such as a shaped cake?
just curious. everytime i make one for one of my kids, my family go on and on about how i should make them and sell them. but they seriously take hours & hours & i can't imagine that i could charge enough money to make it worth it. just wondering what some people charge.
thx

start with what a plain sheet cake covered in fondant with no decoration is $2-3 a serving! the more the decoration, the more it costs. I charge no difference for the shape of the pan, sheet or heart - what ever as long as it is flat; however, if I have to CARVE the cake into a shape, now we are talking costs. A flat carve (no 3-D) for a 1/2 sheet size I add $10-15 to the total. If it is a 3-D shaped carving, it is $20 bucks per layer for 1/2 sheet size. My 3-D cakes easily go for over $100+.

Just had my daughter's party today and everyone loved my cakes. Everyone goes on and on about how I should try selling them. I tell them that I really don't think it'd be worth it. I don't think anyone here would be willing to pay enough money to make it worth my while. It takes at least four hrs. to decorate one of the shaped cakes. And that doesn't include the cost of the pans and ingredients. They go on and on and it really irritates me. I just like making them for my kids.

I feel the same way. I love making them for friends and family.....but for what you get paid and the time that goes into it....and the mess. I was told to charge $5 an hour plus your expenses. But some take me too long to charge that.I don't know if I'm too slow or everyone else is that much faster. I love the way it makes me feel when everyone loves the cakes....I don't know if the $ really matters!

I'm having the same problem with pricing. Everybody tells me I should sell my cakes but it takes a long time to do. Although I have sold a few. I basically take the abount of people they want to feed and charge about $2.50 per person. I made a cake on time to feed 35 people and I charged $65 and when they saw the cake they gave me $90. I've been doing cakes mainly for family and friends and If I'm invited to the party I bring the cake as my gift. Everybody loves them.

Jackie has a forum for cake decorating business questions. I was able to get a price matrix from there. You might find that very helpful.
traci

Ok, so this lady contacted me about making a cake. I told her that I would charge her $2.50 a serving. It was the 3-D Pooh cake ON TOP of another cake...8". She freaked...she said OMG that is like $75.00. She said there was some other lady who has a base of $35.00 and goes from there...yeah "goes from there." NOT just $35.00. I e-mailed her back and said that I hoped she got a good cake from the lady, and tried to explain why I charge what I do. Um hello...most of us spend like 4+ hours on each cake let alone paying for supplies, and I would need to buy the 3-D cake pan....which is kind of spendy....anyway, she wrote back in all CAPS kind of rude about it. Am I charging too much....I told her that I needed to make it worth my while...otherwise why would I waste my time on strangers. I love making cakes, but I am not going to make one for free or cheap for someone I don't know! Thanks for the vent fest!

i agree farney. i just don't see how i could sell my cakes & it actually be worth it. plus the mess factor. i mean making 4 batches of icing and then mixing up no less than 10 different colors, putting them all in bags and wow, that's lots of mess to clean up. that's like ten different bowls with lids & spoons and i always forget about the mess until i'm knee deep in it it takes me 4+ hrs. to really decorate them too.

Hi everyone!!
I am so glad ya'll are discussing this....
I have been asked to make a Slot machine cake and I would have to buy the over the hill pan. The cake by itself would only feed about 12 people I guess, depending on how big they cut the pieces. The guy said he only needed it to feed 6 or 7 people, do you think $35-$40 is too high(That would be about $5 a slice)? It seems like a slot machine would have quite some detail, and if i have to purchase the pan, I feel like this price is fair (in order for me to make a little from it)

What do ya'll think?

Thank you!
(Midwestmom, I hope you don't mind me asking a question within your post!!)

