So I just lost another wedding booking. Partly due to the style of cake I make, which they said was more old fashioned and they wanted more moisture and sweetness. Partly because of price competitiveness (is that even a word?)

What I want to know is, whether I'm pricing too high for my skills? I charge $2.75 per serving for buttercream, $3 for fondant, and 10 cents per serving for fillings (standard ones).

I think this is in line with most of the bakeries around....some of them don't have pricing on their sites, so I'm not positive, but I'm not the highest or the lowest.

I can't change my style of baking. This is what I know and like, so pricing needs to be the target. They didn't criticize me personally, and DH says I was friendly, so what else should I focus on?

Would you please check my gallery and respond to my poll?

I think your cakes are great! I don't know why you would consider reducing your rates. People think making a cake is nothing since any factory (walmart, costco,sams club) can pop out a frozen, non-custom cake for a low rate. Don't sell your self (or your cakes) short!

Based on what I see, I don't see why you can't charge as close to or more than competitors in your area. I don't see anything old fashioned about your style of decorating. You have all different styles of cakes pictured. Maybe the ones with pillars are what they are referring to, but you seem to have the skill to successfully stack a wedding cake, also. If they want more moisture and sweetness, maybe consider doing a sugar syrup "wash" on your cakes (still using your same recipe). Then again, you can't please everybody, so maybe they just found something else.

I think the "old fashioned" thing was aimed at my baking, instead of the decorating. And that's true...I use butter cake recipes. But I have modified them to include a portion of oil for more "moisture" and I do use a syrup wash, sometimes flavored if it won't affect the color of the cake.

I can understand someone not liking my style of baking...some people prefer mixes, right? I'm basically trying to suss out why I can't book a wedding to save my life. I don't have an art background, so maybe it is my design skills??? Or maybe all the home bakers in the area boost their numbers by underpricing? Or I'm just not good enough for my pricing?

These are the thoughts running through my crowded head.

Karateka, your skills are certainly worthy of your rates. There's no question there. However, I'm confused regarding your comments on you baking style. What do you consider "old fashioned" baking?

I've always been told that if your cake doesn't taste as good or better than it looks you won't get the repeat business. Obviously, I can't comment on your baking so you'll need to evaluate that yourself and maybe get feedback from your family and friends. But, if you feel the need, please feel free to send me a sample! Good luck!

When you sit down with a client, do you bring a book of your cakes or anything to show them? Obviously you bring samples... how do you bring them? as cupcakes or a filled cake?

Love your work it's awesome! You just can not please everyone. I think you should charge a little more but the price is fare. There are people out here who wants everything for next to nothing or free. Lift your head up and keep on moving and just don't worry about nothing. Please do not doubt yourself or your skill bc of someone who wants to get over on you.

Sometimes, they're looking for something we just don't have...just like we shop at different stores to find something closest to what we seek, yes? (brand we want at the price we want being the goal.) Not knowing what else is in your area...going by the images in your gallery, I don't see why you would consider dropping your prices. If you like your cake the way it is, I wouldn't change it. I bake so that it is enjoyable to me first.

I can tell you I'm in Ohio also just west of Cleveland. I charge 2.50 for Buttercream and 3.50 for Fondant 2.75 for fillings. Everyone claims to love my cakes MOIST is an always remark, but most of my business is coming from Cleveland area where the cost is 5.75 a serving and they get it there 20 min away. Where I live is a depressed part of a rural area. The steel plant has been closed half way for two years Ford Motor shut down and many other smaller factories.

Where some think I'm high from this area others think I'm cheap and pay me 75.00- 100.00 to deliver 45 min - an hour away cause my prices are so good. I guess it's where we live sometimes and not our work. Just keep the prices like they are, we can NOT compete with Wal-Mart or Sams sheet cakes. That's why most of my business is tiered cakes and Wedding cakes. Your work looks fine!!!!

Stand back...a thought just crossed my mind!

Within the last year or so, I have noticed several b-t-bs commenting on the difference between my cakes and a long-time cake decorator in the area...I don't advocate or promote any negative discussions about any baker/decorator at all....BUT...if a b-t-b wants to share info they have, I listen (in a uh huh while doodling kind of way...like, I'll keep that in mind, sure)...those that mentioned her, stated that her tiers are one layer ...as in one layer, 3-4 inches tall...no filling. They liked the multiple layers within each tier.

Could that be what they meant by sweeter and more moist?

I'm not sure why they would say your cakes are old fashioned? I think they look current and very well decorated. Keep your chin up!

If your sales volume is too low, you may want to temporarily discount your prices by running a 10-20% off sale for a month or so.

