So far I've dodged the bullet on these, but I'm curious how everyone is charging for these rainbow layer cakes? I can imagine the time it takes, especially if you don't have pans/space to bake 6 layers at a time.

I usually charge by the serving, but I don't even know how many servings would be in an 8" round, for example. 

Any help appreciated!

INSIDE SURPRISES

#1 - Distinct rainbow layers- 6 rainbow colors - additional .50/serving

         Vibrant or pastel

         Requires 6"-8" height of cake - For example, 2 - 4" tiers

         Or 1 - 6" tier

         Or 1 - 2" tier and 2 - 4" tiers

#2 - Rainbowlicious a.k.a. tie dyed - 4 vibrant colors of vanilla cake - additional .40/serving

#3 - Ombre - graduated shades of 1 color - additional .40/serving

        4 shades per 4" tall cake layer

#4 - Zebra- additional .50/serving

        Dark chocolate and almond cake designed to look like zebra stripes with each slice

#5 - Leopard- additional .75/serving

        Vanilla bean, yellow and dark chocolate designed to look like leopard spots with each slice

#6 - Camo - additional .40/serving

        Four colors of greens & browns similar to camo in every slice. Vanilla, pineapple or lemon flavor.

                                                  or

        Four shades of pink similar to camo in every slice. Almond, cherry, or strawberry flavor.

AFor a 6 layer cake with a different color or flavor for each layer, I would double the price of a 3 layer cake. But just as with any other pricing question you need to look at your own increased costs for ingredients/labor and adjust the price accordingly.

I only do them in the 8" version and I add $10 to my 8" double price.  That's the base price before all of the additional deco they may have.

It could also take more time if you are doing different flavors in addition to different colors. I remember a cake I had only twice as a child with 6 layers, each a different color and flavor, covered in white frosting with coconut. It's been about 35 years and it still impresses me!

I think there are many more factors to consider. In my shop, we charge one price for a basic triple layer 8" cake with buttercream frosting. If a customer orders a 6 layer cake, it's twice the price at least, maybe more. The "labor intensive" part is not all about making the rainbow effect, although it does take time to correctly, evenly portion and color the batter. The added cost in terms of actual ingredients is the additional layers, and additional frosting. While those ingredients are not totally a double recipe (it's like a recipe and a half) it certainly does cost more! As to your time, it takes longer to portion the batter and color it, bake 6 pans, level, stack and frost 6 layers vs 3 layers. I think we also forget all the other costs, when someone dashes off a remark like it only takes 15 mins. No, it takes a longer amount of time for washing all the extra bowls and pans (water bills,electricity for the dishwasher, that costs you money), it takes more time in the oven using the gas or electric you're paying for. It needs a larger, higher box (our rainbow cake is about 10" high!). How do you expect to survive in this business, if you're not adding in all these costs? Water, gas, electricity, wear and tear on your equipment, your time spent purchasing, your time spent paying bills. The risks you take if you drop the darn thing.  If you're in business for yourself, or you own a small bakery, ALL of these things cost you money.  Sorry if I'm ranting, but I strongly resent the impression some customers have that this is as easy as what you remember your grandmother doing with a box of Duncan Hines, leisurely on a Sunday afternoon and therefore shouldn't really cost much for a cake. If it's so easy, go bake one, why are you in my store? Do you argue at the supermarket over how much a box of cereal costs? No, you just pay it.  It's a business, we sell certain products, and to make a living, those products are for sale at a profit, not merely covering costs of ingredients. You're doing this particular business presumable because you love it. But it's a business nonetheless and you have to get adequately paid or you will soon be out of the business. Do you think Ron Ben-Isreal got his start giving away his early cakes under cost? I bet you he did not!

I think if customers were more educated by us as to ALL the costs involved in 'just baking a cake', instead of "oh it's only 15 mins to add some food coloring",  it would go a long way towards everyone making a living! These TV shows don't help, because now the general public thinks Cupcake Wars is in real time, and it only takes an hour to bake and decorate 1000 cupcakes in 3 flavors with 3 different handmade decorations! How ridiculous. TV is not real life. Back to the rainbow cake, it's a 'specialty' cake, and should be charged as such, not merely a small add on to the cost of a regular cake.  NYC prices, I charge $95, pre-decorations. It's a fad right now, people will pay if they want one. If I'm not going to make money on it above and beyond costs, why make the cake at all? The name of my bakery isn't Charity with Frosting on Top! If a customer won't pay you fairly, then toss some rainbow sprinkles on the outside of a regular cake and be done with it!  At some point, take the leap, and don't bake anything you won't make money on. The only thing worse than not making money, is spending your own money to give away a cake to a stranger.

My 2 cents for what it's worth.

Thanks for the responses. I read so many of these posts, and other baking blogs, and facebook etc.. It breaks my heart to see so many people who are letting the uninformed public determine what their time, effort, knowledge, practice, and out of pocket costs are worth. If my words help, then I've done some good I guess. : )

An 8inch round rainbow layer cake for $45?????????

Do you want a job in Australia?   Hop on the first plane you can get on.   You will be working in a beautiful part of Australia.  I will be your boss.  I won't get in your way ...  I will be taking the orders, you will be living your dream, making LOTS of cakes - and I will be sipping Bombay Sapphire & Tonic by the pool  !!

I think we also need to take in account of our market.  Here, a double 8" butter cream cake (borders only) sells for about $25-$30.   If you call 15 bakeries around here, that is the norm.   Not that is not to say you can charge what you want...but the cost of living here is much different than NYC or California...or over seas.     Sometimes the responses are insulting.   I understand you live in a high cost area or can easily get $95 for an 8" double cake.   It ain't happen here.   Please take in account of regions before you attack a price. 

I dunno Mimi...guess I'm just old and cranky...but I am intrigued about what people charge for their cakes...but Im talking about the people that know what they are doing..and that are charging correctly.    I love to hear the different prices.   I think we are all so frustrated with the undercharging threads here that we get in the defense and attack ALL pricing.  I really try not to get involved in those threads because they just put me in a bad mood...and I want to come here to learn, to help or look at pretty cakes.  

I would not make that cake HERE in Australia for UNDER $200

AI don't think we have high prices here. Gas is $3.01 a gallon right now, and milk is $2.79 a gallon, and eggs are $1.60 a dozen. A modest 3 bedroom house with a small yard is about $120,000-$150,000. A typical electric bill for that modest home is about $120-160 a month. We don't have a ton of bakeries, but in a grocery store an 8" 2 layer cake may be $12-18. An actual standard bakery with donuts and such will sell one for about $35, but those are still grocery store decorations. Unless someone works out of their home illegally, any actual custom 8" cake is going to cost at least $60 and one place very close to me does an 8" rainbow cake for $160.

Abtw, that grocery store cake is dessert style. Like chocolate cake with chocolate icing and crumbs on the sides with bite size milky way bars stuck in 8 dollops of icing. We used to churn out 30-40 an hour and freeze them. But we didn't unwrap the milky way. Gag!

AWow Anna & pam....... that is amazing. And wonderful for you to get that pricing. Not In a gazillion years it would cost that in here....but I really am intrigued but all the different pricing.

A

AExactly. Otherwise people in my lower middle class neighborhood would be like, "let's go down to Covington and score some cheap cakes!" But they aren't. Cakes cost the same there. And you better lock up your car.

Rainbows start at $95.00 for me too and yep that is properly priced out, not a guess.