Trouble W/pricing Issues Help Please
Business By OhMyGoodies Updated 27 Jun 2007 , 5:01pm by OhMyGoodies
Ok I went to the People Magazine website and viewed the cakes in the 51 states thing... And I noticed my surrounding area is charging anywhere from $2.50 to $8.00 per slice for cakes. In Delaware, very close by about 30-40 minutes, is charging $2.50 per slice for birthday party cakes. Charm City Cakes (I know MAJOR difference) is charging a starting price of $8.00 per serving.
Now I've seen it said many times to check local shops for thier prices per serving and so on, BUT big problem... in Easton, we're a very VERY small town and there are no bakeries like that, only place to buy birthday cakes is at the grocery store bakery. They don't price per serving, they charge a base price for thier cakes and it depends on decorations chosen. I paid $35.~ for a Disney Princess cake from the store 3 years ago, and it was a 1/4 sheet and had to send hubby back to the store to purchase another plain sheet cake with just icing and a few roses on it and it was only $18.~.... what gives!?!?!?!
If I do the $2.50 or even $2.25 per serving I'd end up charging:
1/4 Sheet Cake - 10/12 Servings $27.00
1/2 Sheet Cake - 25/30 Servings $67.50
3/4 Sheet Cake - 45/60 Servings $135.00
Full Sheet Cake - 65/75 Servings $168.75
Those are priced at $2.25 per serving.... There is no way in hell I'd get $170.~ for a cake.... not in this area and not with my current clientel.
Any help will be much appreciated!!!!!
Also I don't know how to make roses yet so I buy them from the grocery store bakery and they run me .50 cents each for small ones or I can go to the other store that is willing to do them for $2.00 each for medium/normal size on normal sheet cakes in the store.... I'm happier with the .50 cents per rose even though they are smaller because I don't have to charge extra if someone wants roses... but if I were to have to pay upwards of $2.00 or more for roses I'd have to charge them at least half of what I pay out for them... and I don't want to have to do that lol (I am practicing and trying to find someone locally that can help me and teach me, I'm better at watching and doing and having someone tell me what I'm doing wrong rather then watching a video or reading directions and trying to do it and not knowing exactly what I'm doing wrong or how to fix it...)
Anyway any MD'ers out there that can help with pricing issues???? Or anyone that can give me some guidance in this???
Thanks in advance!!!
I dunno, I think if you want to price by serving, and you don't have much local competition, go for it. If you grow, you will want to keep your same pricing methods anyway.
I just recently raised my sheet prices to $2/serving, partly because I don't want to make very many!
Maybe go 1.50/serving for sheets? Its your choice whether to buy or make roses so I'd probably not charge extra... sometimes I buy something extra just to make my life easier, and the lost profit is worth saving the time so its not bad.
Once you price a few cakes out you'll be able to tell if you are getting enough for them or not, esp once you figure out your hourly "wage".
Thank you for your help. I've revisited my prices and I've updated them at the $1.50 rate and this is what I've come up with....
Sheet Cakes
Sheet Cakes are priced at $1.50 per serving & are single layers.
Size: Approximate Servings: Price:
¼ Sheet 10/12 $18.00
½ Sheet 25/30 $45.00
¾ Sheet 45/60 $90.00
Full Sheet 65/70 $112.50
Round Cakes
These cakes are priced at $2.00 per serving & wedding slices.
Size: Party Servings: Wedding Servings: Price:
6 - 2 layer 6/10 14 $28.00
8 - 2 layer 10/15 25 $50.00
10 - 2 layer 15/24 39 $78.00
12 - 2 layer 20/30 56 $112.00
14 - 2 layer 28/40 77 $154.00
16 - 2 layer 35/50 100 $200.00
It all lined up better in Word cause it's in a table lmao
Anyone else have any tips for me with pricing?? Anyone from MD or close to the Eastern Shore of MD?
Rosie in MD is over in Queens Anne County, but unfortunately I think its just the three of us out in No Where Land!!
I just cant see how a 6" cake can feed 10 people. They obviously havent been around my house!! My husband could eat it on his own!!
