Please please, I need advice and your help!
So here is the story, I was asked to make 2 cakes this month, they will be some of the bigger cakes (orders) I've had so far, one is for a Baby Shower (July 14th) and the other one is for a Quinceanera (Aug 3rd), Both will be 3 tiers, 12", 9" and 6" rounds and about 5" tall each tier. Both are for about 60 servings.
So here is my big question, favor that I'm asking, do you all think that I am ready to charge $3.50 a serving? Please check my work in my photos and be honest (I can take it) I work mostly fondant and this cakes will be no exception, both will be decorated with some fondant flowers (one with cut-outs and the other with ribbon roses) and some ribbons/stripes. Shower cake with baby booties (also fondant) and the Quinceanera cake with decs on wires. The filling will be strawberries (a preserve made with frozen berries) and the cake will be butter/vanilla.
Should I be confident when asking for $3.50 a serving? I know they will probably have well over 60 servings with those 3 pan sizes but since they asked for 60 servings I will only charge for the 60.
I mostly do cakes for friends and family so I've never had an issue with prices but the few cakes I've sold, I, as usual, covered only my expenses... I am tired of spending hours and hours in the kitchen and not making any money!
I love what I do but I believe it is about time I make some $$$ (at least some to support my cake toys).
So please, tell me what you think, I need all opinions and suggestions!
Please please, check my cakes and tell me! I can handle your honesty!
Thanks so much for your help, I really appreciate the CC support!
HAPPY 4TH OF JULY!!!

definately not. 3.50...no way.......I think you deserve way more. Your cakes are great.

first off you are crazy. you absolutely deserve 3.50 a serving. second if they want a three tier cake they should pay per serving even if it serves mroe then 60. if you only change for the servings they want, what is stopping them from ordering an 8 tier monster and only paying for 60 servings?

Its your call but i totally say 3.50 is more then fair and this is coming from someone who feels bad saying $2.

Absolutely!! $3.50 a serving, plus .50 - 1.00 for each fondant rose and even some for the other accessories!! Your cakes are awesome!! I drool over your starbucks cake all the time!!

I would have thought you were getting $3.50 already! You deserve more than that. And I agree with swingme83, you need to charge per serving of all three tiers, not just the 60 servings. HTH

Thanks so much, I really appreciate your help and nice comments (I promse, I'm not a "needy" person, but really needed to hear it from other than family)! Now, just to clarify on the 3 tier/60 servings... They asked for 60 servings, it did not have to be 3 tiers but when trying to figure out what pan sizes to use I noticed that if I only did 2 tiers it was too little cake and if I did 3 tiers it was a little too much. What size is your slice?? Just wondering, maybe I am not correct on my calculations.
Thanks again!

http://www.earlenescakes.com/ckserchart.htm

This is the serving chart I use for my customers. This chart would give ya 75 servings. You could do 11", 9" & 7" to get 67 servings. just a thought.

you are so ready your cakes are all beautiful and your daisy cake is absolutely awesome keep up that awesome work

I just looked at your cakes and they are ALL fantastic cakes. Don't sell yourself short, you are a great cake decorator and $3.50 a serving isn't enough.

I also agree that you are well worth it.

What? We're not family? You do excellent work! Maybe use one of the guides in the future when someone is asking for tiers so they know how many servings they're getting and they can order the right size. Charge for what they are getting. If they want a big cake, they should pay for it.

We learn from each cake we bake...

My first thought was charge for all servings ordered. So if they requested the 3 tiers charge for all. Secondly, your cakes are great and agree with everyone $3.50 really isn't enough for the work you do.

I would say at least that much . What is the going rate for fondant in your area?

So basically you are charging around 2.75 for a party size serving. According to my calculations that would be $210 for each cake. If you charged $3.50 a serving it would be $266 - I am sure you can get that!! Do you know what others charge for fondant in your area? I have learned that if bakeries will even do fondant at all, they are not cheap! Don't underestimate yourself. I am quilty though too! I have only been charging people 1.50 a serving for fondant - gasp! I think my fondant is my best work and I crack when it comes to pricing! Knowing now what I know, prices are going up and I would pay that much for one of your cakes!

Your work is absolutely fabulous, and you should be charging AT LEAST 3.50 per serving. You deserve way more than that, but I don't know what the going rate is for your area.

Thanks ladies!!! Well, I live in Jacksonville FL, BUT I will be baking the cake at my mother's in Southern FL (not at her house but at a local legal kitchen), so the cakes are for the Fort Lauderdale/Weston area, which is on the pricey side. I will have to call some bakeries and find out prices though, but I wouldn't doubt that my prices are waaaaay cheaper than theirs! (I ate a cupcake at a mall near her house, they had a little "bakery" at the food court and I paid $4.50, it was really good though!)
Well, thanks again!!!!!! I appreciate the support!

Your cakes are absolutely fabulous! You should charge at least 3.50, without a doubt.

Thanks so much Tracy!!!! Can't wait to get started!

Just one more question.... What round pans would you use to get around 50 servings and 60 servings?? Thanks!

A 12" will give you 56 wedding servings (1X2X4).
A 14" will give you 63 party servings (1 1/2x2x4).

Hi, well, to all of you who helped me a couple months back... here are the pics, thanks so much again, for everything!!
(BTW, I used 12, 9 and 6, both parties ended up ordering more servings)

Birthday Cake:
http://www.cakecentral.com/modules.php?name=gallery&file=displayimage&pid=877853

Baby Shower Cake:
http://www.cakecentral.com/modules.php?name=gallery&file=displayimage&pid=789163

And YES! I did it! I charged $3.50 per serving!!!

Where I work we charge $4.50 a slice for fondant. If it's as elaborate as your first cake that cake would easily be $5.50 to $6.50 a slice.

You're cakes are excellent and you need to charge accordingly.