Are You Willing To Share Your Prices???

Decorating By sweetcravings Updated 15 Sep 2008 , 6:25pm by margaretb

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sweetcravings Posted 6 Sep 2008 , 3:15pm
post #1 of 71

Ok so i've been trying to figure out my costs on cakes and just recently sat down and tried to tally everything together on a 12x12x2(3once iced) cake..I was kinda shocked with the numbers. I never really charged for them and now i'm realizing how much money i have forked over in cakes over the years...So..here's the cake i'm talking about..

I figured that just ingredients/box/board etc.. is around 35.00, It's chocolate fudge cake, buttercream iced, glaze image on top that required me to use my projector and the glaze. Not filled or torted.
When i factor in baking, making the icing, 1hr of decorating, cleanup it comes to around 3.5hrs time total and that's being modest since i think i spent more time on decorating the cake than an hour...BUT anyway...If i charge myself 15.oohr for my wage in time that's another 52.50 I add to the cake...GRAND TOTAL....88.00CANADIAN without marking up anything for a profit. icon_eek.gif
Does that seem high to you for this type of cake? I would want to mark it up more so that i actually make a profit on it but how high could i go really? What's the point of making the cake if you don't make any money on it right?

Is anyone willing to share their price lists with me? Do you charge per slice for party cakes?? I think i will be sticking with party cakes for now. Wedding seem like a lot of stress,yet i know that is where the money is at.

I guess i have a hard time believing anyone would be willing to pay 100.00 on this size of cake. Everyone says my cakes are wonderful but would they fork over their money? I can only imagine what i would have to charge for a more detailed cake with fondant accents etc...

Suzanne
LL

70 replies
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mixinvixen Posted 6 Sep 2008 , 4:05pm
post #2 of 71

great cake!!! you did a wonderful job!

i am one of those people that will spend money if i think it's justifed, ie a special friend, a special day, etc. the average person, though, would probably have a problem with it, since it looks simple to the non-decorator eye.

i really don't think, when first starting this business, that the average person will be rolling in the dough!! i think it takes a few years of building up your experience, building up the right client base, before you can start naming a price and people still jump at it.

how you get to that point though?...by working long hours building up your skills and not getting rich...make it where you're so darned good, that people feel honored that you were even able to fit them in. give them "bragging rights!!"

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jab Posted 6 Sep 2008 , 7:48pm
post #3 of 71

I don't know if this will help you or not, but, what I did was go to our local cake shops and got a price sheet from them for our area and then averaged them for my price list of what to charge. I went somewhere in the middle of them so I would be competitive money wise. Your cake is really cute. Good luck.

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SugarFrosted Posted 6 Sep 2008 , 8:13pm
post #4 of 71

Very cute cake!

For quite a while now, the general rule of thumb here has been to add up ALL your costs (sugar, flour, eggs, butter, electricity, parchment, toothpicks, Viva paper towels, etc...everything) for making the cake, and then triple it for your final number. The first 1/3 covers your cost, the second 1/3 supposedly covers your labor, and the last 1/3 is your profit. The higher your skill level and the higher the demand for your services dictate how high your prices can be, and of course, the area where you do business.

I can't rationalize charging my client for the time it takes to make frosting or clean my kitchen. That is just "part of doing business" in my opinion. I usually set aside one day periodically to just make frosting. It is a pain to have to stop in the middle of what I am doing to make another batch of frosting, and for that reason, I have a second small fridge just for frosting, so I can make enough to last a couple of weeks. When I clean, I am cleaning up after a bunch of cakes.

I charge $35 for a 9x13 quarter sheet, $60 for a 12x18 half sheet, and start at $2.50/serving for weddings. I don't do fondant.

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Mike1394 Posted 6 Sep 2008 , 9:16pm
post #5 of 71

Are you sure that is your cost? That seems awful high. That's what it might be to go buy the ingredients, or is that the actual break down? For a 0ne layer 12x12 that just seems high to me.

