My turn.
I made this for my son's first birthday. There are a few flaws & things I would do differently (like that dang border I rushed).
Ooops,
That is a 6", 9", & 12. The cake top to bottom was pound cake with white chocolate mousse & fresh strawberries, devil's food with Grand Marnier chocolate ganache, & marble (yellow with chocolate ganache swirled) with buttercream.
AZ, OMG. Seriously. OMG. Love that cake. LittleCakery, those ducks are precious. I charge $2.50 ea for cupcakes. I would have charged an additional $3.00 per cupcake for the toppers. For the cake, I would have charged $65.
The cupcakes come out to $2.75 a piece, like I said I can't charge, but I do get to have this in my portfolio for when I am able to sell. It's a good thing I was not able to charge, those little ducks took forever to make! I do a lot of baby and bridal showers thru my church.
Delicious - That cake is AMAZING!! My kids would go crazy for that cake! Little Cakery - those ducks are just too cute and I love the cake with those lovely spots!
AZ, OMG. Seriously. OMG. Love that cake. LittleCakery, those ducks are precious. I charge $2.50 ea for cupcakes. I would have charged an additional $3.00 per cupcake for the toppers. For the cake, I would have charged $65.
So are you saying you would have charged $5.50 per cupcake? Although as I had said in another post, those did take a while to make.
AThank you all so much for the compliments! Yes, he's a lucky boy who gets cake every day.
Now, what would you charge for it?
Wow! I would love to charge $65 for a 3 layer 9" fondant cake. I'm in Chicago and my 2 layer 8" with fondant is about $120...I love the little ducklings tho' so adorable!
No need to be confused, it makes sense for where I'm living but still there are most who don't understand what goes into cake. It's easier to sell a customer on $65 which is what they expect rather than $120. However, I do know that not everyone is my customer so I don't sweat the small potatoes because there are many that pay the $120+. It sounds better is all I'm saying.
STill confused....but that's ok since it's not all that uncommon...anyhow I priced this one right after joining this site, before I had any clue about pricing matrixes, charging for clean up time, shopping researching etc...as well as not a clue what the local market was like so please don't yell at me!!! Anyhow I charged ......
$110
for this and 25 cupcakes....with a chocolate shell on each....eeekkk..What would you all have charged?
Next time at least double!!
I really have a dilemma. I am such a slow decorator and truly don't know how to speed things up. I don't feel right charging for decorating time, as it is my fault that I take such pains for details. This cake was an 8" WASC, torted and filled with BC. I covered it with white chocolate ganache, overlaid with white chocolate cheesecake MFF. The shark was made of RKT, covered with candy clay and fondant. The teeth were gum paste. I made all the shells out of fondant from my own molds. I was going to ask $150 (and frankly, from all the labor involved felt that was too low). They were so delighted that they paid me $300 and I have an order for another birthday cake next month. I still feel at a loss to accurately determine costs for all the detail work I do.
<a href="http://cakecentral.com/g/i/2976525/a/3333317/the-birthday-boy-is-really-into-sharks-his-grandma-says-he-likes-to-grab-people-on-the-arm-pretending-to-be-a-shark-i-wanted-to-make-an-arm-and-hand-protruding-from-the-mouth-but-wiser-heads-prevailed-shark-is-rkt-and-fondant-while-the-teeth/"><img src="http://cakecentral.com/image/id/8136729/width/400/flags/LL"></a>
Jan
BatterUpCake, not that I want to charge lower prices for cakes I want Everything in Chicago to reduce in price period! lol Anyhow, how tall is this dummy. I'm trying to gage from the plant behind it, not sure.
I really have a dilemma. I am such a slow decorator and truly don't know how to speed things up. I don't feel right charging for decorating time, as it is my fault that I take such pains for details. This cake was an 8" WASC, torted and filled with BC. I covered it with white chocolate ganache, overlaid with white chocolate cheesecake MFF. The shark was made of RKT, covered with candy clay and fondant. The teeth were gum paste. I made all the shells out of fondant from my own molds. I was going to ask $150 (and frankly, from all the labor involved felt that was too low). They were so delighted that they paid me $300 and I have an order for another birthday cake next month. I still feel at a loss to accurately determine costs for all the detail work I do.
