGuy

Crumbs in NYC sells their signature size cupcakes (6oz) specialty ones for $4.50

That's why I can't imagine why someone would pay $4 for a regular size cupcake.


Well, if you keep up with that kind of thinking, you won't do very well in this business I'm afraid. Unless you want to be stuck with super low pricing, and no creative freedom. I confidently charge at least twice, and in some cases 3 to 4 times what everyone else does in my area, and I am far from living in a big city or high income area. I'm pretty busy each week.

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SoFloGuy Posted 1 Jun 2012 , 5:58pm
post #20 of 21
Quote:
Originally Posted by AZCouture

Quote:
Originally Posted by SoFloGuy

Crumbs in NYC sells their signature size cupcakes (6oz) specialty ones for $4.50

That's why I can't imagine why someone would pay $4 for a regular size cupcake.

Well, if you keep up with that kind of thinking, you won't do very well in this business I'm afraid. Unless you want to be stuck with super low pricing, and no creative freedom. I confidently charge at least twice, and in some cases 3 to 4 times what everyone else does in my area, and I am far from living in a big city or high income area. I'm pretty busy each week.




Your tone seems very pointed right now.

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AZCouture Posted 1 Jun 2012 , 6:03pm
post #21 of 21

If that's how you interpret it, then I can't help you. Sorry.

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