I asked my question from an older post...no biggy! I don't think that is too much. I would charge a base of like $30.00 or $35.00. Since you have to buy a cake pan you can charge a bit more...but not too much because you are keeping the pan and can re-use. But, You should get paid what you deserve. That is why I brought this up again. It seems people love my cake, but when they contact me for pricing....they always go elsewhere after I tell them how much I charge. But I try to explain to them that I make unique cakes that aren't the same ole' sheet cakes from the stores. With all the work we put into it....they wouldn't understand till they make a cake themselves. I was really mad because I spent like 2 hours researching different ideas on cakes for this lady because she didn't really know what she wanted...then I told her the prices she freaked! Ugh....it is a 3-D cake on top of another!

I have to agree with everyone's comments here. I too make cakes as gifts for my friends birthdays, showers, etc. I've gotten paid $100 for my military cakes which are two 11x17 put together. Most often my friends are upset because they want to pay me for my cakes, but I just tell them no. My husband tells them that when I make my cakes for family and friends it is out of love...which is why my cakes take so long to make. I put my heart and soul into making great cakes and that means taking a long time to do.

I've only charged a few people for birthday cakes and then I only charged $20 for them...they freaked and tried to give me more. Then I get told I am way too cheap and really need to up the price.

THANKS FARNEY!!!!
Yeah, I didn't know if that was too much since I would get to keep the pan...but I didn't want to give the guy a heart attack if I said that much. LOL

Plus, like someone else said, this cake would have LOTS of colors, so I would have to make lots of different icing shades and then I would be washing tons o' bags and tips and it just seems like a lot of time would be involved. Not difficult...just lots of time.

Thanks for replying so quickly!!
(I thought this was originally your post, then noticed it was Midwestmom's, so I went back and changed the name to hers...I get confused sometimes. LOL)
I hope you don't think I'm a dingwong!!!

Leslie

i feel that my wife doesnt charge enough. she charges any where from 5-10 dollars a cake. she feels that shes not good enough and doesnt want ppl to feel that she is over charging.i think shes nuts and she puts alot of work into her cakes. plus shes still learning. and has learned alot from this site alone.

Well, if they want a great tasting, well decorated cake, they should be willing to pay more for them. If they want a cardboard cake with no taste and hardly any icing, let them go to the grocery store....(I am not trying to diss the decorator's in grocery stores, cause they have rules to follow...but most of the cakes are tasteless and unimaginative) And to be honest, I find the grocery store cake prices to be outrageous!!! (for what you get)

Wifeshelper,
How sweet you are!!

Actually, I kind of relate to your wife. When I was still learning (and still am with each cake) I did most of my friend's baby shower cakes and didn't charge them at all. I figured that it was good practice for me and a gift to them at the same time. However, now, since I am more confident (and your wife will be too), I am charging those same people for anymore cakes I do for them. I think this has worked out well. You give them a little taste of what you can do and offer it for little to nothing, and then once they can see what you are capable of, then you can charge more. Does this make sense? Your wife probably just doesn't feel like she has reached that point yet...BUT SHE WILL GET THERE!!! If she hasn't already. And then she will feel more confident about charging more.

Leslie

I totally agree she will get there. And when she does look out. She has really amazed me as to what she can do. I mean before she couldnt even ice a cake. Now she doing bct and what not. Im proud of her

Interesting this subject comes up quite often.

I'm really confused by all this cake stuff - I love to make cakes and usually make them as my gift for family and friends which works out good, but then my sister tried to take advantage of it and that was a whole ordeal I had posted on here awhile back. I was gifting one birthday cake for my nephew and she wanted 3! I told her that would be find but I'd have to charge her for the other 2 and she got all pissy about it and decided to make her own cupcakes to supplement my cake - funny thing is that no one ate her cupcakes and she ran out of my cake!

But anyway - I've done 5 paid cakes for others - and I really don't know how I feel about doing cakes for money - I mean originally that's half the reason I wanted to do this in the first place - I wanted a fun hobby and to make some fun money here and there.

But I feel like the stress, cleanup, preparation etc. - is not really worth what I make from the cake itself, but I don't want to charge anymore because I look at my cakes and ask myself what I would feel comfortable paying for if someone else was making it.

