I am from upstate New York and have been doing cakes for several years now. I am self taught (a lot I learned from watching my mom and grandmother as a child) I have always had a great love for baking and just did cakes for family and friends. Over the past several years, and especially the last 10 months or so, word of mouth has gotten around that I do cakes and I have been getting so many orders. I am being asked more frequently now for larger wedding cakes, anniversary cakes etc. I am having a hard time determining how much to charge people. Would be curious to know what the average going rate is for tiered cakes? Any hints. I want to be sure that I am charging enough but not too much. No one has as of yet complained baout my prices for any of my cakes which makes me wonder if I should be charging more. Any help would be appreciated.
You need to do a search of area bakeries & supermarkets & see what they are charging. You then sit down & write all your costs down: from all your ingredients, to cake boards, colors, electric & anything you will use to make your cake. Then decide how much you will tack on to make your price.
I, too, am struggling with this question. I have had my business for 3 years, but I continually wonder "Am I charging enough?"
After seeing some of the prices on this website, I think I'm letting my customers off easy! 
I charge $1.75 per serving for a basic tiered cake...anything detailed/elaborate would cost more, but basically everyone wants "Simple".
My quarter sheet is $22, 1/2 sheet $36.00
I would LOVE to hear other peoples' pricing, as well!
I have a hard time charging people, but I'm realizing that it allows me to take my time and futher my skills when I charge a fair price.
Good luck, kidscakelady!!
I had to sit down and set prices not too long ago and it is hard. I know that most people say call around but don't undercut the bakeries... you are offering a higher quality product.
Sometime I think my prices are too high but I would rather get less business then to continue feeling like I am working for free....my 6" round cake is $20 - but it is a full 4" high and a cool size... The 8" is $25 and on up - I don't do sheet or 1/4 sheet cakes. I also specified $1.75 /serving basic BC and $2.50 for fondant but and whoo-wheee... that seems cheap considering my servings are bigger than the bakeries...
Hey Cake Diva...I have a question for you:
Do you feel like people are disappointed when you don't offer sheet cakes, or do you think you lose business??
I , too, would love to abandon sheet cakes for good. I am so tired of the ho-hum designs and lack of opportunity for creative designs. But EVERYONE orders them, so I don't want to be disloyal to my valuable clients.
Do you have any thoughts on this/advice??
Much appreciated!!!
Here is a link to a pricematrix thread that you put everything in and it gives you a cost.
Hope it helps!
http://www.cakecentral.com/cake-decorating-ftopict-5711.html
Stpehanie
Hey Cake Diva...I have a question for you:
Do you feel like people are disappointed when you don't offer sheet cakes, or do you think you lose business??
I , too, would love to abandon sheet cakes for good. I am so tired of the ho-hum designs and lack of opportunity for creative designs. But EVERYONE orders them, so I don't want to be disloyal to my valuable clients.
Do you have any thoughts on this/advice??
Much appreciated!!!
Well, I have never offered them so I didn't change my policy or anything... I am more into classic cakes, I guess. I LOVE the old fashioned look of a nice, high round cake... whether the decorations are basic, simple, elaborate or even obnoxious 
I always prefer it to sheet cakes.
To be really honest - I hate sheet cakes and always have..... they are just sooooo flat and even when people create beautiful decorations, I think the fact that it is a sheet cake sort of detracts from it. I do understand, however, that it is the most affordable way to feed a crowd but my mind starts to spin at the thought of baking, frosting and hadling sheet cakes....
Since I don't even have a sheet pan, I often run into people on a budget who want their school logo, etc.. but a cheap cake so I tell them to get a Costco frosted white and then I pimp it out 
( LOL - I couldn't resist!! ) for $20. I know it's a bit weird but I don't care... it makes everyone happy... I don't have to make sheet cakes and they don't have to spend a fortune!
The rectangular Clifford cake in my pics is a Costco cake....
maybe I should start a series of my own....
* Pimp my Cake * rotflmao.... I think I have the giggles today
PIMP MY CAKE! 
That is just the laugh I needed after a hard day at college and more to go! 20 hr. I wreally was crazy but I'm super excited and I'm glad I have CC for great laughs!
Pimp my Cake! ROFL!
Quote by @%username% on %date%
%body%