<a href="http://cakecentral.com/g/i/2976525/a/3333317/the-birthday-boy-is-really-into-sharks-his-grandma-says-he-likes-to-grab-people-on-the-arm-pretending-to-be-a-shark-i-wanted-to-make-an-arm-and-hand-protruding-from-the-mouth-but-wiser-heads-prevailed-shark-is-rkt-and-fondant-while-the-teeth/"><img src="http://cakecentral.com/image/id/8136729/width/400/flags/LL"></a>
Jan
Maybe it would help if you thought about charging per element on some of the things you are slower on. Basing it on the details you put into it instead of solely on the clock. Charge x amount for the cake itself and then each element would be extra. The shells (maybe group them like 3 shells for x amount) would be less than the shark (which is awesome, especially the teeth and roof of the mouth). I have a base price for gumpaste flowers, and then add onto it if it requires more details or if it is a large size. I also charge more for things I don't LIKE to do. Just a suggestion!!
Hi, I'm from Australia and find this pricing thread really interesting. Fascinating how some people can charge so low with such beautiful work yet others are charging so much more for work thats nowhere near as clean and experienced. In oz our prices are definently higher but that may come partly down to ingredient cost being cheaper in USA? I'm curious to know how some of you manage to make a living with such low prices.
btw this is just an observation, I am not in business but am slowly but surely working towards it. :-)
Pricing is something I've been working on for a while so some of these prices are scaring me lol.
sixinarow, thanks. You are making me feel a little better because that is essentially what I am doing already. I have a base $4.00/slice price for fondant and do charge extra for the additional elements. I would like to charge extra for the ganache I use under fondant, but don't think my market would accept that. I live out in the country and the jobs are somewhat infrequent.
I do suffer from the feeling that people think custom cakes are expensive, (they are), and trying to justify that my time and talent are worth it. (I know that I couldn't afford one of my cakes....) I have made an effort not to undercut any local bakeries, but it is difficult to compare my cakes to theirs.
This site does help and I gain a lot of knowledge from so many talented and successful people on here. Thank you for your input, it is appreciated.
Jan
A
Original message sent by DeliciousDesserts
Absolutely!
Good to know. It did take forever to make them, not hard, just time consuming. I'm working on my pricing for my business and the input really helps!
A
Original message sent by Jackie80
Wow! I would love to charge $65 for a 3 layer 9" fondant cake. I'm in Chicago and my 2 layer 8" with fondant is about $120...I love the little ducklings tho' so adorable!
Whoa! Just 5 hours North and the price doubles! My pricing is comparable to St. Louis, I live about an hour south. I am not licensed yet, but am getting everything together and I only have one other bakery in my town. I've set my prices near the same as their's but of course I've made some changes. Some things will be more, some less. They do more cupcakes than specialty cakes.
Milkmade...did you recently post questions on how to do a RKT shark? I remember posting on a thread like that. Anyhow the shark is awesome...and the shells look so real. Good job.
Jackie...she is about the height of Barbie...give or take an inch
Batterup, no that wasn't my post. I saw it and was going to reply but saw that she was wanting something along the lines of a cupcake topper and didn't feel I could offer anything. Thanks for the compliments. As to the shark, I was told the first thing the birthday boy did was stick his finger into the mouth. It did kinda ask for it, lol.
Jan
Whoa! Just 5 hours North and the price doubles! My pricing is comparable to St. Louis, I live about an hour south. I am not licensed yet, but am getting everything together and I only have one other bakery in my town. I've set my prices near the same as their's but of course I've made some changes. Some things will be more, some less. They do more cupcakes than specialty cakes.
Hey, I just left Missouri! Anyhow, for specialty cakes yes it's quite costly. You have to factor in licensing, overhead, etc. not just the cost of ingredients and your time. I believe it's Jason? I think he's on this thread but he has some informative information from a blog he's started about this. I believe that's when some of the comments from the bakers on here may be a bit touchy with some of the hobbyist because they are indeed making a living from what they do. Even if you're not licensed and you're selling (taking donations) cakes it's your electricity you're running, gas from the stove/oven and most hobbyist don't factor that in so when you have "professional" specialty bakers they feel they're being undercut. I know you've caught all this by now tho' so OAN
I'm glad you're getting everything together, I wish you well with your cake endeavors. And IMO aside of this thread if there's only 1 bakery in your area, I definitely wouldn't make my prices comparable to theirs as they don't do what you do. If they specialize in cupcakes, let's keep it that way!