I had a customer spring a 5 day notice on 2 cakes she wants that I quoted her for 2 weeks ago (I assumed she thought my prices were too higher than wal-mart because she said she was going to check there and I thought she had decided with crap cake instead of mine - see my other post on this under cake ideas)

Anyway I quoted her $50 for 2 separate 10 inch themed cakes. And we're getting ready to move next week in our household so I was really only doing it as favor for giving me her new business - I would have turned down a regular with our move coming up. Anyway - for the short notice and inconvenience of baking and decorating in a bare kitchen etc - It'd only actually be worth it to me if I would have charged her $75 - then that would be worth the hassle - now I'm kicking myself for accepting the job, but I would like her future business. But then again its a toss up - all my time and effort that will go into these 2 cakes is not worth $50, but then again I wouldn't want to pay someone else more than $50 for what I'm giving her.

For what goes into my cakes - I sell them at a bargain price. I will spend at least 6-8 hours working on these cakes - not including boxes & supplies cost - all for $50 - I feel like I'm getting jipped. Oh well, I figure out some sort of system sooner or later. It irritates me how people compare a %100 homeade cake to the prices of grocery store cakes that taste like dirty sponges - gross! But they expect to pay the same as a store cake - grrrrrrrrrr. That's like trying to buy a fine piece of artwork for the price of a dollar store hang-up! There is no comparison and customers need to realize that!

Interesting this subject comes up quite often.

I'm really confused by all this cake stuff - I love to make cakes and usually make them as my gift for family and friends which works out good, but then my sister tried to take advantage of it and that was a whole ordeal I had posted on here awhile back. I was gifting one birthday cake for my nephew and she wanted 3! I told her that would be find but I'd have to charge her for the other 2 and she got all pissy about it and decided to make her own cupcakes to supplement my cake - funny thing is that no one ate her cupcakes and she ran out of my cake!

But anyway - I've done 5 paid cakes for others - and I really don't know how I feel about doing cakes for money - I mean originally that's half the reason I wanted to do this in the first place - I wanted a fun hobby and to make some fun money here and there.

But I feel like the stress, cleanup, preparation etc. - is not really worth what I make from the cake itself, but I don't want to charge anymore because I look at my cakes and ask myself what I would feel comfortable paying for if someone else was making it.

I had a customer spring a 5 day notice on 2 cakes she wants that I quoted her for 2 weeks ago (I assumed she thought my prices were too higher than wal-mart because she said she was going to check there and I thought she had decided with crap cake instead of mine - see my other post on this under cake ideas)

Anyway I quoted her $50 for 2 separate 10 inch themed cakes. And we're getting ready to move next week in our household so I was really only doing it as favor for giving me her new business - I would have turned down a regular with our move coming up. Anyway - for the short notice and inconvenience of baking and decorating in a bare kitchen etc - It'd only actually be worth it to me if I would have charged her $75 - then that would be worth the hassle - now I'm kicking myself for accepting the job, but I would like her future business. But then again its a toss up - all my time and effort that will go into these 2 cakes is not worth $50, but then again I wouldn't want to pay someone else more than $50 for what I'm giving her.

For what goes into my cakes - I sell them at a bargain price. I will spend at least 6-8 hours working on these cakes - not including boxes & supplies cost - all for $50 - I feel like I'm getting jipped. Oh well, I figure out some sort of system sooner or later. It irritates me how people compare a %100 homeade cake to the prices of grocery store cakes that taste like dirty sponges - gross! But they expect to pay the same as a store cake - grrrrrrrrrr. That's like trying to buy a fine piece of artwork for the price of a dollar store hang-up! There is no comparison and customers need to realize that!

