UGH - I HATE pricing cakes!!!

So if someone wants a 3 tier cake for 50 people - the closest I can come is either 10", 8" and 6" for 62 people (I use 8 servings for a 6") are there any other options for 3 tiers or do I just tell her it has to be 2 layers or more cake than she needs (which she might be fine with).

Did I mention that I HATE pricing cakes? A simple 3 tier cake with daisies on it becomes a logistical pricing nightmare for me. I guess I make this much harder than it is. I need to put together a chart for different tiered cakes for different servings or something. I have the chart Debi uses by cake size, it is putting them together that sucks.

So what would you do? Why do I make this so difficult?

4-6-8 serves about 42. Dang cute little things too! But I go by the standard Wilton.

http://www.wilton.com/cakes/tiered-cakes/serving-amounts-all.cfm

If she wants 3 teirs and 50 servings, then you tell her this is what I can give you in 3 tiers and it will serve 62. Then you tell her the price for the 62 servings. If she doesn't want to pay that you can give her a two tiered option for 50 servings and the price for the servings in those cakes.

Do you have a price per serving?

@TexasSugar I do, so far that was my plan (the 62 servings). I always spend too much time trying to get closer to the servings they want. So I was going to price it at $248.

Sometimes you just can't get that magic number.

I basicly give them options, either right below, right at or right above, depending on the servings requested and the different sizes/shapes of the cake. I list the cake sizes/shapes, servings, and price. That way they can take that information and decide which way they want to go.

if you have the pans (I do cuz I'm weird lol.......actually cuz I do a lot of topsy turvy cakes)......I'd do a 5,7,9 cake. Still looks more substantial than a 4,6,8 (they are really cute though)

I get these requests all the time....likes tiered cakes, but only having 15 guests....

I tell them, "The smallest tiered cake I can do serves 36 for $XX."

I hate icing 4 inchers, so I don't even offer them.

You know what they do? They either pick that or choose a single-tiered cake. Most of the time, they have their heart set on a tiered cake and go with the 6/8 round (36 svgs.).

You could do a 5-7-9 ... that's darn near 50 servings... (8+15+30=53) and they are just as cute as a 4-6-8...

I call a 4-6-8 35 servings (5+10+20) since I round down the wilton wedding chart.

Seems like my servings are a bit smaller than yours... I'd just offer her your original thought if that is what you are comfortable with. She can either take the extra servings (and pay for them of course) or go with a different design.

I like the 5-7-9 option, it's a cute cake.

I try to get as close as possible to the servings the client needs, but if the design they want needs a certain tier size combo then they'll have to make a decision....buy more cake then needed or tweek the design a little to better accommodate their request.

I try to get as close to what they want, too, but it takes me about 90 seconds to come up with the configuration based on the wilton chart. It is what it is and I'm not spending 30 minutes worrying about saving 10 servings somewhere.

6/10 serves 50.
8/10 serves 62.
6/8/10 serves 74 (the smallest 3 tier that I'll do).

They can pick one of those and we move on.