Compared to prices for decorated cakes, I'm curious what folks charge for undecorated. I have a request for a bunch of simple layer cakes for an event -- lemon cake, berry filling, buttercream frosting -- and I am clueless about what to charge. Compared to decorated cakes, how should I go about pricing such an order?
Thanks!
~Valerie
My starting price for a simple 8" butter cream cake with a border is $25. I charge the same thing for an undecorated cake as well.
AJanani65 you change about $1 a serving? How do you make any money?
I charge $2.75 for a simple design and for a dessert style layer cake, I charge $1.90 a serving, since I don't even smooth them.
It is the Price here. If I'm doing a custom cake I charge about $1.75 per serving. and double the amount for fondant.
FYI: My servings for a 8' is about 15 pieces from the
AWow, how do you get an 8' cake through the door? Lol very few people go by party sizes, and those who do will eventually burn out. I don't know your skill level, but I suggest that if you are licensed, if it is required, start trying to raise the bar in your area. Those prices are terrible, and I wouldn't turn my oven on for $25 for a 24 serving cake.
I have thought so too... This pricing I learnt from an experience baker here. I hardly abide by. Her per serving price is $1.65. I'm doing a 3 tier birthday Cake today. I went by the wilton wedding cake serving size and charged per serving. Her cupcake is $1 and I charge $1.75 each. Was thinking I'm charging too much. Good to know I'm not.
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Original message sent by Janani65
My starting price for a simple 8" butter cream cake with a border is $25. I charge the same thing for an undecorated cake as well.
15 servings is about right for a party cake (which is what a single 8" round would usually be).
For ingredients it's cost me about $7. I'm doing from home. So, the only overhead I have is electricity. For everything I take about 1.30 hours.
My initial price for 8" was $35 for 20 servings. When that lady told me She charges only $25 I got a little concerned. She is actually my teacher and she has been doing that for several years now.
Almost all the cakes I did were custom cakes which required a lot of work. So I have not actually charged this price from anybody. Pricing is still confusing to me. I learnt a lot from reading cakecentral forum. That is how I actually did my initial pricing. Any advice on pricing I will take with a lot of gratitude. And when I calculate pricing I pay me $10/hour.
My cakes are here in the page if you'd like to see. www.facebook.com/Sugarmagiccakes
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Original message sent by Janani65
So, the only overhead I have is electricity.
AI checked with the Ohio health department, they assured I don't need license. However, I need to get the insurance. I need to account for advertising, that's something I forgot. I'm still starting out. So, website and the accounting software expenses are yet to come.
But I really need to get the insurance. I read in several posts in cake central about that.
why can't my county be like ohio
sigh
if you have renter's insurance or home owner's it's as easy as a phone call to your ins agent
they might come take some photos no biggie at all
best of the best to you!!!
AI have renter's insurance... Will call them first thing tomorrow morning... Thanks K8memphis... I was going around checking other insurance options... :-) just two months in the business... I must say everything I learned about the business, I learnt from cake central... When in doubt... Always check with cake central members... :-).
Sometimes even my husband asks me 'did you try asking cc members' :-).
Liability insurance is very reasonable. When I was working out of my home (licensed so no worries) I had a one million dollar policy and it costs under $300 for the year.
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Original message sent by Janani65
I checked with the Ohio health department, they assured I don't need license.
Yes... every state will require you have a business license to operate, even if you have cottage food laws. All wheels must be greased after all... LOL. Joking aside though, check with your secretary of state like Jason said. Here in NH you can register right on line..
Sooo...business licenses aside, anybody got any more feedback on my original question? ;^)
~Valerie
i can't remember doing an undecorated--oh yeah when someone wants to dumb down an order to take the price down but just to get straight up undecorated--hmmm
i would charge very close to decorated cake price
lemon cake berry filling
quality ingredients all that labor
the easiest/quickest thing i do is decorate
alll that other stuff eats up the same amount of time
i'd take no more than 10% off my original prices and i would be grumpy about it (inside)
decorating is the fun you get to do after you go through everything to produce the cake
they should not mess with the fun factor
should charge them an extra 10%!!!
it's like asking a painter for a painting sans paint
oh well it is some money painters do have bills
but they don't have to like it!!!!
it's like asking a painter for a painting sans paint
oh well it is some money painters do have bills
I see it as a high compliment of my baking. People who want that many cakes LOVE the cake itself enough to serve it as the primary dessert. It also means they love YOUR cake so much that they won't get a commercial sheet or layers.
I wouldn't let such cakes out of my hands without a tiny shell border, but heck, if somebody wants to pay base price for that little decorating time, I won't complain.
Well... how long do they take you to put together? If it's quick, I would definitely discount them some. I'd think it would be like a kitchen cake (which is an undecorated tier to make up extra servings if you can't get there with the main cake without going way over). When I was home I was charging $6/serving decorated and $4/serving for kitchen cakes. They take no time to put together. That's about a 30% discount.
My biggest cake compliment ever: In about 2007 the Ace of Cakes guys did the cake for a friend's business function. The next year, I did it. My decorating work was no where near the quality of Charm City's, but several people told me that my cake tasted much better! ;^)
Thanks for the feedback, y'all!
~Valerie
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