Again, I've said this in other posts, but it really depends on where you live. I live in a small town in the south where there is no bakery and people who buy cakes have been getting them from walmart, or another chain grocery. Just starting off I would not have gotten any business even charging $2.00 a serving. They would have looked at me like I was crazy. I started out super cheap ( I thin the first one was a two layer 11x15 with a 6" round on the top done to look like an island on the water. I cahrged like $25. Maybe even $20.) The first couple were dirt cheap, but in a place where people are used to grocery store cakes and prices, you have to prove your worth. I did baby shower and cakes for church for free. Word of mouth has spread, and my skills have grown too. I've been doing it here for a little over a year and I've gotten more and more cakes the prices have started to climb. I'm still not charging quite enough for my wedding cakes, but that's going up too. If you live in a small area you can't expect to get Manhattan or LA prices. People just won't pay it. If your new, I think the best thing to do is get yourself out there (even if it's for a little less than you would like) When people see and taste what you can do they will be willing to pay for it!

(Midwestmom, I hope you don't mind me asking a question within your post!!)[/quote]

of course not! i'm curious too

Wifeshelper, you are too cute and a great husband to be so supportive!

Whether or not your wife thinks her work is up to par (I'm sure it is) she does need to at least make sure she's breaking even. How big are these cakes that she's doing?

I was in the same position, I think we've all been there....we're afraid our work isn't good enough. But she should keep in mind that it's also her time and supplies she's using and she shouldn't price any less than bakery cakes. They don't have the same overhead as we do.

Peacock is right too - it all depends on your local market and what part of the country you're in. Check out local bakery prices.

Also, I don't think $35 is too much for a slot machine cake.

I don't know how often you use your shaped pans. We have a cake store that rents the pans....and I don't have a lot of space to store them. So it works out well for me.
Wifeshelper your wife is crazy to charge $5 or $10 dollars!! That wouldn't even cover the supplies...unless she wants to buy cakes for the people she is making them for......she is nuts!!!!

What people need to understand is that a grocery store and most bakeries would NEVER even attempt to do some of the cakes we do on here...which is why a lot of these are considered a work of art. I have no problem charging a hundred dollars for some of my cakes...if they don't want to pay what its worth, then its not worth my time away from my kids and the mess in my kitchen. Believe me, there are plenty of people out there who recognize true talent. I learned to send the "cheap" people to Sam's Club and only keep my business for the people who are willing to pay what I ask.

also, one tool that helps is to use an excel spreadsheet, it's called a "pricing matrix"

http://www.cakecentral.com/cake-decorating-ftopict-5711.html

If you look at cindascreativecakes.com she gives prices online for cakes.She does a beautiful job.It's a great site for info.Prices may differ some in your area.

My husband and I own a car audio store. I also, bake cakes and do hair on the side. I don't advertise for either (other than the store). I found that doing hair at home I make more money than making a percentage working in a salon. This week is my first paid-for-cake.
I thought that where I lived was the only place that everyone wants something great for practically nothing!!!! I get so mad! You know it seems like people would know that you have to spend money for this stuff. Whether it be cake related or not. You should get paid for your supplies and for you skill/talent. Obviously they can't do a better job or they would do it themselves.
WHEW! I feel better.
Michelle

Hi Crouton,
Yes I think the prices are reasonable.But I think only you can determine if your cakes are worth it.If you feel like your cakes are just as great as the cakes on this site,I would charge the same.But as I said above It depends on your area.I would suggest calling your local bakeries and getting prices.Just keep in mind all the work you put in your cakes and know the bakeries may not.

Hope this helped.

Midwestmom, about purchasing the Over the Hill cake pan. Have you considered making a standard sheet cake and carving it by hand? It's harder to ice carved cakes, but if you are looking to save money, it's an option to consider. I guess I would try to assume how often I would use the shaped pan and go from there. Carving the cake would increase the time you put into it, but it would save you a bit of $$... Which are you more willing to spend? Me, I'm 'frugal' (cheap) so I would probably go with carving the cake for now until I had a bigger clientele and then maybe purchase the pan if demand for that shape increased.