When figuring out the pricing of your cakes, how do you figure out your cost? (cost of ingredients) For a two tier (8 inch, 6 inch round) buttercream (Crisco), what do you think it costs to make it?

costs vary so much that my cost for a cake won't be the same as yours. The costs of ingredients vary as well as shipping. for me i figure the cost of one recipe of cake, and one recipe of icing, then when i do the cost for a cake it depends on how many recipes i use.

For me it averages $10 cost for buttercream and cake (one recipe each), there you have about 2 1/2 so my cost is $25 then add boards and box and any fillings

you'll have to sit down with a calculator and figure out how much of each ingredient you use for a recipe of cake batter and the same with icing. That's the only way to know exactlly how much you're spending on them.

However, if you're planning on doing this cake "at cost" for someone....keep in mind that you can't buy 3 cups of cake flour, you have to buy the whole container, and you can't buy 1 stick of butter, you have to buy a whole pound.

If you're doing it at cost for someone I would suggest giving THEM the shopping list and let them pick everything up.

If you're not doing that and just simply trying to figure it all out.....still take into consideration that while your cost to make the cake may be $25, your actual cost for all the ingredients, etc. necessary to make the cake may be $50+ and then you have leftovers, but you're still out $50

$50,000 ........ for the cost of the commercial kitchen, insurance, etc.

Ok, funny part aside.........

Are you asking because you're not sure how to figure the cost? Or are you curious on the cost of other's cakes? If the latter, that will be a hard one because of the different recipes, ingredients, regional pricing (kory pays way more for eggs in Alaska than I do in Indiana).

this is gonna sound weird...but i noticed awhile back most of my supplies cost give or take a lil bit, 1 dollar a pound....

think about it

mix if you use it 99 cents for 18 ounces
3 pounds of shortenin 3.50
butter...99 cents
2 pounds powdered sugar 1.75
never weighed the eggs

of course the water is almost free...

but if i want a really rough estimate, i weight the finished product and figure VERY ROUGHLY a dollar a pound.

course when you star adding chocolate chips and fillings and stuff all bets are off

Where are you littlecake that butter costs .99 a lb!? Man oh man , I pay between 3.49 and 4.99 a lb here in Victoria, British Columbia!

I guess that shows that you really can't go by someone's cost unless they live in the same town! It comes down to sitting there with a calculator and figuring it all out... so boring!

See add'l responses on this thread, also: http://cakecentral.com/cake-decorating-ftopicp-6575176.html#6575176