My husbands cousin wants me to make her sisters wedding cake to feed 100 people. i have only made 2 tier cakes before so i dont know what size cake i would need to make nor how much i should charge. I dont wanna charge to much since this will be my first big cake its just a simple white fondant cake with real flowers on it. please help im so new at this. thanks.

First you need to determine exactly what it will cost to make the cake: ingredients, electricity, etc, gas to go to store, cardboard cake boards, boxes for delivery, and every little item involved in the process.

Examples of costs we tend to forget:

*Will you need to purchase tools, pans, etc for the job? If so, will you use them again? If yes, then you can amortorize the purchase price over several cakes, if no, then the cost goes onto this project.

*Will you need child care during the process?  *Will you need take-out food during the baking/decorating process?!  (anyone with a job has costs involved with working, so  these types of expenses figure into the next step)

Second, what do you want to make per hour? AT LEAST minimum wage! How many hours will it take from start to finish? Including shopping

Third, Add those together. This should be your minimum price. Now, use local market information to adjust if necessary. What are other bakers with your experience charging? What will the market bear?

(On a completely separate note, I lived in Salisbury many years ago!!)