HI I have just made this cake for the brother in laws wedding as there wedding gift and as it was to feed 250 people and all the work involved I worked out it would be about $1500 if I was to sell. So what I was wanting to know is am I on the right track or way off base. The cake was a chocolate sludge cake with ganache and baileys with bakels ivory fondant and gum paste flowers.
The photo is in my photos.
Thank you for any help you can give.
Very pretty!
I've never made a wedding cake, so I can't give much advice. I'm sure it depends on your area, but I could never get away with $6 a slice. Of course, that's dependent on my skill, as well. I would probably charge about $750, which is $3 a slice. How much did the ingredients cost? How much time did it take to make?
It looks beautiful, and sounds delicious. Maybe I'll have to take a trip to Louisiana. 
i think 1500 is too high for your cake. As beautiful as it is. you did a great job. I would say the 600-700 range? How did you arrive at your price?
Hi thanks for the comments.
I worked out $4.00 per slice so thats 1000 for the cake also there was a sheet cake as well to make it up to 250 serves.
add in the flowers 40 of them at $5 each same as we charge at the bakery i work at = $200
add in the 3 1/2 hours it took to fondant the cake in the parcel style as it is strips not rolling out one piece of fondant, which would have taken me alot less time. =$70
Plus the ganache ingredients and baileys. $20
which comes to just shy of 1300 and then I guess i added another 100 for headaches that it caused me dealing with the family so maybe I should say $1300.
It took including all the flowers baking and icing and assembly at the place as I couldnt do it before hand as had to drive an hour to deliver. 20hours there abouts i did the flowers over time and it was my first time doing gum paste flowers so it took a while.
supplies and ingredients cost $160 including buying and shipping the fondant 15lbs of it and i used all but maybe 2lb.
Hope this helps explain my price to start with. Any more comments or helpful hints would be really great. Thanks again
I always thought that a per slice cost was all inclusive. Or maybe a low base per slice cost plus the extras.
What would you charge for a very plain wedding cake? Is it $4 a slice? If so, then your extras seem reasonable. If not, maybe start with what you would charge for a very basic cake, then add your extras.
I generally charge about 3x my materials cost, which would be about $480 for this cake. Then, add your $200 for flowers, your delivery cost, and the extra for the fancy fondant work. So, that brings you to between $750 & $1,000, which would be between $3 & $4 a slice.
Again, though, I've never done a wedding cake, so I've never actually priced one.
I always thought that a per slice cost was all inclusive. Or maybe a low base per slice cost plus the extras.
I agree....even with your extras I think in the neighborhood of $850-1,000 is more reasonable, however, only you can determine price by your region and costs incurred, but that cake in my area would not go for $1,500.....it is very nice though!
The way you put it sound resonable. If that cost can be tolorated where you are go for it. Also never undercut yourself.
The photo gallery is down so I can't see the cake. I was just wondering on the base price of $4 a serving. It just seems that others in LA that I have seen on here charged much less but if that is normal in your area than I guess you are on the right track. From what I have seen at a lot of places in my area (DC metro) they start out less than that and I thought this was kind of a more pricey area. I don't know that I would charge $5 per flower either, but that is just me.
Kristin
In my bakery the cake would have cost $4 per actual serving and the plain sheet cakes would have been $45 each.
I am 20 miles outside Manhatten so you figure you cannot get more expensive that that. I would say $5 a slice is what I would charge. That seems a bit pricey to be outside a major metro area.
Love the cake, if you quote that price and have paying customers more power to you. You know better that us what goes in your area.
I would think your base price should include your time.
My base price for a la carte wedding cake is $2.50 .... that gets you cake, delivery and set-up. i don't do fondant or gumpaste, so I can understand an extra charge for those. Just for curiousity ..... do you charge a flat fee per flower because they were fondant or gumpaste, or would you charge a per-flower fee even it if was buttercream florals?
Whew! I just have to say that I live in the wrong area for cake decorating!!! I charge $1.25-$1.50 per slice for a wedding cake. That is about all people will pay here in Iowa!
P.S. The cake was beautiful!
wow. that's my plain 'ole sheet cake pricing!
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