I think this was for me...So Thank you! I live in British Columbia, Canada in a pretty high income area. I have struggled with my pricing like most. It's hard to determine how much time something is going to take. I want to be fair in my pricing, but at the same time don't want to give my cakes and time away for nothing! I now price based on servings using the wilton chart at $4 and up per serving. I still feel that sometimes I should be charging more for my work...but I am working on that![/quote]

I am sorry, yes it was meant for you.

I have a feeling I under priced on some of my cakes. I live in Cincinnati, OH. and everyone around me is trying to do cakes. It's like a cut throat business out here. Attached is one I did for $70 and that included delivery.

You are exactly right... And I am def. confident in what I charge now lol...
Here's an issue I am having though. We have a place here that does catering, flowers, and cakes. She has been in business for as long as I can remember. Well, considering that she can do it all in one package, she can move numbers around and make it look like they're getting their cake cheaper from her than my quote. I'm not saying she's doing anything wrong, because believe me...if I could move numbers around to get the job I would, problem is I just have nowhere to move numbers.... cakes are it for me! lol.
For instance, I quoted someone a price of $3.00 per serving for a wedding cake. On her website it says her min order is $3.50 per serving.... but after she quoted the price on a fruit display and cake, she had this lady convinced that she was getting twice as much cake for $40 less than my price quote! I was like ummm..... is she giving her cake away??? I think not! Use your head lady! But anyway, lost a potential customer, but oh well

Wow...it's frustrating dealing with people who are simply not educated in our trade, and who are easily mislead! Here's your sign.....Next!

And to top it off.......she's a teacher! geez.....

This is the most recent cake I did. $200 for a 8" and 6" round, RKT towers. EVRYTHING was edible. She baulked at the price when I quoted her. I explained the work involved and told her nicely that she was more than welcome to go somewhere else if she wasn't comfortable with the price. She said no..last year she got her daughter's cake from a well known bakery here and wasn't very unhappy with it. I got the feeling she was a hard to please, high maintenance lady and was dreading the drop of....fully expecting her to want a discount. When I arrived she looked it up and down and said "yes it is very beautiful" And gave me a $20 tip!!!!
http://cakecentral.com/gallery/1980381

HAHAHA! I did it again!!!! Where is that coffee??????

Ok Kelli I just saw this pic.... I gotta know how much http://cakecentral.com/gallery/1981703

I had a client call me up ad say she wanted a belly cake with a belly ring and a monkey tat by the belly button. I quoted her $60.00. When my husband saw the finished product and a good friend saw it, they where shocked I only charge $60.00. Did I under bid this cake?

http://cakecentral.com/gallery/1977265/1977266

Well I got the call to make my sea turtle cake. He needed it a bit larger so I used the football pan for the rock and again for the turtle body. I'm sure it wasn't over priced cause he didn't bat an eye when I charged him $100.00 for it. In fact considering the time it took me I way undercharged. What do you all think?

Well again never sure what to price or even if I am underpricing but this cake I charged $125 your input goood or bad is welcome I want the cakeboss software sooo bad. This cake was the first time suspending a cake above the board, wasn't sure about it but it worked out well.

http://cakecentral.com/gallery/1982713

This is a 6,8,10,12 buttercream.. filled with alternating choco mousse and banana filling.. um not sure on hours.. i charged 295 that included the roses(she wanted me to get them instead of providing them) and posy picks from wilton (which are way to expensive lol) minus the 6in(couple was saving) it was supposed to feed 100 the banquet hall got more out of it when they cut it

http://cakecentral.com/gallery/1971073

Here are a few of my most recent:

These two cakes were for the same order for a woman having a joint birthday party for her and her son. Total price for both cakes was $120. Football field cake was a 2-layer 13x9 (baked 2 layers, so not one cake torted into 2 layers), chocolate cake with buttercream frosting. Pink and yellow cake was 8 in and 6 in rounds, yellow cake, buttercream icing with fondant accents and 50/50 gumpaste bow (first attempt at loop bow). I think they took me a total of about 12 hours including the bow, which I made in advance.
http://cakecentral.com/gallery/1981508
http://cakecentral.com/gallery/1981503

