How Much Does A Wedding Cake Ingredients Cost And Time?
Business By kotonk Updated 18 Jan 2012 , 10:16pm by costumeczar
Sorry - no-one will be able to answer this question: it's much too vague.
What kind of cake?
What kind of icing?
What kind of filling?
What size and shape cake?
What kind of decorations?
What have you done by way of baking and decorating before?
Where do you live?
Edited to say: Oops, what Ivycakes said.
I would bet that if a 100 different people answered this question you'd have 100 different answers.
Why? Because my costs are different than yours and everybody elses, unless you shop at the same wholesaler that I do.
I may be faster or slower than you, so how can I tell you how long it will take?
Are you a customer or a baker?
You sound less like a baker and more like someone who's fishing for prices. Forgive me if I'm wrong. If I am, you're still very vague on what you want. There is no 'typical wedding cake.' What does a 'wedding cake' mean to you? Tiered? Layered? Sculpted? Topsy turvey? Frosted in buttercream? Covered in fondant? Do you want a specialty flavor and filling? Do you want gum paste flowers, fresh flowers...no flowers? Stripes, dots, diamond shapes? Ribbons, bows or bling?
From baking to decorating, all these things take different amounts of time and different ingredients to produce the finished product. Not to mention the area in which you live can play a large part in how much things cost. So be more specific and hopefully someone can answer!
You sound less like a baker and more like someone who's fishing for prices. Forgive me if I'm wrong. !
I'll be honest I thought the same thing.
I was thinking that too, but don't really have a problem with that
. With the info presented, my best guess would be about $160,000. There is $16 for flour, $25 sugar, $12 butter, $30 eggs, $20 vanilla, $6 baking soda, $15 for baking powder, (I buy in bulk) $7 for pan release, $20 for bake even strips, and $3 for milk. I have a lot of supplies I bought to mix(kitchenaid-$250), form (fatdaddiosx2-$150), bake (Duke oven-$500/used), level (agbay $300), fill (coupler and pastry bag, angled spatula-$5), ice ( 20 qrt Hobart, spatula, bench scraper, Viva,- $3500), decorate ( various supplies costing about $1000). But before I could do any of that, we bought a house outside city limits to have proper zoning and a 2 car attached garage ($140,000), the remodel ($10,000), bureaucracy to get all my permission slips ($500), and licenses ($500) and advertising ($700), business cards ($250), and free cakes "to get the word out about my cakes" countless money and time! Oh! And a delivery van for about $5000!
And before I could legally make that 2 tier wedding cake, I had a ten year goal that took 12 years, but I knew that baking cakes was the job I wanted since I was 14, so really, about 18 years.
So, $160,000 and 18 years. Any more questions?
It's certainly possible the original poster was asking an honest question, the sarcastic answers here are a little out of line.
The OP didn't say anything about selling the cake either -- the question was about cost, not price.
LOL, love it y'all are crazy, But agree with all. Kokont joined today and is asking that kind of question. LMAO 
It's certainly possible the original poster was asking an honest question, the sarcastic answers here are a little out of line.
The OP didn't say anything about selling the cake either -- the question was about cost, not price.
So, then answer the question as accurately as possible! Lol!
It's certainly possible the original poster was asking an honest question, the sarcastic answers here are a little out of line.
The OP didn't say anything about selling the cake either -- the question was about cost, not price.
So, then answer the question as accurately as possible! Lol!
Ahahahahahahahaha!!! And don't forget the google links!
The best thing, if you are looking or how to figure your prices based off of what YOU pay for your ingredients, and what YOUR time is worth.
Some people use cake mixes, some scratch bake, some use all organic/allegry free stuff, so the cost of that varies person to person.
Some may use an american style buttercream, some use IMBC or SMBC, some may use ganache, again all vary in costs.
Some may make their fondant, some may buy there fondant.
Some may shop at the grocery store, some may shop whole sale and get cheaper prices.
It's certainly possible the original poster was asking an honest question, the sarcastic answers here are a little out of line.
The OP didn't say anything about selling the cake either -- the question was about cost, not price.
So, then answer the question as accurately as possible! Lol!
Ahahahahahahahaha!!! And don't forget the google links!
PPpppfffffffttttttt! (coffee being sprayed out my nose and mouth!) bwahahahahaha! 
It's certainly possible the original poster was asking an honest question, the sarcastic answers here are a little out of line.