Man, I hope I have enough for this babyshower cake. I made two 6" and two 14" and there is about 30-40 people going.
Thank you for your help. I've revisited my prices and I've updated them at the $1.50 rate and this is what I've come up with....
Sheet Cakes
Sheet Cakes are priced at $1.50 per serving & are single layers.
Size: Approximate Servings: Price:
¼ Sheet 10/12 $18.00
½ Sheet 25/30 $45.00
¾ Sheet 45/60 $90.00
Full Sheet 65/70 $112.50
Round Cakes
These cakes are priced at $2.00 per serving & wedding slices.
Size: Party Servings: Wedding Servings: Price:
6 - 2 layer 6/10 14 $28.00
8 - 2 layer 10/15 25 $50.00
10 - 2 layer 15/24 39 $78.00
12 - 2 layer 20/30 56 $112.00
14 - 2 layer 28/40 77 $154.00
16 - 2 layer 35/50 100 $200.00
It all lined up better in Word cause it's in a table lmao
Anyone else have any tips for me with pricing?? Anyone from MD or close to the Eastern Shore of MD?
So does this mean if you do a wedding cake of a 6in 10in 12in it would cost 240.00 for the cake? or will you do a wedding cake diff
Sheet Cakes
Sheet Cakes are priced at $1.50 per serving & are single layers.
Size: Approximate Servings: Price:
¼ Sheet 10/12 $18.00
½ Sheet 25/30 $45.00
¾ Sheet 45/60 $90.00
Full Sheet 65/70 $112.50
What are the actual sizes of a 1/4, 1/2, 3/4 and full Seet cakes?
I have never been asked to do a wedding cake 
and I don't think I would but figured I'd fit that into the pricing incase someone did ask.
I think I would do a base price off these for weddings and charge additional fees for things such as detail work or anything special. This would be just a plain buttercream icing, with BC filling to match outside icing, and a simple border, and simple flowers. I've seen alot of intricate detail work on wedding cakes here at CC as well as elsewhere and I'm sure it took alot of time and alot of attention to detail to get it perfect and I would have to charge accordingly, so I guess these would be base prices with details being addition charges... is that wrong??? or should I just take the whole wedding junk out???
I'm a little funny for sheet cakes and sometimes my prices vary. If a sheet cake is ordered for a wedding it's $1.50 per serving for a single layer. It's iced and not decorated. I'm in Baltimore and my wedding cakes are $3.50 for buttercream and $4.50 for fondant. Any additional complex designs or fresh fruit is extra. The fruit I charge at cost and usually round up a little to make up for the time it took to get the fruit. I can make flowers, but prefer to buy them b/c of time. Fondant bow toppers and anything else handmade is extra as well. These prices are very reasonable when the brides compare me to Charm City, Sugarbakers and some other bakeries around here. But it is a different clientelle up here I suppose. I get alot of brides from Columbia and surrounding areas, have delivered to Frederick a few times and even over the bridge once or twice. If they are willing to pay for the delivery charge than I'll go wherever they want! Good luck and feel confident in asking what you want for your cake. My feeling is that if you believe that that is what your cakes are worth than that will convey to customers and they'll believe it as well.
Sheet Cakes
Sheet Cakes are priced at $1.50 per serving & are single layers.
Size: Approximate Servings: Price:
¼ Sheet 10/12 $18.00
½ Sheet 25/30 $45.00
¾ Sheet 45/60 $90.00
Full Sheet 65/70 $112.50
What are the actual sizes of a 1/4, 1/2, 3/4 and full Seet cakes?
1/4 sheet is 9x13
1/2 sheet is 11x15
3/4 sheet is 12x18
Full sheet is 2 11x15's to make either an 11x30 or 22x15... isn't that how they work that???
Rosie in MD is over in Queens Anne County, but unfortunately I think its just the three of us out in No Where Land!!
I just cant see how a 6" cake can feed 10 people. They obviously havent been around my house!! My husband could eat it on his own!!
