Square Cakes Cost More?

Business By Tessie2135 Updated 3 Jan 2014 , 8:36pm by -K8memphis

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Tessie2135 Posted 28 Dec 2013 , 3:46pm
post #1 of 43

Me again, I didn't want to derail the thread below going on another topic.  I am a hobbyist and may one day consider an at home business after I learn a lot more.  I have not done a lot of square cakes.  Why do they cost more than round ones?  Is it because the sharp edges take more work/time?

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-K8memphis Posted 28 Dec 2013 , 3:50pm
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more cake batter used--more servings for 'same' size round cakes--

 

but yes corners take more expertise too

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Tessie2135 Posted 28 Dec 2013 , 3:59pm
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Well that would explain why my square cakes did not "rise" enough.  They have seemed a little short, lol.  Guess I will need to adjust my recipe accordingly so I'll have more batter!

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-K8memphis Posted 28 Dec 2013 , 4:11pm
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oh those dang little details--you cracked me up--

 

but lookie here--http://www.wilton.com/wedding/wedding-cakes/wedding-cake-data.cfm

 

tells you how much batter for the different size pan--

 

happy high rising baking to you now & always 

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-K8memphis Posted 28 Dec 2013 , 4:17pm
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plus often you need to build the corners up with an extra sliver of cake to get it to height--just spread some icing on both sides of the sliver so it all stays put during serving--if it's chocolate cake --use choco icing so it's not so obvious--confessions of a professional wedding cake decorator hahahaha

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JWinslow Posted 28 Dec 2013 , 4:23pm
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If you look at a serving chart, the square cakes feed more people but a per serving cost is per serving cost. 

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Smckinney07 Posted 28 Dec 2013 , 7:11pm
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AI do know some people who have mentioned charging more for square then round. I'm talking about an added charge for labor, as well as serving size.

This is not something I do-but the people have discussed the extra time it takes to build up the sides, etc. as stated above.

You will need to decide what you want to include in your 'base' prices, how much you want to make an hour, if you want to charge per slice, what serving chart to use...I know you've heard all this, there's just a lot to consider when pricing.

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AZCouture Posted 28 Dec 2013 , 7:56pm
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I have nothing to contribute to this conversation other than I hate doing squares, and talk people out of them whenever possible. :D

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Stitches Posted 28 Dec 2013 , 8:19pm
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I also hate to do square cakes and I charge more for them, hoping to talk the person out of it. So far it's worked every time....a penny more for a square cake....and people choose rounds.

 

 

Last summer I had a bride who wanted all squares spiraling like 10 layers tall and she was adamant that they all be really thin one layer cakes (to feed 350). I was THRILLED that they didn't purchase from me!!! Yuck-o!

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AZCouture Posted 28 Dec 2013 , 8:26pm
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Oh ick...what an "interesting" concept. I'm all for brides getting the cake of their dreams....just somewhere else sometimes. :D

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costumeczar Posted 28 Dec 2013 , 9:48pm
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I do a buttload of square cakes for some reason, I don't charge more for them, maybe that's why.

 

There's one baker in town who tells brides that they cost more because you have to start with a round cake and cut the square cake out of it. I'm not kidding.

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Stitches Posted 28 Dec 2013 , 9:53pm
post #12 of 43

Quote:

Originally Posted by costumeczar 
 

 

There's one baker in town who tells brides that they cost more because you have to start with a round cake and cut the square cake out of it. I'm not kidding.

That's hysterical!!

 

I once worked at a place where the previous pastry chef cut every cake out of a full sheet pan. I struggled to get them to understand why I needed round pans for my wedding cakes.........sheesh I don't know how that person had so much spare time than I did.......can you imagine frosting every cake with soft cake edges?....

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AZCouture Posted 28 Dec 2013 , 9:57pm
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AI know there's quite a few people out there that cut their cakes from sheet cakes, that's definitely not a rare thing to hear about. I couldn't do it, but I get it. Quicker baking time, consistent results, not too much left over if you are good with geometry..or some sort of math, ha ha!

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AZCouture Posted 28 Dec 2013 , 9:59pm
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AAnd no, I wouldn't want to ice soft crumby edges either. I LIKE the edge crust.

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jason_kraft Posted 28 Dec 2013 , 10:06pm
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AAt very high volumes it probably becomes more efficient to have a constant stream of sheet cakes coming out of the oven and cut out the sizes needed for each order, with the waste being repurposed into cake balls.

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costumeczar Posted 28 Dec 2013 , 10:13pm
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Except that this guy cuts square cakes from round ones, or so he says. Has nothing to do with cutting everything from a sheet cake.