This one was for a Dora themed party (customer added Dora figures after pick-up) and I charged $55. Top tier was chocolate and bottom was yellow cake, with all buttercream frosting and decorations, except flowers, stars, and name and number on top, which were made from starburst-type candy.
http://cakecentral.com/gallery/1963240

I'm still working on my pricing. I started out pricing way too low, although my lastest few I have upped my prices, and have been trying to work on a basic pricing structure per serving. I use the Wilton party guide for servings (I haven't done wedding cakes yet) and have been thinking about a starting point of $2 per serving basic buttercream and $3 for basic fondant but think that may still be a bit low. But I'm in southern Georgia and know people here won't pay the prices they will in bigger cities. I tried to scope out one of the local bakeries yesterday and they do undecorated 8 inch specialty cakes for $24.99, wedding cakes start at $3.25 per serving with minimum of 100 servings, and have a display case with cake cups (layers of cake and frosting in a styrofoam bowl with lid (I think 16oz size?)) for $1.99, and plain cupcakes for $1.25. Their occasion cakes are priced by design so I didn't get any pricing info on that.
Oh, and my boyfriend said my chocolate cake is way better (he's my taste tester lol) so I was happy

I charged $2 for each mini CC the regular sized ones were a gift from me, the theme was Circus for a one year old,first time ever I make an actual clown (lol so proud of myself!! )

http://cakecentral.com/gallery/1984474

I'm not really planning on charging for this cake because it'll be a gift from me for my friend's wedding (at which I am also the maid of honor). But for furture reference, how much would you all charge for this type of cake (just an estimate):

Three tiers. 10"/8"/6". Bottom two are square. Top is round.
Fondant on all three tiers. The colors are purple and white. I'm planningn on putting ribbon of some type in a stripe pattern around each tier. Between the second and top tier I'll be putting a seperator in and filling the space with handmade fondant purple roses. Plus I'm going to do some kind of 3D initials on the side of the top tier. Then I'm going to do a fancy cake stand hopefully (fingers crossed). Now for the INSIDE of the cake...it'll either be red velvet with cc filling/frosting. Or it will be a chocolate covered strawberry cake which requires the white choco cake, strawberry BC, and ganache.

Sorry if I kinda rambled on and on there. Hope I painted and ok picture though. Help please!

Hi all,

A very good post. I am a very very new member and just started making cakes. I usually make it for friends and family. All of you are sooo talented. I am no where near you all.
I am a at home mom. I do not do this for a living. But i just love to bake and cook and decorate. So my orders too are very limited. But i do everything from the scratch at home. So the clean up is like huge time. Also making a cake does not happen in a day.. There is planning and also execution and time to buy the ingredients. I hope people get that. Th
But after reading through and seeing your prices i see so many people undercharging. Do you really make something from it?

When i tell people how much i charge people immediately start negotiating and stuff. The prices of the diary are constantly on the increase. Even at $2/ serving i see we hardly make anything for our efforts.

Recently i had a lady contact me for her wedding cake. It was for 200 people. With just 15 days notice and her budget was $300 with delivery charges. She stays about 60 miles from my place. I was just calculating the costs and my costs only would be around $200. Plus the gas and electricity etc. I said that she will have to go for cupcakes for everyone and that also will not be possible within $300.

Before taking an order i just see a few things.
1. How much ca i make from the cake.
2. Is it worth spending all that time away from my 15 mnths daughter.

And for those who said that $4 or $5 a slice is expensive. believe me the cakes look awesome. They taste a lot better when we make it from scratch at home. yes you get what you pay for. I do not mind losing some customers. For people who cant afford it i am sure walmart is there.