Mike

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indydebi Posted 6 Sep 2008 , 10:15pm
post #6 of 71
Quote:
Originally Posted by sweetcravings

I guess i have a hard time believing anyone would be willing to pay 100.00 on this size of cake.



12x12, when cut in 2x2 pieces, serves 36 (6 rows by 6 columns). That's less than $3/serving ... MUCH cheaper than taking 36 people to a restaurant and paying $3.99 to $5.99 or more per serving.

It's not a $100 cake .... It's enough cake, custom made JUST for that client, to feed 36 people.

Quote:
Originally Posted by SugarFrosted

I can't rationalize charging my client for the time it takes to make frosting or clean my kitchen. That is just "part of doing business" in my opinion.



Well, that "part of doing business" is called overhead and SOMEBODY needs to pay for it. If you're going to operate like a business, you need to think like a business. And in a business, you are paying an employee to clean the kitchen and make the frosting. It's part of the cake-making-process, ergo it's part of the expense. Whether you are paying a teenager to do it, or whether you are paying YOU to do it, the labor costs need to be accounted for.

I think this is the main reason that cakers go into their own version of sticker shock when they open a shop and have real expenses that they haven't been counting when they were an at-home baker.

If you're going to operate like a real business, then you have to OPERATE like a real business .... and that means collecting money for ALL expenses, such as sweeping the floor and washing the towels.

(And how is mixing the icing not part of making the cake, but mixing the cake batter is?? icon_confused.gif )

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indydebi Posted 6 Sep 2008 , 10:22pm
post #7 of 71
Quote:
Originally Posted by sweetcravings

Is anyone willing to share their price lists with me?



P.S. All of my pricing is right on my website, front and center.

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lovinkakes Posted 6 Sep 2008 , 10:31pm
post #8 of 71

All of my prices are right on my website, too. I'm a student of indydebi's. Currently I really can't afford to make a cake for under $150 so it really doesn't happen. I rent a shop (hourly).

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MacsMom Posted 6 Sep 2008 , 10:33pm
post #9 of 71

I charge $4 to $5 per serving, depending on the "complexity of the design" (stolen words from Ace of Cakes).

So for a cake that would serve 36 @ $4, your 12x12 is $144 in my books!

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SugarFrosted Posted 7 Sep 2008 , 3:56am
post #10 of 71

My point was that when I make frosting, I spend a day making frosting...gallons and gallons of frosting ... and the time it takes to make the small portion of the whole batch, that which I use on one cake, is included in my "1/3 for my labor" portion of the "cost x 3 = price" formula. I do this out of my home, mostly for fun, but there is some profit. If I had a shop, my prices would be a lot higher out of necessity.

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newnancy Posted 7 Sep 2008 , 4:19am
post #11 of 71

Indydebi, I don't want to embarass you but I just have to say that I love your frankness & wit & you are so willing to help people with all you know. I went to your flickr site & love your cakes & everything else. Nice to finally put a face with your name. You are the total package.
Nancy

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shadowgypsie Posted 7 Sep 2008 , 4:33am
post #12 of 71

I use My Cake Boss software. It really helps. As I put in my prices for ingredients, the cost of disposable supplies, hrly wage for my time, I hit the button and get my total.

I get $75 for a 9x13 torted and filled Chocolate Butter cream frosted cake with a picture of the GA Bulldog on it.

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indydebi Posted 7 Sep 2008 , 1:04pm
post #13 of 71

If I used the "times 3" system, I'd be bankrupt in 20 minutes.

The cost of ingredients to make one dozen of my chocolate cookies with peanut butter chips is less than $1 per dozen ... I sell them for $6/dozen. I couldn't afford to sell them for less than $3/dozen and still meet expenses.

When you do "ingredients times 3", you are assuming a standardized product that takes the same amount of time to make, regardless. NFSC costs me less than $5 to make one batch (a batch defined as starting with 12 cups of flour). But I sell ONE cookie for $7 .... the TIME INVOLVED to make that one cookie is WAY more cost than the ingredients.

