Hi,

I am new to selling cakes so not familiar with what the prices should be. Someone want's this cake for her daughter's 2nd birthday. How much would you charge for the cake with and without the dolls on top?

I would really appreciate any help. Thank you :)

forgot to mention it would be a 12" round chocolate and vanilla layered cake.

AThat will depend on your costs & your regional market.

There are several price matrixs available here at cc. Also read tips on pricing cakes at the cake boss software site.

Remember to check state laws regarding legal restrictions of selling food items in your area.

I would charge 100.00 with out the toppers, 10.00 per topper HTH!

It certainly varies widely.  I don't copy cakes exactly, but for a similar cake of 56 servings I'd charge $560.00 with the toppers and delivery or $$392.00 for the cake without the toppers and just some additional flowers and pearls on top.

Thank you for your kind answers.

DeliciousDesserts: I have looked at the legal requirements and a lot of the pricing structures and what others are charging in the area. I was just a little confused by it all and just wanted to get an idea as to what others might charge as I was trying come to an answer using the pricing calculators.

Thank you LovelyCakes4Us and itsacake for your pricing as it gives me a better idea of where the prices might start for a similar cake.

If you have any suggestions for anything else that I should consider, please do let me know. But I am trying to search through this site and others to learn as much as I can to be able to make an informed decision before I decide to go ahead with selling cakes. I do appreciate your help :)

ABe very careful about using pricing quotes from others unless they are local to you and target the same market, it could give you a false sense of security.

For example, we would charge in the $200-300 range including the toppers, but our price structure and market is probably very different from yours so that number may not make sense for you.

BTW a 12" round yields 40 party-sized servings.

Jason, thank you for your reply. I know that cake prices can vary a lot based on your location. In this case the lady in question wanted the cake for 40$ including everything. I told her that I couldn't do it at that price. I calculated the cost of material and I like using good quality ingredients and I make everything other than fondant and gumpaste from scratch. So that price was just not going to work for me with the material cost and the labour I estimated it would take me even if I was to pay myself minimum wage. I was just curious to see what others are likely to charge. 

If you don't mind me asking, about the serving charts. Most I have found state wedding servings. How do you convert it to party servings. What are the differences. 

A

I'm sure there are some bakers who would gladly take that order for $40 without realizing they are paying themselves $1/hour.

APlease know I wasn't meaning to e snotty. It really is te best advice I can give. Again, if you have not yet visited the cake boss software site, I really has lots of useful information.

You were right to know that $40 was way too low for that type I cake. The questions for you to answer are your costs, your level of expierence & skill, your market, & your profit level. Regrettably, we can't really answer that for you.

When it comes to party v wedding servings, there is a whole other debate! You will need o decide if you are charging per serving & which serving or a flat rate per cake or those not tiered. Personally I charge per serving (wedding) for tiered cakes & flat rates for single tier cakes.

Just for fun, I would charge $70 base price for a 12" cake. Those decorations on a chocolate or vanilla buttercream cake woul be a total of $90without figurines. $50 would get her a 6" buttercream without figurines