When you are a side baker who only does a couple cakes a month, how do you keep cost low? I calculated the cost of ingredients for a vanilla buttercream cake made with all butter as $7.80 for an 8” three layer cake. Is that cost too high, too low, or just right? Using normal grocery store prices, no wholesale products. 

when I bake for pay I try to get the freshest and best ingredients available — although I draw the line with the butter i use in my icing and fillings — I don’t usually get the Kerry brand european type butters — just regular butter— but sometimes I spring for it for a family occasion —

so you could buy flour, sugar and oil in bulk — you could buy butter in bulk if you have room for it and wrap it well — eggs you gotta get fresh — 

but of course there’s a lot more cost to your cake than ingredients— packaging and boards, cost for running the oven and the ac to cool the place back down, hot water, paper towels, soap, car expenditures and time for the shopping, cleaning dishes, floors and counters — I believe a majority of home bakers make nothing or less than nothing for their goods — often home bakers rob their sleep to finish their work so there’s a cost to their health — 

so in my opinion there’s a lot more to it than the out of pocket cost — which is why it’s difficult to impossible to compare —

best to you

As K8 mentioned there is lots more to the cost than just flour sugar eggs etc   Did your total include any of that?  It does seem a bit low to me  

and you can get larger quantities at sam’s club and costco of course but also at restaurant supply places online and in your city — sometimes you have to sign up and show your tax id and business license — ck’s in indiana at least used to be a good place for that probably still is —

Even after opening my shop I sometimes bought some ingredients at a local grocery store —especially BC cake mixes — couldn’t find a better way to get them:(    Things like butter & eggs from Costco or smart&fimal