I can make a 3-tier wedding cake for 100 at a cost of less than $40. But if I sold that cake for "times 3" of $120, everyone on here would be down my throat for diminishing the value of the market with a cake being sold at $1.20/serving, and how I wasn't getting proper compensation for ....yeah, I'm saying it again .... my TIME!!!!

It hurts me to see people use the "times 3" system when they are not considering the actual TIME involved. They are not considering their TRUE expenses.....they are not covering ALL of their expenses. THey think "expenses" means "ingredients" only. I just find that so sad.

I'm not sure where this "times 3" crap came from, but I'm ranking it right up there with "dummy cakes are cheaper".

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sweetcravings Posted 7 Sep 2008 , 3:24pm
post #14 of 71
Quote:
Originally Posted by indydebi

Quote:
Originally Posted by sweetcravings

I guess i have a hard time believing anyone would be willing to pay 100.00 on this size of cake.


12x12, when cut in 2x2 pieces, serves 36 (6 rows by 6 columns). That's less than $3/serving ... MUCH cheaper than taking 36 people to a restaurant and paying $3.99 to $5.99 or more per serving.

It's not a $100 cake .... It's enough cake, custom made JUST for that client, to feed 36 people.

Quote:
Originally Posted by SugarFrosted

I can't rationalize charging my client for the time it takes to make frosting or clean my kitchen. That is just "part of doing business" in my opinion.


Well, that "part of doing business" is called overhead and SOMEBODY needs to pay for it. If you're going to operate like a business, you need to think like a business. And in a business, you are paying an employee to clean the kitchen and make the frosting. It's part of the cake-making-process, ergo it's part of the expense. Whether you are paying a teenager to do it, or whether you are paying YOU to do it, the labor costs need to be accounted for.

I think this is the main reason that cakers go into their own version of sticker shock when they open a shop and have real expenses that they haven't been counting when they were an at-home baker.

If you're going to operate like a real business, then you have to OPERATE like a real business .... and that means collecting money for ALL expenses, such as sweeping the floor and washing the towels.

(And how is mixing the icing not part of making the cake, but mixing the cake batter is?? icon_confused.gif )




Indydebi,
You make so much sense! You gave me some great advise when i was pricing out my cannolis (cream horns :0) ) and again you've given me more great information.
I like how you make the point about taking 35ppl out to the restaurant...I think i will use that in the future when dealing with people. It's sooo true.
I checked out your prices. It seems you have a 3.00/person fee for wedding cakes..Is this the same for celebration cakes? I've read on CC people have different pricing for wedding / celebration cakes. Is your pricing per slice regardless of the type of event it is for? Whats your thought on that?
When i was factoring in my costs i did include the time for all the mixing, cleaning, decorating etc... because i remember you had advised that before in the other thread. I know my numbers are modest too.

suzanne

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sweetcravings Posted 7 Sep 2008 , 3:28pm
post #15 of 71
Quote:
Originally Posted by MacsMom

I charge $4 to $5 per serving, depending on the "complexity of the design" (stolen words from Ace of Cakes).

So for a cake that would serve 36 @ $4, your 12x12 is $144 in my books!




icon_eek.gif Wow, 144.00! Now that's more like it. icon_biggrin.gif Do people flinch when you tell them? Are you busy with orders? Where abouts do you live? I dunno if people would pay that here but damn its sounds like a good number to me. icon_lol.gif

Is that fee for both celebration and wedding cakes or do you have a separate charge for them?

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sweetcravings Posted 7 Sep 2008 , 3:36pm
post #16 of 71
Quote:
Originally Posted by lovinkakes

Currently I really can't afford to make a cake for under $150 so it really doesn't happen. I rent a shop (hourly).





So you don't do your cakes for under 150.00? What is the smallest size you charge for that price? Do you get a lot of orders? Once you add in details of fondant bows etc... how does the price go up to reflect that?

I'm loving the numbers but i guess i'm skeptical if people will pay.

