How Much To Charge For Ladybug Cakes
Business By Cloves2bake Updated 11 Feb 2013 , 8:22pm by Ali3971
Hi! I am a hobby baker/decorator but was recently asked to do a big cake job for my brothers boss.
For a very large (75 adults, 50 kids) birthday party for 1 year old twin girls:
2 3d ladybug cakes (I used the wilton soccer ball for the body and the mini ball pan for the head on top of a 12" base (2 layers) - covered in fondant
12 cupcakes with buttercream frosting (each with a leaf, flower and mini ladybug on top)
2 smash cakes
I only had a week notice and had to buy my supplies local so couldn't get any real discounts.
I was promised reimbursement of my materials cost (ended up being about $250) + whatever I wanted for my labor.
I spent a week on this - about 35-40 hrs on it.
What do you think is fair? FYI I live in NYC.
AIf you don't have a licensed and inspected commercial kitchen you can't legally accept money for cakes made from home sold directly to customers. You can still make the cake, but it would have to be a gift.
Does the boss expect to be hit with a $250+ bill? I have friends who offer to pay me for supplies if I'll make them a cake but they think it will be like $10-20, not what it really costs! (Which isn't why I don't do it, it's because it's not legal where I live).
Most of the money went to purchase the fondant - at about $28 each for a 5lb tub of black (they didn't have smaller and I didn't have time to experiment making black), 5lb red, 10lbs of green, 5lbs of white, gum paste, cake drums, boards, specialty pans, flour, sugar, eggs, butter, etc.
ADid you use it all? You only charge for what you used. You can weigh the bucket to see what is left.
Thank for the comments! There isn't a whole lot left of the fondant but would be willing to reduce their reimbursement for that though I have no plans to make any more cakes in the near future. My main concern is how much these cakes would be worth based on time spent or servings etc. regardless of the cost of the materials. Any insight into that would be really helpful.
thanks again!
HMM this is hard to say but from my prices and based on the info provided I came up with $234?
HMMM ....
24 cupcakes with fondant decor at $4 each = $96
2 Smash cakes (assuming buttercream) $15 each= $30
2 12" (45 servings each)+ 2 Ballpan on top (12 servings each)= 57 servings x 2 cakes is 114 servings @ $3.25 a serving for Fondant cakes = $370.50
$370.50
$096.00
$030.00
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$496.50 would be my GUESTAMENT
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