I'm getting more and more cake orders and most are from none family members, some are even wedding cakes. I want to have a base price per slice system, but don't know whats resonable. I live in Erie, PA. Its a nice midsized city, we only have one really nice cake shoppe (and most people wouldn't even imagine paying her prices, $5-$9/slice) but shes not exactly going out of business either.

I'm just starting out and I don't want to over charge people. I don't know how much extra to charge for things like fondant, gumpaste flowers, premuim ingredients, etc. I'm taking classes at the wilton school of cake decorating in chicago this summer, cake sculpting, GP flowers with Nicholas Lodge, & both Colette Peters classes.

So say I started out at a base price of $1.50/$1.75/slice
$.25/slice additional for premium ingredients
$1.00/slice additional for fondant
$.50/slice addtional for fondant decorations

Is that how it works? Would any of you mind telling me how you charge people? what system you use and how your prices break down?

I would appreciate any help at all. you guys are so great!

I have my prices on my web site, but they are deciving...Those prices are for basic buttercream...any fondant ups the price, flowers, etc...

So really i just make up the prices based on product and time..I know I am low, everyone tells me I am low. But i kinda live in the sticks, so.....

Best thing to do is call bakeries in your twon and get their prices and go a tiny bit under them...

http://forum.cakecentral.com/cake-decorating-ftopict-318383-three.html+layer+filling

I have a post in this topic about how I broke down my pricing on my price list.

All of these prices are base prices. I have a little note that states what is included in the price. I then have another box that list the additional charges for Fondant, Ganache, Cream cheese icing, Specialty fillings, Specialty cake flavors.

I made a note that all additional decorations will be priced per custom order. this way depending on the flowers involved or bows etc I can price per cake and if I end up getting quite a few orders for something like this then I can just keep a running list for myself to refer to, but the customer would have to many choices if I put all of the info on there (and I had a hard enough time getting my price list onto one 8 1/2"x11" piece of paper too!)