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indydebi Posted 7 Sep 2008 , 3:37pm
post #17 of 71

I do not charge different pricing for wedding vs. birthday cakes. I actually notice that I spend WAY more time talking to a birthday mom over a $60 birthday cake, than I do talking with a bride on a $450 wedding cake! So don't give me the baloney about how wedding cakes have samplings but birthdays don't ..... when you eat up my time, you pay for it. I'm usually pulling my hair out trying to get a birthday mom to make a freakin' decision .... ON A LOUSY $60 CAKE!!!!! icon_mad.gif

I am also not going to get into the conversation on why a 10" birthday cake is $60 but a 10" wedding tier is $105. Same cake, same work, same price. Heck, if you compare a detailed birthday cake with a simple "wrap a ribbon around the base" wedding cake, the birthday cake is MORE work! So why would I charge a lower price for it?

Those who balk at the price ... I send them to walmart. They weren't going to be my customer anyway.

As I learned on CC .... "Some people can't afford me ... and that's OK!"

I do have a page of Dessert Cakes on my website ... but they are still close the $3 range. Less decorating but more enhanced cakes.

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sweetcravings Posted 7 Sep 2008 , 3:41pm
post #18 of 71
Quote:
Originally Posted by Mike1394

Are you sure that is your cost? That seems awful high. That's what it might be to go buy the ingredients, or is that the actual break down? For a 0ne layer 12x12 that just seems high to me.

Mike




Yup that's the estimated cost. I don't buy wholesale. I bake out of the home and these are the best prices i can find around my home at the grocery stores etc... I know it's crazy but what can i do this is what i have to go on. The labor is alot of the cost...i put it at 3.5hrs @ 15.00 hr...52.50.

suz

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indydebi Posted 7 Sep 2008 , 3:44pm
post #19 of 71
Quote:
Originally Posted by sweetcravings

Quote:
Originally Posted by Mike1394

Are you sure that is your cost? That seems awful high. That's what it might be to go buy the ingredients, or is that the actual break down? For a 0ne layer 12x12 that just seems high to me.

Mike



Yup that's the estimated cost. I don't buy wholesale. I bake out of the home and these are the best prices i can find around my home at the grocery stores etc... I know it's crazy but what can i do this is what i have to go on. The labor is alot of the cost...i put it at 3.5hrs @ 15.00 hr...52.50.

suz




wow, what a difference location makes. If I had to do a quick 12" single layer like that, I'd just run to walmart to get what I needed .... I figure it would cost me $10-$12 in supplies.

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sweetcravings Posted 7 Sep 2008 , 3:45pm
post #20 of 71
Quote:
Originally Posted by indydebi

I do not charge different pricing for wedding vs. birthday cakes. I actually notice that I spend WAY more time talking to a birthday mom over a $60 birthday cake, than I do talking with a bride on a $450 wedding cake! So don't give me the baloney about how wedding cakes have samplings but birthdays don't ..... when you eat up my time, you pay for it. I'm usually pulling my hair out trying to get a birthday mom to make a freakin' decision .... ON A LOUSY $60 CAKE!!!!! icon_mad.gif

I am also not going to get into the conversation on why a 10" birthday cake is $60 but a 10" wedding tier is $105. Same cake, same work, same price. Heck, if you compare a detailed birthday cake with a simple "wrap a ribbon around the base" wedding cake, the birthday cake is MORE work! So why would I charge a lower price for it?

Those who balk at the price ... I send them to walmart. They weren't going to be my customer anyway.

As I learned on CC .... "Some people can't afford me ... and that's OK!"

I do have a page of Dessert Cakes on my website ... but they are still close the $3 range. Less decorating but more enhanced cakes.




THanks Indydebi. I have to agree in the sense some of these wedding designs are pretty simple. One color...white..maybe a ribbon..fresh flowers. I know when i have done a birthday cake, like you said i spend way more time on it..mixing colors, design etc.. What do you charge for added fondant accents etc...Bows.