Here is the cake i made for house warming ocassion. I charged her $85. It was to match her favors. and she wanted a 2 tier effect so made a cake dummy with RKT. It was a 8" square. White cake with fresh strawberry Filling.
http://cakecentral.com/gallery/1973584

This was a surprise cake. They paid me $40. It was a chocolate cake with ganache filling and frosting. 8" cake.
http://cakecentral.com/gallery/1973580

Let me know what you guys think.

I have been also having issues pricing things are ending up costing more then i figured out to begin with but I am getting better. I have brought my cost down substancially because I have found wholsale suppliers for all my chocolate & cake decorating needs now i hardly ever go into michels or the bulk barn!

I just did this stuff this past weekend for a fundraiser so I donated the cake, 250 cupcakes, 300 tails/necks (chocolate covered marshmellows) & 300 cake balls in exchange for them putting my company name on all the advertizment to the 32000 people it went out to inculding all the in store adds. but wondering what that cake would be worth it was...15", 9" & 6" petal marble with buddys chocolate fudge recipe filling, 10" square chocolate with bc filling with fudge & caramel drizzle & 6", 4" round with yummy gewy fudge filling (my fav!) covered in fondant (which i did all in one day and will never do again! I know my limitations now and on the 6th cake my arm stared to spazem


http://cakecentral.com/gallery/1987944
http://cakecentral.com/gallery/1987944/1987948
http://cakecentral.com/gallery/1987944/1987952

This was a 8" round govered in poured Ganache with mmf poka-dots this was for one of my daughters 7th bithday this past jan.

http://cakecentral.com/gallery/1969638

I actually made 2 of these cake for the same day! they had two parties to attend one in oshawa and one in brampton this was for family for I only charged $70 they gave me $80 & I spent $150 on supplies lol so i was thinking next time one woutl be worth $150? oh and u cannot tell from the photos which one is which they looked exactly the same
it was 9" vanilla pink explosion cake with pink bc filling, covered in bc all the 700 flowers were mmf

http://cakecentral.com/gallery/1951832


This was my youngests cake this past nov, it is a 10" & 9" round rainbow cake with bc filling covered in mmf the toopy & binoo I made of fimo

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=14902&id=128373533851639#!/photo.php?fbid=166476656707993&set=a.128377217184604.14902.128373533851639&theater

this was a marble cake (I know everyone says it looks like an ice cream cake) with bc icing the photo was not edible it was 2 days b4 my birthday when I was getting my printer 8\\" round 30.00

http://cakecentral.com/gallery/1987957

This is the second one of these I made the first was gluten/dairy/soy/egg free (it ended up tasting prety good concidering there wasnt much of anything in it) I charged her $50 she is family. this one here was just a chocolate cake with bc filling & mmf family also $60

http://cakecentral.com/gallery/1987956

There are some gorgeous cakes here!! I'm like most people here and am unsure how much I should charge for cakes! All but one in my gallery were done for friends but will put what I would have charged

This one was the one I charged for - £25 (approx $40) but it was for a friend so maybe more for a customer. It was done in a giant cupcake pan and not carved
http://cakecentral.com/gallery/1980472

This is the cake I made for my own Birthday and I would have probably charged someone £30 (approx $47)
http://cakecentral.com/gallery/1980464

The last one is one I did for my cousins birthday and would have charged £20 (approx $30)
http://cakecentral.com/gallery/1980485

Any opinion on those would be great!

I don't really sell cakes but my mom asked me to make a cake for my nephew's christening and told me she would pay me "what she thought it was worth."

Here is the cake. It took me 9 hours (including bake time). It is a 6", 8",10" with hand-made monogram plate, roses, bows and a cross topper.

She's offered $300, which I think is more than fair... right?

http://cakecentral.com/gallery/1988702

SSGirly, that is beautiful.. I have no idea what the market is where you live but I would think $300 is fair