Hi, I am only just starting to be asked to bake cakes for strangers, up until now I have just done cakes for family and friends. I have been asked how much I would charge do make a Square 4 tier wedding cake, bottom tier fruit and 3 more tiers in sponge. They want it fairly plainly decorated, with just a few flowers on the sides. They forwarded a link to one on the M&S website that they like
http://www.marksandspencer.com/Tier-Elegant-Assorted-Wedding-Cake/dp/B004VSVVCS?ie=UTF8&ref=sr_1_19&nodeId=80083031&sr=1-19&qid=1336560959.

What you would you think would be a reasonable cost for a cake like that? They want it larger than the one on M&S, as they want the tiers to be 12", 10", 8" and 6".

Thanks

The best way to figure out how much to charge is to figure out how much it will cost you to make this.

I know it's a pain, but you need to find out how much each cake recipe costs you to make and how many of each would you need to complete this cake. Do the same for the icing and fondant. I would then add in an hourly wage you would expect if preparing this professionally (this is the hardest thing for me to figure out).
once you know how much it costs you to make an 8" cake (for example), divide that cost by the number of slices it would give you (32 servings for 8" square, I use Wilton's sizing of 1" x 2" x 4" tall)

You may have a different cost for the sponge and the fruit cake if the cost of recipes differ drastically. In Canada, I charge $3.50 a slice for sponge, not including the gumpaste flowers. Some people charge more when they make a tiered cake too.
I actually called a couple of bakeries and asked them for a quote on simple fondant cakes, to find out what the going rate in my area was. You don't want to under value your skill.

It really does depend on how much the cake will cost you. hope this helps.

p.s. your piano cake is fabulous!

A 12", 10", 8" & 6" will only be 4 more servings than your photo cake - 168 vs. 172. If you're not in a formal business, it might be easier - for now - to charge by the serving. Of course, you're going to have to figure out your costs some time, so might as well do it now.

I would charge $475 for a cake like that, however, I do not do wedding cakes.