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sweetcravings Posted 7 Sep 2008 , 3:46pm
post #21 of 71
Quote:
Originally Posted by indydebi

I do not charge different pricing for wedding vs. birthday cakes. I actually notice that I spend WAY more time talking to a birthday mom over a $60 birthday cake, than I do talking with a bride on a $450 wedding cake! So don't give me the baloney about how wedding cakes have samplings but birthdays don't ..... when you eat up my time, you pay for it. I'm usually pulling my hair out trying to get a birthday mom to make a freakin' decision .... ON A LOUSY $60 CAKE!!!!! icon_mad.gif

I am also not going to get into the conversation on why a 10" birthday cake is $60 but a 10" wedding tier is $105. Same cake, same work, same price. Heck, if you compare a detailed birthday cake with a simple "wrap a ribbon around the base" wedding cake, the birthday cake is MORE work! So why would I charge a lower price for it?

Those who balk at the price ... I send them to walmart. They weren't going to be my customer anyway.

As I learned on CC .... "Some people can't afford me ... and that's OK!"

I do have a page of Dessert Cakes on my website ... but they are still close the $3 range. Less decorating but more enhanced cakes.




THanks Indydebi. I have to agree in the sense some of these wedding designs are pretty simple. One color...white..maybe a ribbon..fresh flowers. I know when i have done a birthday cake, like you said i spend way more time on it..mixing colors, design etc.. What do you charge for added fondant accents etc...Bows.

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indydebi Posted 7 Sep 2008 , 4:28pm
post #22 of 71

I've only recently started playing with fondant accents (recent ... like in the past 30 days!). I've been adding $0.25-$0.50/person, depending on how involved I perceive it to be.

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MacsMom Posted 7 Sep 2008 , 4:41pm
post #23 of 71
Quote:
Originally Posted by sweetcravings

Quote:
Originally Posted by MacsMom

I charge $4 to $5 per serving, depending on the "complexity of the design" (stolen words from Ace of Cakes).

So for a cake that would serve 36 @ $4, your 12x12 is $144 in my books!



icon_eek.gif Wow, 144.00! Now that's more like it. icon_biggrin.gif Do people flinch when you tell them? Are you busy with orders? Where abouts do you live? I dunno if people would pay that here but damn its sounds like a good number to me. icon_lol.gif

Is that fee for both celebration and wedding cakes or do you have a separate charge for them?




I live in central CA, in a town that--thank goodness--prides themselves on keeping up the Jones' icon_rolleyes.gif I can't see charging more for a wedding cake, but that's part of the reason why I charge based on the complexity of the design: carving, gumpaste figures, bows, flowers, luster dust...

I don't want more than one cake per week since I can't work on them the kids are in bed, so at that rate I have been steady since February.

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Denise Posted 7 Sep 2008 , 5:03pm
post #24 of 71

I will throw in my 2 cents on figuring cost. I remember when I was training to be a florist about the x's 3 rule. That may work for some types of businesses but not all fall into that niche.

I worked for Goodwill Industries in Administration and was the Director of Computer Manufacturing. One of the most helpful things I learned at Goodwill was time costing. That is to determine the amount of time it took for an individual to manufacture/package/setup/breakdown/ etc any kind of widget a person could think of. That is how they determined how much a person with certain disabilities would be paid per hour.

When one is making a cake it is not just the cake decorating involved. Your time starts when the customer calls the first time.

1. phone call (or perhaps walk-in if you have a store front) This may take anywhere from a few minutes to 30 minutes or so.

2. shopping for ingredients. Now you may already have them on hand but they had to get on hand because you either physically went and got them which again...took time to determine what was needed and go get. It may have been time used on the computer/phone to order special supplies like ordering foamcore boards or going to Michaels to get them. For me, I use foamcore boards, ribbon, pins for the ribbons, that go out with each and every cake.

3. organizing the stock (this takes quiet a bit of time so that when you do get an order you are not running around like a chicken with its head cut off)

4. Designing the cake - this could include hopping on CC to check out others designs or surfing the net to find something with POW or looking at party pretties for the certain look for party cake.