Man, I hope I have enough for this babyshower cake. I made two 6" and two 14" and there is about 30-40 people going.
I too find it hard to believe because my own husband devoured a 6" by himself just the other day lol. I did mark it as 4 pieces just to see the sizes of the slices... I did it kinda of like pac-man (tm) and when I cut the one piece out it looked just like him lol. But I guess if they cut it into squares it would yield 10 pieces... but I haven't tried it myself I guess I should do that lol.
Rosie in MD is over in Queens Anne County, but unfortunately I think its just the three of us out in No Where Land!!
I just cant see how a 6" cake can feed 10 people. They obviously havent been around my house!! My husband could eat it on his own!!
Man, I hope I have enough for this babyshower cake. I made two 6" and two 14" and there is about 30-40 people going.
I too find it hard to believe because my own husband devoured a 6" by himself just the other day lol. I did mark it as 4 pieces just to see the sizes of the slices... I did it kinda of like pac-man (tm) and when I cut the one piece out it looked just like him lol. But I guess if they cut it into squares it would yield 10 pieces... but I haven't tried it myself
I guess I should do that lol.
ohmygoodies
I hope your the one that had the Crisco info, Have u made roses out of your receipe im trying to get a science down on my BC and my roses keep looking wet even after there dried i will try the milk , should the icing be kept in the frig and even the cake maybe cool,.
I have tried to use my recipe for the roses but I just can't get my roses right reguardless of which recipe I use lol. I've even tried using the Wilton CAN icing specially perfect for Roses lol... and I just can't get it right But my icing is PERFECT for my cakes lol. I do keep them in fridge until time for delivery and if it's really far I put them in a cooler with ice packs on the bottom underneath them. And I do advise my clients if there is any leftovers (which there never are lol) to keep them in the fridge unless thier home has really good central air 
Edited to add: (because I misread the previous post lol)
I keep all my BC in the fridge in a sealed bowl (Wilton's 3 pack of bowls work GREAT!). No matter which recipe I use I always keep it in the fridge. If I need it soft for spreading I take it out a few hours before I need it, it only takes maybe 2-3 hours on my kitchen counter as it's very hot in my kitchen. Once it's ready for use I take it in the bowl into the living room by the air conditioner where I do my decorating 
When you make your roses you should use a pretty stiff buttercream so they don't sag. I use the following recipe:
2 C Crisco
6 Tbs Water
2 Tbs Merengue powder
2 lbs powdered sugar
http://www.wilton.com/decorating/basic/roses.cfm
Before I took any classes I taught myself the rose with this technique above off of the wilton site. It isn't hard to do, just takes a few practice rounds to get it down.
Thanks for the info and recipe and video on making the roses. I must admit I've always used a BC recipe that has butter in it instead of straight Crisco. And I've never used Merengue powder in mine... I will try this though and see how it turns out.
Also all roses that I've purchased from the store have a distinct taste of crisco... and don't taste anything like my BC lol and they even have a little wet sheen to them when they come to room temp... I keep them stored in a container in the freezer until ready to use as my house is extremely HOT!
When you make your roses you should use a pretty stiff buttercream so they don't sag. I use the following recipe:
2 C Crisco
6 Tbs Water
2 Tbs Merengue powder
2 lbs powdered sugar
http://www.wilton.com/decorating/basic/roses.cfm
Before I took any classes I taught myself the rose with this technique above off of the wilton site. It isn't hard to do, just takes a few practice rounds to get it down.
Thanks for the info . thats what i normally use but for some reason i think the Crisco since its different now has the problem since the formula has changed
I never add water to my crisco... no matter which one it is... I always use milk... helps it mix better as water and oil/fat/grease don't mix.
Anyone else have any ideas on my pricing??? I've made a few changes the full sheet is constructed of 4 - 11"x15" cakes for a total of 22"x30" and is priced at $180.~ and yields approx. 115/120 servings. I figured these up by multiplying the price as well as the servings from the single 11"x15" cake....
Any more advice or ideas on this whole pricing thing????
TIA!!
Quote by @%username% on %date%
%body%