How do you all price out your 3D cakes? I have a request for a PS3 cake which needs to serve 35-40 people. I measured the PS3 and know that I need to use an 11x15 cake (double layer) which in my book will serve 70 before cut - so I know even after I cut and shape I will have plenty of cake - but how do you price out?
TIA!!
Price it based off how much cake you are baking and if you need to add a carving charge.
There are really two thoughts. Your prices for carved cakes can be higher than your normal price per serving. Such as if you charge $2 a serving you can charge $3.50. Or you can charge for the cost of the cake you bake, your normal serving price. Either way usually comes out to a pretty close number unless you are having to bake a huge cake and carve away alot, or your craving prices is too low.
The way I price my cakes (3D or otherwise) has nothing to do with price per serving. I add up all my overheads (ingredients, power used, boards, dowels etc etc), then I estimate how long it will take me to mix ingredients, ganache the cake, cover in fondant and decorate. I give myself an hourly rate and multiply that by the time it will take me to do (Eg $25 x 8hours = 200 ). Then add my overhead costs on top of that ($100). I now have a price ($300). Those prices were just examples, but I always tell my customers that the size of the cake isn't the determining factor of cost. Some small cakes can take much longer to decorate than large ones if the design on them is intricate... or you need to hand carve it, etc. These styles of cakes are art work... if they wanted the type of cake where they paid by the serving they'd go to a bakery and buy a sponge cake.. 
I used to undercharge myself drastically in the beginning, but after you've been doing it for a while and you realise how much work goes into every cake, you'll quickly stop doing that, haha.
. . . These styles of cakes are art work... if they wanted the type of cake where they paid by the serving they'd go to a bakery and buy a sponge cake.
Everyone is entitled to their opinions so IMO this statement makes no sense. The majority of the custom cake industry charges per serving, and this includes high end gourmet cake artists. Even Duff from Ace of Cakes and Buddy from Cake Boss have a per serving price structure. They may not tell the customer "$10 per serving" but they use that structure to determine their price.
Everyone needs to create a pricing structure that works for them.
How do you all price out your 3D cakes? I have a request for a PS3 cake which needs to serve 35-40 people. I measured the PS3 and know that I need to use an 11x15 cake (double layer) which in my book will serve 70 before cut - so I know even after I cut and shape I will have plenty of cake - but how do you price out?
TIA!!
Hi. I made a PS3 last year. I used a 9x13 (1/4 sheet cake). Even though I cut some of it away I charged what I would normally for the whole sheet. I also charged extra for the controller as I had to bake an extra 8" square cake.
Good luck with your project!
I think it's really an American/Canadian thing. Hardly anyone does this in Australia. Of course, I could divide the cost of every cake by the amount of people I'm serving it with... But I just can't see how it matters. If I'm doing a 6" round with loads of detail... hand made figures etc and I charge $150... I could say that it cost them $12.50 a serving. Then that customer comes back and orders a 9" round with the same detail, but no figures and I charge $150. Do I tell her it's cheaper because there's no figurines... or do I say the price per serving on this cake is now $6.25 a serving because there's no figures. It just doesn't register to me how a customer needs to break it down like that... I just say you're paying for my time. If it take me a long time to make, it doesn't matter how many servings it is, it will cost you more... And vice versa. I think it psychologically, a customer will then start comparing 'prices per serve' (if they don't of course do the math themselves) and these artistic cakes shouldn't be compared to regular bakery ones. Of course, this is totally my opion and how i run my business. But I've honestly never had a single person ask for price per serve, or question it after I've given them a price... It really is strange to me! But to each their own... no offence intended.
Bel_Anne
None taken - just voicing our opinions back and forth. I have issues too with the price per serving. I use it as a starting point and go up from there based on detail. I don't tell my customers I'm charging $x per serving, I quote them a flat rate for the cake.
Whatever works for you is what you need to do. I think it is a North American thing too!
Good luck in your business!
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