5. Mixing the cakes and making icings and details

6. Baking the Cakes

7. Leveling, stacking, torting, icing, decorating cakes.

8. Delivery or pick up of the cake takes time/gas.

9. Clean up of cake mess

10. Reassessing what is now out of stock and adding it to the "need to shop for" list.

11. Receiving back/or pick up of items when dealing with a large cake.

That was leaving out making sure payment is made/received and processing that for records keeping.

All of these things go into determining the cost of producing a cake. I probably left something out but you get the drift. It is more than the time when baking decorating!

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buttercream_dreams Posted 7 Sep 2008 , 5:34pm
post #25 of 71

Yeah, dont get me wrong, I love cake decorating to bits, but nothing is worse than making a cake, and at the end saying to yourself, "wow, that was soo not worth it."
I think especially for the mothers who are trying to juggle toddlers, babies, and kids in general as well as run a small home-based business, it needs to be worth your precious time.

And that is why I use time as the basis for my pricing. I roughly factor in what ingredients will cost, but i keep the hours i will spend at the top of the breakdown, because i am providing a specialty service, that you cant just get anywhere.
someone recently asked me to make the attached cake, and i quoted them 7.50/serving. At roughly 53servings the total cost is what..almost 400.00? something like that.
I'm sure there are some jaws dropping, but you have to ask yourself, can these people go into a nice restaurant and have a slice of a scotsmans butt for less? icon_lol.gif Possibly, but i doubt it.
Do i have a ton of orders? I will be honest, no. I probably do anywhere from 2-5 cakes per month. I know for some, this is not feasible- as you might need to have a steady income from cakes (i guess i am a bit more of a hobbyist as my family does not rely on my cake income in anyway) and i know that i could have a lot more clientele if i did charge less, but i would definitely be selling myself short.

Also, I am just breaking onto the scene as far as trying to sell my cakes-and so far am happy with the amount of orders i receive for now, as i dont think i could really handle anymore with my daily life as it is.

But, I think that by keeping my prices at what i believe my work is worth now, (and not starting at a price that will be pleasing to all) later, when i do decide to go all out, and try cake decorating as a fulltime gig, i will be fine. because i have decided ahead of time what demographic I want to cater to. case and point.

so, maybe many of you experienced and highly talented business people are thinking i will fall flat on my face and my business will run dry because my prices are "too high" and maybe so, but i wont make cakes for less than what I think its worth.
sorry for the rant!
jmo icon_biggrin.gif

(the attachment isnt working..and my DH is dragging me to McD's so...i'll try later. )

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indydebi Posted 7 Sep 2008 , 5:38pm
post #26 of 71
Quote:
Originally Posted by buttercream_dreams

so, maybe many of you experienced and highly talented business people are thinking i will fall flat on my face and my business will run dry because my prices are "too high" and maybe so, but i wont make cakes for less than what I think its worth.
sorry for the rant! jmo icon_biggrin.gif




Nope! I think you're one of the few who are doing it exactly right!! ;-

Less work ... more money. Now WHO can argue with that!

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Denise Posted 7 Sep 2008 , 5:39pm
post #27 of 71

I think that Scotsman is a doll and so worth what you asked for. That is NOT a sheetcake or even a stacked cake.

I charged $700 to do a horned toad for a groom's cake. As it turned out it didn't take near as long as I thought but this was a sculpted cake - pay it or don't. I would have been just as happy making her hand modeled life sized horn toads (they are about the size of your palm) on sheetcakes decorated to look like terrain. No she WANTED the sculpted. Well...pay for sculpted and be happy about it or get the sheetcake and pay less and be happy about it!!!

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Mike1394 Posted 7 Sep 2008 , 6:22pm
post #28 of 71
Quote:
Originally Posted by indydebi

Quote:
Originally Posted by sweetcravings

Quote:
Originally Posted by Mike1394

Are you sure that is your cost? That seems awful high. That's what it might be to go buy the ingredients, or is that the actual break down? For a 0ne layer 12x12 that just seems high to me.

