I made the castle cake(in my photos) for my daughter's birthday. While we were at the party someone came up to me and asked who had done the cake. (They were there with another party) When I told them it was me they wanted to know if they could have my email to give to his wife. So, last week I received an email from the wife wanting to know if I could make the same cake for her daughter in April. I emailed her a week ago and told her I could do it for $75. I haven't heard anything back. This would have been my first paid cake and I was worried that maybe I charged her too much. The cake is a 4-layer 8in. on bottom with a 4-layer 6in. on top. Not to mention all the fondant to cover the turrets. Do you think I may have charged her too much and scared her off?

Thanks,
Melody

no...you didn't quote too much...

she probably doesn't appreciate just how much work goes into such a beautiful cake

I think that it was a good price. I am always afraid of over quoting for cakes. Yeah they might get a better price some where but are they going to get as good detail or quality?

I know they'll be disagreement with my opinion here but ...

I think that if you don't feel comfortable with that price, I would email back with a different price. Yeah.. your cake is worth much more, but if you are serious about getting paid for your cakes then you need to build your word of mouth and customer base which IMO is worth it in the long run. Maybe you can tell her you are giving her a first time order discount or something so she'll know not to expect a discount every time. (she doesn't need to know she's your first paid cake!)

Bottom line.. like it was stated above... the general public doesn't know what goes into making cakes, especially like your castle cake, but once they get their own and taste it they'll appreciate what went into it! Especially when their guests are amazed at their one of a kind, custom cake!

Thanks, everyone. I feel better about how much I charged. Although I may take rezzycakes advice and email her back with a new price. I really do want to start selling cakes and definitely need to get word out there.

Melody

That cake is beautiful. I would charge the $75. You know how long it took you to do that cake. It's worth at least $75. It really is beautiful and you did a great job on it. Don't under price yourself.

I wouldn't change your price. $75 is a pretty decent price for that cake. I know a lot of it depends on your area, but castle cakes are a pain in the turret. If you start off underpricing, will you ever be able to claim the money you're worth? I don't sell, so I might not be a good one to grant advice. However, I do buy. I want to enjoy my parties without the stress, so I have someone else bake. I'd happily pay $75 for a castle. You'd probably even get $125 out of me if I ordered with less than two weeks notice.

Take that by a bakery that does custom cakes..see if you can find anyone that will actually take that on...see what they charge..my gut tells me more if you CAN find someone to do it ( or at least SAY they can do it, doesnt mean it will be good) it might make you feel better about the whole thing. I dont know much but that is a heck of a cake, the point above about building a business is valid also so I dont know what to say other than to ask around.

If she is bulking at the price, you could show her an itemized statement of everything that went into that cake and how much it cost you, then she would see what little profit you will actually be making!

I think your cake is priced right and I firmly believe you should stick with your price. Don't undersell yourself. Even if you are just getting established, what you charge says a lot to people. If you under charge, not only will you loose money but then you are telling people you have "cheap" cakes. I wouldn't charge any less than the grocery store and maybe a bit more since you provide custom cakes that the grocery store doesn't. I price my cakes between grocery store prices and specialty bakery prices.
Jacqui

No, you don't need to show your break down. Bakeries don't do that. If she wants the cake she'll purchase it and if she doesn't...she can go to Walmart and get a sheet cake.
Jacqui

Just to echo above, you definitely didn't charge too much. However, I would like to give another point of view --

While it is tempting to lower the price, the advice I've always been given is to state your price and then let them choose whether to go with you or not. YOU know how much work goes into that cake, and the $$$ is worth it. If they don't appreciate it, then they are welcome to get a Costco cake. You're a home baker with no access to the bulk that a bakery has. Your ingredients are fresh. You have to pay for boards, foil or board wrap, everything. That castle cake is an amazing amount of work -- you're not just slapping on a "Happy Birthday." By sticking to your price, which is fair, you're showing that you have confidence in the quality of your work.