The OP didn't say anything about selling the cake either -- the question was about cost, not price.
So, then answer the question as accurately as possible! Lol!
Given the non-specific nature of the question I felt that the first few posters already gave the most accurate answers possible.
If this was a legitimate question, hopefully the OP will focus on the posters who were actually helpful if and when they choose to continue posting. And I don't need a google link to advocate the use of common courtesy in a community, especially when dealing with new members.
Even though the OP may be fishing for pricing (and in my heart I believe that's what that was), I still think it's a good opportunity to educate someone who obviously got a wake-up call from a few bakeries who were quoting pricing the OP thought was out of line.
As I said earlier, the truth is that there is NO 'typical' wedding cake! The cost is based on ingredients and time spent on design and quality of workmanship. Cake is not 'just cake' when effort and detail and custom demands are met. A typical layer cake with no decoration is easy to guesstimate...but a wedding cake? Come back with more specifics and everyone will be truthful and helpful. And the first truth is, don't expect Ron Ben Israel work with a Walmart budget!
Even though the OP may be fishing for pricing (and in my heart I believe that's what that was), I still think it's a good opportunity to educate someone who obviously got a wake-up call from a few bakeries who were quoting pricing the OP thought was out of line.
As I said earlier, the truth is that there is NO 'typical' wedding cake! The cost is based on ingredients and time spent on design and quality of workmanship. Cake is not 'just cake' when effort and detail and custom demands are met. A typical layer cake with no decoration is easy to guesstimate...but a wedding cake? Come back with more specifics and everyone will be truthful and helpful. And the first truth is, don't expect Ron Ben Israel work with a Walmart budget!
Me too! I was at the dentist last night and the building was empty of patients, and they all know I have a bakery, so they were pulling up pictures of their wedding cakes and asking me what I would charge. I pulled out my calculator and did the math, lol. One lady was sick about her cake. The scrolls were awkward and hideous and were navy blue, rather than black, like they were supposed to be. And of course it had the standard bulging and rough icing. It was done by the sister of the caterer, and she paid very little for it. And her cupcakes were carrot, and the baker actually piped carrots on them!!! For a wedding. CARROTS! When I told her my price, she about cried! It was twice what she spent
But she felt like it would've been totally worth it to have me do the same style, for twice as much. Because I have talent and experience, my cake is worth more.
If you want an untalented hack to make your cake, it is going to look like crap and whatever you pay, it will be too much.
I may be wrong, but, I too believe that they were fishing for prices. Even if they weren't, though if they are a cake decorator, they should know that with ANY cake there are SO MANY variables. You can't just say "a standard wedding cake". There is no such thing as standard. I can't count how many times I've heard, "Your cakes are gorgeous. How much do you charge to make a cake?" That's an impossible question to answer. As is "How much does it cost to make a 'standard' wedding cake?"
Here is my take on the "Newbie" question. Are there some sincere ones, yes. And if I have the answer, I'll give it. but there has been a lot of trolling on here and it comes in spurts. I am rather getting tired of it myself and no, I am not going to be courteous about it. I have been on this forum for years and the trolling needs to stop. Now if it makes you feel like a bigger person for helping someone who is trolling under "newbie" and believe it or not, there are members who start up accounts to do just that, knock yourself out. Heck, googling info. makes some feel like experts on everything too.
but there has been a lot of trolling on here and it comes in spurts. I am rather getting tired of it myself and no, I am not going to be courteous about it. I have been on this forum for years and the trolling needs to stop.
The way to make trolling stop is to ignore the trolls, not respond to them with rude and sarcastic statements -- that just leads to a flame war, which is exactly what the trolls want.
In the future if you feel someone is posting disingenuously, you are probably better off just moving on to the next thread.
This tactic also works well when dealing with people posting personal attacks, the attacks can be easily defused by just acting like they were never posted in the first place.
To answer what is probably the question from a bride who is probably shocked at the pricing she is getting, the price the bakers have given you for your cake are probably accurate. Pick the one with the best taste and best photos, and the best customer feedback, and trust that your cake is being baked and decorated by skillful hands, by someone who knows how much work is involved. Don't worry about how long it takes, and what the bakers hard costs are, you are mostly paying for a beautiful creation that will be the centerpiece of your reception.
I saw this yesterday and didn't bother to answer it becasue the response saying "there are too many variables" was the right one.
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