I'm qouting for a wedding cake that is 4 tiers tall and sits on 7 base cakes. It's going to serve about 400 guests.

I've priced it and the average price per slice is about $2.62.

Is this too much for the south? (btw, i'm in south carolina).

Thanks for all the helps!!

I'm in the south.. This cake for me would start at $1200 for BC plus tax, delivery, rental, flowers (if any), etc. It really depends on the going rate for your area.

I charge $2.75 for simple buttercream designs, and $3.75 for fondant. If they want special designs, the price can go up. I looked for other cakers in your area and they charge $2.80 for Buttercream and $4.80 for fondant. Remeber that your time is worth money, you do not just want to charge based on ingredients. You have to factor in your utilities, cleaning supplies, gas to and from the store, and if you are not tax exempt the tax that you will pay to buy the items.

We are in central Louisiana and BC starts at $3.00/serving and fonant at $6.00/serving.

I just wanted to tell the OP that I love how she posted this subject line by including the region she was working out of! Really narrows it down AND gets the eye of our southern CC'ers.

Bad subject lines are a big peeve of mine and this was was great!

I'm in the south.... but I wouldn't touch that cake for $2.62 per serving. You're talking about a lot of work, stress, headaches, and .....work work work! Be sure to get a delivery/set up fee too... that cake is going to take some time to get set up. Honey, make it worth your while! If youd don't, you'll get half way throught this cake, and start thinking "why in the HE** am I doing this"

I am in NC and cake like that would be $3.50 or 4.00 per serving. I think your price is too cheap, it sounds like you are giving away cakes. Unless you are in a small town where it's hard to get any business.I would still charge more.

I'm in Hartsville, SC. I think that your price is fair. That will be a lot of work with it serving that many and having the 7 base cakes.

$3.50/serving for buttercream with simple piped decorations. $4.50/serving for fondant plus tax and delivery.

Have you figured out how much it will cost in ingredients to make the cake?

How much will you spend on cake boards, dowels, cake boxes, misc. supplies?

Have you figured out how long it will take to bake, fill, frost, decorate, deliver and set up this cake? Don't forget to take into account the time it takes to shop for supplies, clean up, and overhead (gas for your car, electricity, etc.)

Once you know your costs and plug in your fee for making the cake , only then will you know whether or not you've charged a price that is fair to you and your client. To do otherwise is picking numbers out of the air. A quote should be based on the job at hand, not on what someone else in your area is charging.

I know $1000 sound like a lot of money but once you plug in the numbers, it may not be enough money considering the expense and time.


Minette