Mike



Yup that's the estimated cost. I don't buy wholesale. I bake out of the home and these are the best prices i can find around my home at the grocery stores etc... I know it's crazy but what can i do this is what i have to go on. The labor is alot of the cost...i put it at 3.5hrs @ 15.00 hr...52.50.

suz



wow, what a difference location makes. If I had to do a quick 12" single layer like that, I'd just run to walmart to get what I needed .... I figure it would cost me $10-$12 in supplies.




I guess it's location. I just got back from Sam's for 7 1/2 dozen of eggs was 10.46. For four #s of butter is 7.88. My cost for a 12x12 on those two items would be 1.85 for the butter, and the eggs would be 1.74. Flour, sugar, BP, and 1/2 & 1/2 don't come anywhere near 35.00. Plus I would have batter left over for cuppys. icon_biggrin.gif

Mike

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dabear Posted 7 Sep 2008 , 7:15pm
post #29 of 71
Quote:
Originally Posted by sweetcravings

Ok so i've been trying to figure out my costs on cakes and just recently sat down and tried to tally everything together on a 12x12x2(3once iced) cake..I was kinda shocked with the numbers. I never really charged for them and now i'm realizing how much money i have forked over in cakes over the years...So..here's the cake i'm talking about..

I figured that just ingredients/box/board etc.. is around 35.00, It's chocolate fudge cake, buttercream iced, glaze image on top that required me to use my projector and the glaze. Not filled or torted.

Suzanne




I give away most of my cakes. My dh wanted me to start figuring the cost, and we were SHOCKED icon_eek.gif ! The only cake that has cost me under $20 was a 9x13, a while back. And now that I use magic line pans-they seem to use more batter than the wilton pan I had and now I use 1 1/2 boxes to fill even a 9x13. For the ingredients (and I use real madagasgar vanilla, egglands best eggs, real butter, milk without hormones, sweetex hi-ratio shortening, satin ice fondant) most cakes I make, cost me between $30-$50 my actual costs. That is breaking everything down per egg, per teaspoon, per cup. I pay retail for everying I buy, boxes, boards, extracts. It makes a huge difference than when buying wholesale or bulk.
For me if I were to really start selling, my minimum price would be $40. When I have tried to figure cost by the serving-I either feel the price is way to low or way to high.
Sorry I'm no help, but I understand how the cost is so high.
I have always made my own cakes-I used to think paying $13 for a walmart cake was too much (Yes, I am a CHEAPO!! icon_lol.gif )

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sweetcravings Posted 7 Sep 2008 , 8:49pm
post #30 of 71
Quote:
Originally Posted by Mike1394

Quote:
Originally Posted by indydebi

Quote:
Originally Posted by sweetcravings

Quote:
Originally Posted by Mike1394

Are you sure that is your cost? That seems awful high. That's what it might be to go buy the ingredients, or is that the actual break down? For a 0ne layer 12x12 that just seems high to me.

Mike



Yup that's the estimated cost. I don't buy wholesale. I bake out of the home and these are the best prices i can find around my home at the grocery stores etc... I know it's crazy but what can i do this is what i have to go on. The labor is alot of the cost...i put it at 3.5hrs @ 15.00 hr...52.50.

suz



wow, what a difference location makes. If I had to do a quick 12" single layer like that, I'd just run to walmart to get what I needed .... I figure it would cost me $10-$12 in supplies.



I guess it's location. I just got back from Sam's for 7 1/2 dozen of eggs was 10.46. For four #s of butter is 7.88. My cost for a 12x12 on those two items would be 1.85 for the butter, and the eggs would be 1.74. Flour, sugar, BP, and 1/2 & 1/2 don't come anywhere near 35.00. Plus I would have batter left over for cuppys. icon_biggrin.gif

Mike




icon_eek.gif Wow what a difference! Four 4lbs of butter here...19.16 canadian..yikes..I wanna move to where you are at. Lucky man.

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