Another Price Question (I Know, I Know)
Decorating By malene541 Updated 8 Mar 2010 , 2:29am by The_Lil_Cakehouse
First off, I have read many many price quote forums and understand why some get irritated.
I'm hopeing this one won't end up that way!
I just got a call from a potential customer asking for 200 mini square cakes. She said they will be about the size of cupcakes but square. I don't know if they want just buttercream or fondant or what.
I've gotten pretty comfortable with pricing wedding and birthday cakes but this is a whole new level for me.
(extra tid bits: I do this as a hobby, I'm not licensed, I have a different full time job, I make it very clear to everyone I do a cake for that this is NOT a business for me and that I'm not licensed/bonded or anything, I don't advertise, and I don't have a problem telling anyone "no, I'm not interested in doing your cake")
I would love any input! Malene
So I'm thinking petit four but a little larger maybe?
Will they be single layer or filled? Any decorations on top? and will they be boxed/packaged individually?
To add to Deb, what size? Are you cutting them from a sheet cake or is there a smaller pan you are using?
200 little cakes is 200% (probably more) the work of the larger cake. And these can add up in expenses even if they are just a little piece of cake. Instead of a couple of cake boards for teirs, you need 200 little board and/or packages to put them in. You need all the space for 200 of them.
And I find the smaller the item the harder it is to ice.
They would come out cheaper and you would have alot less work, if they went with a tiered cake. My prices would be set to push them toward the tiered design. Because you can believe if I was going to spend the time making 200 baby cakes, they are going to pay for that. Especially if I worked full time.
Petit fours are usually in the 1"-1.5" size....if she's asking for ones that are the size of cupcakes (2.5"-3") then she's in a whole new category of "Mini Cakes".
TexasSugar is right, these are a huge PITA and I'd say for me that a cake to serve 200 takes about 1/4 of the time to produce in time/labour than 200 mini cakes.
Fondant or poured fondant....don't kill yourself trying to ice 200 mini cakes perfectly smooth in buttercream. As mentioned, there's no weight to them and it's super hard to hold them still enough to do it.
I just posted some tips and warnings to another member asking about these:
http://www.cakecentral.com/cake-decorating-ftopict-669734-.html
Personally, I've seen these selling for anywhere between $8/unboxed to $25/boxed and after doing them a few times I wouldn't flinch to ask in the price range of $18-$25 apiece. You'll think they'll be easy to whip out because they are little, but I can't warn anyone enough that the whole process takes days and days with multiple people working on it.
Even with a bakery and staff, I just wouldn't do these anymore. Customers expect them to actually be LESS pricey than a large cake....thinking that smaller = cheaper, oh it SO does not!! The time required to fill the order is a huge pain, having to also get all those boxes assembled/ribbons cut is not worth our time, and the final storage of 200 mini fondant cakes outside of a fridge (or in!) is really troublesome.
Go with your gut and pass on this order.
Read this really frank account of making a huge mini cake order, it's priceless info!!
http://www.weddingcakeboutique.blogspot.com/
I completely agree with TexasSugar and Antonia74!! I just learned first hand how time consuming those lil boogers can be!! I had never done any before but decided to make fifty for a banquet I was planning for church. Thinking....theyll be so little. Itll be no problem! Mind you Its just me, I have a full time job and was doing ALL the planning and decorating for this banquet. Yah I was completely unprepared for the amount of work it is for mini cakes! I would definitly think long and hard about doing 200! Especially if you have no help. And I would DEFINITLY not do them for no $.
Debi's Catering Rule (and it applies to cakes, too):
1/4 the size means 4 times the price.
You've no idea what PITA these will be. Charge out the whazoo.
And $2 each doesn't even put me in the conversation! Not even in the same room. Not even in the same town.
I often wondered the going price. I had someone ask me about these and I told them, they'd be very expensive all I could think of was doing 50 mini cakes with details. she opted for plain cupcakes one color no decorations.
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