That said, if you're in an area where people can't afford to or just aren't willing to pay those prices, then you can rethink it on the next cake.

I hope this came across the right way. I think your cake was amazing, and I would hate to see you undersell yourself.

Sarah

You said 4 layers of 8" and 4 layers of 6"? That is over 60 servings according to the Wilton party chart which is more generous than Earlene's or the Wilton wedding chart. So your price of $75 was a steal! I charge $80 for my castle and it serves 25-30 and its a full two layer 8" with a full two layer 6" and ice cream cone turrets covered in candy.

I totally agree with ladyonzlake - some people are willing to pay for a great custom cake and others can go to Walmart. Don't change your price, if you do she will expect it everytime and tell her friends what a cheap cake she got and then they will all be calling and wanting a $40 castle cake. Your time it worth it.

Thanks for the advice everyone. I have decided to stick with the price but I will email her a second time just in case she didn't get the email. I don't think I would feel good about myself if I charge less for something that I work very hard on.
Melody

I remember one time my SIL saw my cakes and prices and said "Wow, you are quite the entrapaneur!" I hate that because she does not realize that first of all, I DO put money into these cakes. Secondly, I do put quite a bit of time into them baking, filling, icing, decorating, cleaning up. She is a nurse and makes more per hour than I do selling these cakes so no, I am not "quite the little entrapaneur".

Melody,
You have to go by your heart and a steel trap of a guide. Maybe 2 or 3 times the cost of goods or slice, or something like that. Also, it is important to know what your "competition" charges and what's out there. You can gain a bit of pricing confidence if you know what's the going rates in the area. I would say do some research, write a list and go from there...

From the one who should practice what she preaches.. lol

Hope this helps...

When I first started, I printed up a few business cards on my computer with 2 cake pictures on it, and would hand them out if I ever got talking about cake with someone. At first, most cakes I did were for family and friends - and with that came family and friend pricing, but you just have to swallow it. It's all about gaining experience and building your portfolio. Make sure you take a nice picture of EVERY cake you make. When people see what you can do, they're more likely to spend more.

Once I started making cakes for strangers, my prices started at $40 (now they generally range $60 - $100, but are sometimes more). I would just tell them that I like to make very fancy cakes, and if they're looking for a bargain then Loblaws makes nice cakes. That's what it comes down to... if Loblaws can charge $59.99 for a Barbie cake that looks like it was made by a 10 year old, then I would charge $40 with no guilt whatsoever. You have to have confidence in your abilties, and that comes with experience and with seeing what other people are doing and charging for it. I still struggle with pricing because my cakes have gone up in quality and I'm trying to get the prices to reflect that. Making cakes for new people gives me the oportunity to run a higher price and see how it goes over without any awkwardness. Sometimes when I give a quote that I think they may find high, I'll also point out that I can do a scaled down version to suit their budget. It can be good to give options to a general inquiry.

At the end of the day, if you love baking then you will do it even if it's just for yourself. But if you don't get paid what you deserve, then you may resent doing it for other people - and that's not conducive to having a business. Make lists of EXACTLY how much it costs for cake batter, icing, etc. and start there. Then maybe ask someone you trust with good business sense how much they think it's worth. Keep in mind that at the beginning, all profit you make will go right to building up the equipment you needs (man, there's so much STUFF you need!).

So the first year is all about gaining experience, building your portfolio, and accumulating equipment. Make some business cards, and chat with people about cakes. It helps to have pictures with you, so having a couple pics on the card itself will help you not seem pushy when showing strangers what you can do. Talk to Moms, because they buy birthday cakes more regularly than anyone. I did tons of birthday cakes at first.

Sorry this is so long... Hope it helps! Good luck!

I wouldn't change the price. $75 is great for that castle!! I'd just email back and ask her if she is interested in the cake. Depending on when in April the party is, she may still be in the planning stages and hasn't finalized all the details. Just give her a little reminder and ask if she wants to book the date!

good luck!