Hello all bakers!!!

I would like some advice about pricing a cake.

I am making a 10 inch chocolate and chestnut cake (for 25 people), with sugar paste flowers, butterflies and a high heel shoe. The cake will be covered in chocolate ganache/glaze (not fondant)

What price should I charge???  I was thinking 55 euros (47 pounds/  75 dollars)

thanks for any suggestions in advance .

regards Sarah x

Double that and you're getting close.

how much is it costing you and how much time will you be spending making it? count that up than charge a reasonable hourly rate for your work. 

lso, a 10" cake serves more than 25 people.

A[IMG]http://cakecentral.com/content/type/61/id/3130518/width/200/height/400[/IMG] Here is my finished cake. I am always worried about what to charge as my cakes are not professional standard just yet! Would love to do a course!

Hi

In my opinion I think that would be about right for your level of expertise. How much did you charge in the end? Also did you sell it on that tray  or did you transfer to cake board which would look better? Just wondering. I'm improving myself and have never used ganache  poured. I whip it up like mousse and ice cake on a covered board.

AI wanted to use a cake board but didn't have one the right size so I used the tray. I charged 60euros in the end, the client was very happy with the cake!

This is going to come across harsher than I mean it to sound, because you can't judge a tone of voice on an online posting.

But you say "my cakes are not professional standard" 

Yet you are charging...  Why would you do that if you admit yourself they're not of a standard one could reasonably expect when paying for goods?

It's a lovely cake.  It is...  but you haven't even got the correct board for it!  All these things matter when you are SELLING cakes.

Are you registered with your local authority?  Tax?  Do you have product and personal liability insurance?  These things MATTER when you're SELLING cakes.

And that's why people think that professional cake makers like myself are "ripping them off" when we charge what we do for cakes....  they don't necessarily take everything into consideration.  

Suzanne x 

AThanks for your advice Suzanne, I am just starting out selling my cakes that's why I am unsure about prices. I live in Spain and have a restaurant with my husband. He is a professional chef and I help him with the desserts. So making cakes is not my full time job, just a hobby that turned into a side line, as people have asked me to make cakes through my restaurant business. This cake was short notice that is why I did not have the correct cake base. Sorry if I have offended any professional bakers. Are you saying Suzanne that my cake is not suitable to sell?

Hi sarahhelen, I recently read a super interesting article written by Carina's Cupcakes on Facebook. I think it could help you price your cakes a lot better:

https://www.facebook.com/notes/carinas-cupcakes/the-big-pricing-debate/705120919502304

We can't tell you how much to charge in absolute numbers because it depends on your location. So, to correctly price your cake you would have to charge for your work, in addition to charging for ingredients. The rate you can charge for your work depends on your level of expertise (I wouldn't call it professionalism). Your expertise is built on the experience you have making cakes, the number of cakes you already have made, the money you've spent on training etc. etc. So the higher you are trained, the higher the hourly rate you can charge for your cakes.

I would try to find a number that is suitable for your region as well. So in Spain, you should choose an hourly rate that other professionals charge. Are there any other cake decorators in the area? How much do they charge?

Many decorators don't charge enough for the hard work they put into their cakes. Granted, if you are at the beginning you work more slowly, you can't make the customer pay for all those hours. But you can definitely charge all the hours it would take a more experienced decorator to make the cake.

I think that Suzanne was trying to say: The more professional your cake looks, as in being served on a correct board, maybe even with a cake stands, and the more professional your working environment is (as in having a professional kitchen, paying all the taxes, insurance etc.) - the more you can charge. 

AThanks for your advice Suzanne, I am just starting out selling my cakes that's why I am unsure about prices. I live in Spain and have a restaurant with my husband. He is a professional chef and I help him with the desserts. So making cakes is not my full time job, just a hobby that turned into a side line, as people have asked me to make cakes through my restaurant business. This cake was short notice that is why I did not have the correct cake base. Sorry if I have offended any professional bakers. Are you saying Suzanne that my cake is not suitable to sell?

MinhCakes~~Thanks for the link to the "Great Pricing Debate".  Enjoyed reading that very much.

It's almost irrelevant whether I think it's good enough to sell or not...

...  what matters is if YOU do. 

I only picked up on what you yourself said - "my cakes are not professional standard".

If you don't value your own work and skills, then your customers won't.

AThe way we do pricing is setting a general base price for every portion size or $ per serving if you will. So 20 ppl base is $$$. And then we add additional items based on time and material. So if a flower takes 1 hour, dont charge less than that hourly rate and material.

Although I do have to say I understand how hard it is to go higher in price especially when the public really is not aware of the labour that goes in these cakes. We once underpriced a cake and actually got three other referrals from them. But because they all knew the first price, they asked for that price range. Had to do it. Either way I agree with not undercharging as this is what people will learn to be the norm and its not. Im sure you can find a middle ground in pricing amd once you see people will pay your confidence will rise.