Your cake is absolutely beautiful! I know I am undercharging for my cakes now! I usually only charge about $70 for a cake that size! I was just having this discussion last week with my husband when I did a cake for a Baptism. It's so hard to determine what to charge!! I think I am definitely raising my prices!!
Good luck to you and again great job and worth $100 for sure!
Lisa
Your cake is gorgeous!!! You said you made the topper using a chocolate transfer - was that out of a mold? I myself have no idea what to charge for my cakes either. I made a bear in a crib cake and wanted a $100 but after hearing the customer complain I ended up giving it away for $75 out of guilt. I live in Toronto and I find no one wants to pay the price especially knowing I bake out of my house. I'm a legit registered business but people want stuff for next to nothing. Now I just name my price ahead of time and stick to it.
i think the problem is it takes a while for us to get comfortable charging for our work-we always have reasons to doubt ourselves
Those toppers are absolutely stunning- the cake is gorgeous.
Don't forget you could start decorating proffesionaly when the kids are in school full time- set your own hours and only schedule cakes that you have time for !!!- thats what I would like to do someday!!!
Your cake is gorgeous!!! You said you made the topper using a chocolate transfer - was that out of a mold? .
No, it wasn't a mold. I just wrote the "40" on paper (see below), then put a piece of clear vinyl over it and traced it with the melted chocolate. When that firmed up a bit, I started flooding it and filled in the numbers. I stuck a skewer on it and then added a couple more layers of chocolate to make it thick enough to hold. When set, I just covered it all with buttercream drop flowers.
I love the way you dressed up the numbers!!! How clever and thanks so much for sharing!!
I live way down south...and I don't think that $75 or $100 is too much!! It is beautiful. I always have a problem charging too!! And if your friend wants to buy you a gift certificate, graciously accept it!! I have made and delievered 2 large 3 layer wedding cakes one for a friend and one for a family member with just a thank you...eithr one probably cost me atleast $100 for the ingredients much less the pans that I bought for each cake!!
Presently I am making just layer cakes for the holidays...I am afraid I am under charging for those also!! I haven't even seriously added up the costs!! What is wrong with us!!!
Hi Ckkerber, Thank You soo much and looking forward to trying this!!! Now, just one more question, how did you insert the sticks, before the chocolate set, you just pushed them in? Will look for more info on chocolate transfers and again, LOVE your numbers!! 
nefgaby,
here are a few links for chocolate transfers (there are MANY in the forums). I love doing them because they look AND TASTE good. And, they're easy!
http://www.geocities.com/heathers_cakes2000/chocolatedemo.html?1109787013625
http://www.cakecentral.com/cake-decorating-ftopict-13945-chocolate.html+transfers
Regarding the sticks, first I traced the outline of the numbers with the melted chocolate. I let that set a bit (maybe 5 minutes) then I started "flooding" the numbers by filling the outlines in with the same melted chocolate. I did that so that I had a nice, thick layer of chocolate, then I put the bamboo skewer (could use lollipop stick, too) on top of it and let it set again for a few minutes. Then, I added another layer or two of the chocolate to "seal" the stick in.
I don't always use skewers for my transfers . . . this one was a bit big so I wanted to be sure it was supported but if you're doing smaller transfers, you can just make a "tab" with the melted chocolate (if you look under the numbers, you can see about an inch of the sage green chocolate underneath - that's a tab that I piped underneath each number as I was piping them) so if it isn't a big or heavy piece, you just pipe extra chocolate at the bottom and make a tab to stick in the cake. That's what I usually do.
Hi Ckkerber, Thanks soo much for the links and the tips on how you did the stick on the numbers! That is awesome! Can't wait to try this out, I've done some colorflow and BC transfers but his sounds so much easier! Thanks again!
Easier, AND it tastes good! No one wants to eat the color flow but these get gobbled up!
At least $150.00. And if I were you, I would only wait till the children are at school. Don't put it off longer than that. You might want to tell whoever you are making a cake for, that although you are unable to charge for the cake you will charge X amount of $ for the ingredients. That way you can at least get something. Good Luck.
June
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