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costumeczar Posted 28 Dec 2013 , 10:20pm
post #17 of 43

I've seen bakeries that cut everything out of sheets but just throw the scraps out. Depending on what kind of icing you're using it wouldn't be too hard to ice the cut-out edges (meringues would be easy) but if you're using a stiffer icing it would be a pain. In the grand scheme of custom cake pricing, though, the thrown-out cake is the least of your worries in the cost, so if it's faster to bake everything in sheets and cut them out, the time saved in terms of mixing and baking for different sized rounds would make sense.

 

Still not the same as cutting a square cake from a round, though :roll:

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jason_kraft Posted 28 Dec 2013 , 10:25pm
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A

Original message sent by costumeczar

Except that this guy cuts square cakes from round ones, or so he says. Has nothing to do with cutting everything from a sheet cake.

Sorry, I should have quoted Stitches' post.

Although theoretically if you make a high volume of primarily round cakes the same labor savings would apply for an occasional square order.

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costumeczar Posted 28 Dec 2013 , 10:39pm
post #19 of 43

Quote:

Originally Posted by jason_kraft 


Sorry, I should have quoted Stitches' post.

Although theoretically if you make a high volume of primarily round cakes the same labor savings would apply for an occasional square order.

It's more likely that he's trying to jerk customers around by making up a ridiculous reason for charging more.

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-K8memphis Posted 28 Dec 2013 , 11:30pm
post #20 of 43

but all that guy needs is a set of square pans--ver ver strange--some kind of mental blockhead

 

he needs to be more like sponge bob (square pants)

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Stitches Posted 29 Dec 2013 , 2:50am
post #21 of 43
Quote:
Originally Posted by costumeczar 
 

 Depending on what kind of icing you're using it wouldn't be too hard to ice the cut-out edges (meringues would be easy) but if you're using a stiffer icing it would be a pain.

He did that for stacked wedding cakes and they only did about 12 per year. As Jason suggested in his post if could work-out for a high volume place......I can't conceive of that, ever!! I can't find a logical answer to why anyone would bake in full sheet pans and cut to size unless they couldn't get pans in the right sizes. Why did those people do that?????

 

Here's a crazier part, I didn't add the fact that the job required the pastry chefs to pre-slice all our cakes for serving. So every dessert cake he made even iced with meringue had to be sliced and kept pretty. That was hard to do even with crusted edge cakes......

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costumeczar Posted 29 Dec 2013 , 3:41am
post #22 of 43

Quote:

Originally Posted by Stitches 
 

 

 

Here's a crazier part, I didn't add the fact that the job required the pastry chefs to pre-slice all our cakes for serving. So every dessert cake he made even iced with meringue had to be sliced and kept pretty. That was hard to do even with crusted edge cakes......

Now that's just stoopid.

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itsacake Posted 30 Dec 2013 , 12:13am
post #23 of 43

 This brings up a pet peeve. I hate washing square and rectangular cake pans.  They get tiny crumbs stuck in the corners that I have to dig out with a toothpick.   Round pans are easier and faster to wash.

 

But no, I don't actually charge more for squares except that "all cakes are priced individually by number of servings and complexity of design" so a square that provides more servings will cost more based on servings and "complexity" might take into account how many corners I have to deal with --especially if I'm quoting on a day when I'm tired of dealing with PITA clients.

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Norasmom Posted 30 Dec 2013 , 12:38am
post #24 of 43

I hate square pans.  The first cake I sold was square, and then I switched and am so happy I only do round cakes.  I sold my square pans on Ebay!

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-K8memphis Posted 30 Dec 2013 , 1:07am
post #25 of 43

i cannot fathom not liking a cake that has corners--how do you do that--

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leah_s Posted 30 Dec 2013 , 5:15am
post #26 of 43

AI quit taking orders for square cakes a long time ago. Heck i even bake round brownies now.

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Godot Posted 30 Dec 2013 , 5:26am
post #27 of 43

AI hate making square cakes. Meh. Washing the pans and digging out the crud with a toothpick is another story - hate it!

However - a brownie isn't a brownie unless it has four corners.

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enga Posted 30 Dec 2013 , 7:08am
post #28 of 43

Quote:

Originally Posted by Godot 

I hate making square cakes. Meh. Washing the pans and digging out the crud with a toothpick is another story - hate it!

However - a brownie isn't a brownie unless it has four corners.


ROTFL!  Can the church say Amen!

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IAmPamCakes Posted 30 Dec 2013 , 8:11am
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AGotta have chewy brownie corners. I always get dibs on those pieces.

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leah_s Posted 30 Dec 2013 , 11:46am
post #30 of 43

AYou would not believe how my sales increased after I switched to round brownies!

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