Hey, I just left Missouri! Anyhow, for specialty cakes yes it's quite costly. You have to factor in licensing, overhead, etc. not just the cost of ingredients and your time. I believe it's Jason? I think he's on this thread but he has some informative information from a blog he's started about this. I believe that's when some of the comments from the bakers on here may be a bit touchy with some of the hobbyist because they are indeed making a living from what they do. Even if you're not licensed and you're selling (taking donations) cakes it's your electricity you're running, gas from the stove/oven and most hobbyist don't factor that in so when you have "professional" specialty bakers they feel they're being undercut. I know you've caught all this by now tho' so OAN
I'm glad you're getting everything together, I wish you well with your cake endeavors. And IMO aside of this thread if there's only 1 bakery in your area, I definitely wouldn't make my prices comparable to theirs as they don't do what you do. If they specialize in cupcakes, let's keep it that way!
I've printed out Jason's whole blog. I may have missed it, but because I am not licensed, I put **I WOULD have charged $XXX.XX** Also, the costs I put do include overhead and other costs. I realize I would have WAY underpriced the ducks...
I do not charge for any cakes I make. I am only reimbursed for ingredients and I take the receipts to the person who contacted me for the order and only accept the exact amount that came out of my pocket for the ingredients. I am currently working on my business plan. For now, all my cakes are just for my portfolio.
I appreciate your opinion of the regarding the other bakery. They also do cakes, but they specialize in cake-pops, cupcakes, things like that. My plan was to only offer those IF the customer was also purchasing a cake.
Hey, I just left Missouri! Anyhow, for specialty cakes yes it's quite costly. You have to factor in licensing, overhead, etc. not just the cost of ingredients and your time. I believe it's Jason? I think he's on this thread but he has some informative information from a blog he's started about this. I believe that's when some of the comments from the bakers on here may be a bit touchy with some of the hobbyist because they are indeed making a living from what they do. Even if you're not licensed and you're selling (taking donations) cakes it's your electricity you're running, gas from the stove/oven and most hobbyist don't factor that in so when you have "professional" specialty bakers they feel they're being undercut. I know you've caught all this by now tho' so OAN
I'm glad you're getting everything together, I wish you well with your cake endeavors. And IMO aside of this thread if there's only 1 bakery in your area, I definitely wouldn't make my prices comparable to theirs as they don't do what you do. If they specialize in cupcakes, let's keep it that way!
I've printed out Jason's whole blog. I may have missed it, but because I am not licensed, I put **I WOULD have charged $XXX.XX** Also, the costs I put do include overhead and other costs. I realize I would have WAY underpriced the ducks...
I do not charge for any cakes I make. I am only reimbursed for ingredients and I take the receipts to the person who contacted me for the order and only accept the exact amount that came out of my pocket for the ingredients. I am currently working on my business plan. For now, all my cakes are just for my portfolio.
I appreciate your opinion of the regarding the other bakery. They also do cakes, but they specialize in cake-pops, cupcakes, things like that. My plan was to only offer those IF the customer was also purchasing a cake.
Honest to God, I don't care either way, but since you seem to, it is still "illegal" to accept reimbursement. Besides, how does 1 tsp of baking powder show up on the receipt? I would think the whole 210 gram container would? (end sarc)
Honest to God, I don't care either way, but since you seem to, it is still "illegal" to accept reimbursement. Besides, how does 1 tsp of baking powder show up on the receipt? I would think the whole 210 gram container would? (end sarc)
Maybe it's a way for people to circumvent the law ( or think they are) by only accepting "reimbursement for materials".
Maybe it's a way for people to circumvent the law ( or think they are) by only accepting "reimbursement for materials".
Yeah, but after reading in EVERY.SINGLE.POST of hers, that she doesn't accept payment, the phrase that comes to mind is, "Lady doth protest too much"
A
Original message sent by Annabakescakes
Honest to God, I don't care either way, but since you seem to, [B]it is still "illegal" to accept reimbursement. [/B]Besides, how does 1 tsp of baking powder show up on the receipt? I would think the whole 210 gram container would? (end sarc)
AThis thread is so far gone from the happy it was. Sad. We were doing so well having a civilized open discussion of how to price & the differences by region or skill.
Although this should be on a whole other one, just getting the cost of ingredients is illegal. It also undercuts the rest of us. THIS. Is the trouble that irritates those of us trying to make a living.
You do great work! Why would someone come to me & pay more when they can come to you & just pay the cost of ingredients?
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