Hey guys! I wanted to do a price comparison for a cake I just did, because I like seeing all the different prices people ask!
This is a 2 tier buttercream marble cake, 8” and 4”, 32 servings based on Wilton’s event chart, and a combination of modeling chocolate covered and hand painted rice crispy and cake pops. I also did 60 cupcakes.
Cupcakes are $2.00/each, so I charged $120 for those.
I charge $2.50/serving for a buttercream cake, so the cake came out to $85, plus an added $5 for stacking, then the other $35 towards the planets. $125.
That being said, I had NO IDEA how much work was about to go into those planets. Lemme tell you guys, it was a lot. I’m still stressed about the planets sliding.
I will definitely charge more for this in the future. So what would you guys charge? I’m in Muskogee, OK, and my town is pretty broke.
Can I ask what the $5 for stacking is? Like because it's a tiered cake?
Yes! I just add an extra amount for stacking tiers, instead of adding more per serving. It’s just easier for me to keep track of.
I live out in no man's land, but get $4.25 per slice on a buttercream and $3.00 on a simple swirl cupcake. For me that order is about $300, and that is BEFORE the planets come into existence. Your cake looks great, and definitely looks time consuming!
I’ll raise my base price one day! I’m just now getting started doing this seriously and getting my name out there, so I’m more working for the experience!
I don’t think I’ll ever start at $4.25/serving, though! That’s awesome if you can get orders with that price, though! How long have you been doing this?
It is probably going to be harder to raise your prices later on. I had that problem when I realized just how much of my work and time that I was giving away! When I raised my prices, I lost customers because I wasn't cheap anymore, those weren't the customers I wanted anyway. No one bats an eye at my prices lol, but I have also done all of my homework so I'm not much lower than the bakery in town. I have been baking for 6 years, so not long compared to most. I have been accepting paying clients as of 3 years ago. Your work is awesome, keep it up!
Thanks! Unfortunately, my prices are about on par with my town ;(
If I lose customers with a price raise, then that’s too bad! I feel like I’m alright for now. I only get a couple paid orders a months, anyways.
Since I retired so long ago I"m out of line with pricing. I just go along with what I see others say on this board. I really think you need to raise your prices NOW....not later. That is an awesome cake that I'm betting could not be gotten at any local bakery.......and if it could it certainly would not be nearly as cheap as your pricing. If I remember right in another post you said you are in very rural, poor OK (USA). Have you really done a price comparission on how much you have in ingredients much less all the other components of pricing?
My starting price is $4.00 per serving and that is for a very simply decorated cake. I live so far out in the sticks, my house is not even visable from any road. I am a hobby baker and rarely do cakes for a customer, but it doesn't bother me one wit if someone thinks my prices are too high. I am not going to waste my time and spend my money just because someone else believes themselves entitled to a cake for which they are not willing to pay. There is a lot of difference in customers and GOOD customers. You want the latter!
Yes, I have! At least as far as basic buttercream cakes go. I actually can't believe how cheap some of the bakeries around my town sell their goods! I've actually been thinking of price comparing more towards the bigger city that everyone goes to anyways. As far ascustomized cakes like this, I have not, since I would actually have to show a picture and go through the process of getting a quote.
My husband and I will actually be making a 'bakery date' soon, though, to go to all the bakeries in the city in person for a price comparison! I'm actually really excited. Gonna stuff my face, haha.
How much would you have charged for a cake like this back in the day, do you think?
I love that so many of you guys charge so much! It makes me nervous to try and do it, haha. There are so many other home bakers/small bakeries around here, and my prices are actually competitive with theirs already!
How much would you have charged for a cake like this, as well as the cupcakes? $245 was my total, so I don't think I vastly undercharged like I used to do! I will admit that those planets were a lot more of a learning experience than I expected, haha. I will definitely charge more for a planet set in the future, that's for sure.
Oh, I guess the reply button doesn't work like I thought it would! Sorry about that! I guess the 'quote' button is the one I wanted?
KitchenSix said:..........How much would you have charged for a cake like this back in the day, do you think?..........
In the beginning (1980s)I charged basically the same for each cake - per the # of mixes I used. For any size/shape cake that used 1 mix I asked (I think) $20; for 2 mixes $35-40; and up. Didn't matter how it was decorated! Towards the end I had changed to pricing by the # of servings - after finding this site and seeing how other were pricing.
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