I am NOT that good, first of all- BUT, some folks have expressed intrest in buyin my cakes, So I am testing the waters, Right now selling for just a small amount. mostly to try to cover what I have put in it.

Of course, the other day my SIL called me, said "Amy LOVED your camo cake, she wants one for a grooms cake, so how much would it be?" Now, I know Amy, she has worked wtih SIL for years, and is a nice girl.

I said 40.00.

well, she said "really? gee, thats alot... of course everyone else they have talked to, who couldnt do camo by the way, wanted at least 90.00--- are you sure you couldnt do it cheaper?"

Uhhhh nope. cause thats hand painted.

anyway, I get this alot. people love what I did with my kids cakes, and want one for their kids, but wont pay the 35.00-40.00 I ask.

Not a problem, but I would like to be able to show my SIL, or close friends just what does go into a cake.

So, I started a reciept book- I put on there what I did-
ex.
Camo cake fondant covered, handpainted 1/2 sheet, offwhite lace, basic piping


THEN under it:

2 batches Fondant
6 batches cake
2 batches buttercream
5 color paints
4 cake boards

3 hrs
Handpainting
.5 hrs
minimal piping/lace

does this make sense? is there anything I am missing?

I have to fiqure out the actual price for the above stuff. only one I know is the cakeboards... 4.97 LOL

But before I get another "gee 40. whole bucks for a half sheet?" from someone that loves me, I want to be able to say "yep- cause it costs ME x amount, PLUS my time."

I'm just guess it would have taken a person that was good at it 3 hours. I kept 'fixing' it... LOL it took me about 5. and at least an hour for the piping. LOL Not including the baking and making..

But are these the things I should keep in mind when pricing? or is there something else?

You should break it down further: instead of writing "batch of buttercream", you need to figure out how much each "batch" is,
2 cups butter $xx
2 cups shortening $xx
2 lbs. powdered sugar $xx
extract,
etc.
You are also not including the cost of running your oven and mixer. That being said, as others continue to point out, unless you have a licensed home bakery (really hard to do in TX I think), you cannot legally sell a cake. Someone can buy all the ingredients for you, but that's it.
It isn't a cheap hobby!

People who don't make cakes often have no clue when it comes to how much time and talent it takes to make them. It is this time and talent that they are really paying for, not just the ingredients. Personally, I would never do a 1/2 sheet cake for just $40. For me, a 12x18x4 cake starts at $216 for buttercream and $324 for fondant. When people balk at the price, remind them that what you make is not the "cookie cutter" cake from the grocery store and comparing your custom cake to to a grocery store cake is like comparing a dress from Wal-mart to a haute couture gown.

And I forgot to mention that your camo cake looks awesome BTW. I love that it looks so realistic and you can tell that it took lots of time to do all that to it.

Hate to say it, but since it's illegal to bake & sell from your home in TX, the LAST thing I'd do is give ANYBODY--friend or otherwise--a paper receipt......................Might want to re-think that strategy.

Rae

I was wondering what that was on the cake and it said hand painted on fondant. Good grief 90.00 seems low. You can come and make them here I'll buy them for 40.00 and resell them..................hahahahahahhahaJ/K nice work really!!!!!!

Moving to Cake Decorating forum.

I'm sorry Jan, Didnt know I put it in the wrong place-


jammjenks-- THank you so much Honestly, It was much easier than it looks. But I'll take the acolades and say it was hard LOL But to all the 'friends' that LOVED it and wanted one, I would tell them that it was handpainted, and blah blah blah. LOL I never lied and said it was easy- I just never told that part. LOL and your right, there are quite a few 'homebakers' here in my town. You just have to know them to get a cake. there are no business cards...


prterrell, WOW!! but your right, its not something that can come from walmart. and thats kinda what I am trying to do, fiqure out if I am putting the right things down to see if I am going to keep it a hobby just for MY kids or branch out and do it for others kids too.

Spuddsysmom, Right, thats what I have to fiqure out today when I go to the store, just how much each ingrediant costs. Then, I get to hand it over to my kids, who are homeschooled --as their lesson LOL (Okay, so mommy paid 3.78 for the crisco, HOW many half cups are in 3lbs and now divide that to tell me how much each half cup costs.....) Gosh I LOVE having minions to do the dirty work! LOL


LOL Indydebi, I really thought it was hillarious. But you are right, Its sad that someone would even speak those words to you. VERY sad.. I guess its a "oh I got some who can do it, let me get you a GOOD deal" so they look like a hero. Heck, I've paid 35.00 for a freakin walmart cake.

Blakescakes- I am NOT giving anyone else a reciept. LOL This is for my own records. I just used a reciept book cause I have an extra from my husbands bushhogging/plowing thing that he does plus my business.. and it is easy for me to write what I need to, with money colulms and such. I am bad about loosing computers, so I try not to put anything in them. LOL

and this is a system that I can still use if I do branch into the legal cake selling world. on the top sheet write their order and the amount.
on MY copy, write everything that went into it. From Fondant on down, with the actual costs of each. then its right there infront of me if I turned a profit or not.

As far as Texas law, IF I could make a go of it, I would use a friends cafe -- She has expressed intrest in me doing it, I just dont know if I could make a go- So I'm taking it really slow.

There are lots of 'homebakers' in my town (thats all there is, NO storefronts), and they run in the 'right circles' so, me being a homebody kinda puts me at a disadvantage.


debster, Thank you and I'll be more than happy to come there and do the cakes for 40.00- you just supply all the ingrediants. ROFLMAO!!!
I already have about 5 people who want that cake with differnt writing or something else on it. Guess I"m stuck at the 40.00 LOL (I didnt tell, my kids did! LOL )