Ok, I've been reading so many of these posts, but I am just a little confused. I see that a cake slice is 2x2x2 which is 8 cubic somethings Where are you getting this info? And if someone asks for a 3D cake, like my firetruck or train, how do you figure out the number of slices in order to know what to charge per slice?? Sorry, I know you are all probably sick of answering these same questions, but any help would be appreciated! I charged $70 for the train, and only $50 for the firetruck. I know I should have charged more, but I had never done 3D or all fondant cake, so I didn't know how it would turn out. By the way, I am the only custom cake baker in a 30 mile radious, except for wedding cakes. All we have is Publix and Walmart type bakeries. What should I be charging? What if I charge $3 a slice, but noone is willing to pay it? Thanks!

Carved and 3D cakes can't really be charged per slice, although once you have a price, it's just a matter of semantic (total price divided number of people you think it will serve = a gen'l price per slice).

Carved and 3D cakes are pretty involved and they are paying more for the art than they are the cake. From what I've seen on CC, while a regular cake might be $3-$4 a slice, a carved or 3D cake might be $6-$9 a slice after all the extra work in figured in.

If they wont' pay the $3/slice, my answer is "who cares .... who's next?" Do you think if I told the cadillac dealer that I won't pay $70,000 for an Escalade, that he'd drop it down to $20,000 for me? Heck no .... he'd say, "Nice talking to ya, ma'am!" as he walks over to the next guy waiting in line to buy the Escalade.

You said you were the only custom baker .... that puts you in the driver's seat in the Supply-and-Demand equation. If they balk at the price for a custom designed cake that they CAN NOT get anywhere else, they aren't your customer anyway. As one CC'er says, "If no one complains about your pricing, then your prices are too low."

The 2x2x2 is just the industry standard. A single layer sheet cake is 2" tall. A square serving of cake is 2" wide by 2" long by 2" tall. Likewise, the Wilton serving chart ... industry standard ... is 1x2x4. A 2-layer cake is 4" tall. Cut a 2" strip, then cut that strip into 1" pieces (about the size of a folded over peanut butter sandwich).

Here's the wilton chart: http://www.wilton.com/wedding/wedding-cakes/wedding-cake-data.cfm
Here's my step-by-step on how to cut a cake to achieve the wilton chart: http://cateritsimple.com/_wsn/page10.html (works the same on square cakes as it does on rounds).

I agree with everything indydebi just said.

Ok first I must say i agree with what has been said about the pricing. Second Indydebi thank you so much for posting that about how to cut a cake. That is just what i needed to show one of the new caterers in the area that really just butchered the last cake i had because they did not know how to cut it. So after i found this out I told them i will be showing them how to cut the cake properly and not just start wacking away at it.