Hi, I'm just curious to know your views and pricing points on pricing a real cake vs a dummy cake.

For example, say your 4 tier cake for 100 people costs $400, how much would you charge for a 4 tier dummy cake with the same decorations as the real cake?
What about if they wanted 2 real tiers (say for 50 people), and 2 fake tiers?

I don't really think location is important when trying to price this kind of thing.
I am having a hard time trying to figure this out, and am getting more requests for dummy cakes and "halfandhalfs"...

Thanks in advance!

I'm still a newbie and don't charge for my cakes, but I've heard you should charge 75% of the price of the real cake, because the decorating (your skill) is really what you charge the most for and takes the most time. HTH!

I wrote about this on my blog recently http://acaketorememberva.blogspot.com/2010/10/more-about-dummies-yes-still-cakes.html

Just an FYI, I know that I refer people to my blog a lot, but if I wrote about it on there already it's easier to just give the link instead of typing everything out again!

I charge from 25 to 75 per layer

80% of the usual price of the tier

In some case, the cost of a cake dummy is higher than the cost of a cake!! most people don't take into concideration that although a dummy cake isn't a "real" cake... it takes the same amount of skill, time and effort to make a dummycake look as impressive as the rest of the edible cake!!

When you explain it that way to potentail clients... it makes more sense when you charge the same... or only slightly less!

Thanks for your thoughts everyone. I was thinking around 75-80% of the normal price sounds about right.
You have some very interesting articles on your blog Costume, well done! I understand the valid arguments in the ones about the dummy cakes - I just need to write them down and memorise them, especially the way you word them, for when someone exclaims "how much?!"...

I charge the same amount for dummies that I do for real cake.

I charge the same price and encourage them to get the cake instead of styrofoam. (I buy mine really cheap from Dallas foam). They can leave it for the venue as a thank you or feed relatives that are in town the next day. I even had on sweet mother of the bride call me the morning after the event to say that it was excellent for breakfast!