I don't think you should change your pricing at all. Your skill level and experience certainly warrants your pricing level. There may be a preconceived "cheaper" price expectation from brides since you're home based. It's harder in rural areas to charge higher prices than it is in cities.

Keep your chin up! There was one suggestion to maybe add a modified version to your selection. Even if you have one or two 'modified' recipes to suggest, you may turn the tide. Good luck!

I think your work is great. If its your baking, you MAY want to try a few of the "tried and true" recipes that other, more successful bakers use here on CC. I personally, love the White Velvet cake recipe (sorry the author skips my mind presently) but it has absolutely become my GO To cake!! and everyone that I share it with says its the best cake they've ever tasted!! It is very dense yet very moist and full of flavor (although I do have to admit that I use 5 different extracts in it to achieve the "perfect" flavor for my palette) As far as your decorating goes, it is great. I was watching a youtube video where Sylvia Weinstock was doing a tasting and she brought out 3 types of cake with about 10 different filling flavors and let the tasters mix and match the cakes and fillings to get what was perfect for their palettes. You may try something like that. I know it sounds like a lot of work, but maybe just make 1/4 recipes of some fillings and freeze them for your tastings. Same for the cake, and then just defrost just enough for the tasting. That way it looks like youve done a TON of work just for them (a little guilt never hurt) AND all of your cakes and fillings taste as if they were just made. Fresh, fresh, fresh without all of the stress stress stress!! That is IMHO.

To me, it sounds like you need to sell yourself better. I've been struggling with that myself, since I raised pricing. I can't just sit there and show them my work and book them. I have to educate them now.
I actually wrote out a "why me?" sales pitch about a week ago. It has really helped, and I've had 3 tastings in 2 days, all of them booking.
I'll pm you my schpeel. You never know, it may be inspiration for your own!

I previously was using Earlene's chart and charging $3 per serving for buttercream, and $3.75 for fondant.

Now I'm using the Wilton chart, and lowered my prices to $2.75 for buttercream, and started charging for fillings, which were previously free.

I suppose I could go to $2.50.......what does it say about me if I keep lowering prices?

Do you mean your cakes are more like pound cake? Denser, not fluffy, etc? If so, then yeah, that might be why you're losing business.

Otherwise, you might just not be offering a broad enough spectrum of flavors, maybe they don't like your BC, or your pricing really could just be higher than the other bakeries.

You are only about 40 minutes from me. Your prices are pretty comparable to most bakeries and home bakeries in our area. However, the ones I know do not do a lot of butter based cakes. I'm pretty sure yours is delicious, but maybe it is just really different than what most sell here. You can use this as a selling point though. There are wedding shows in both Dayton and Cincinnati - do you attend those? What about getting with Trader's World on the weekends. I'm not sure on booth rentals, but they have all sorts of different prices. I know a lot of brides go there to get their dresses at the shop there. Right now, I prefer to do the smaller cakes myself so I have not really looked into heavily advertising into the wedding market here.

I'm in a western suburb of Cleve and charge $3 for buttercream and $4 for fondant so price wise we're not too far off.

I've never had your cake obviously but I if I had to venture a guess it might be because IMO most people are used to the taste of box mixes or ones that have been doctored. Perhaps they figure if they are going to spend that much money on a cake they want it to be a texture they figure they and most of their guests are used to?

Also, I charge one flat fee for everthing - design, fillings, etc. Maybe people are turned off by the idea that they will have to pay extra for a filling?

What type of icing are you using? Is it possible your icing is too sweet, gritty? How about your fillings?
I think your cakes are really very nice and they look up to date to me. Your prices seem low to me,but I'm close to NYC.

Your cakes are beautiful!!!!!

Its almost impossible to know what your local economy can handle though....so I'm no help....

I love your "red square birthday cake". Here, I could get $5/serving for that, done just like that (skill wise). So in a lower economical area, your prices sound totally fine and VERY reasonable. I do not know how your flavors are though...I didn't read the entire thread...have you had complaints or compliments about your baking?

Your Batman/Superman cake is great too! I would have charged $7/serving, approx....for that cake...again, higher cost of living here but still knocking off several bucks is still equal or greater to what you are charging...so definitely do not lower your prices. You deserve to be paid well for your work!

The scroll buttercream wedding one I would have charged $3.50-$4.00/serving for that....so knock cost of living down and your pricing again is very fair.

So...unless something is wrong with the flavors or something...I think you are totally fine with your pricing, and your talent is great! And once your business grows a little, definitely start raising prices a tad here and there.