How Much Should I Charge For This Cake

Decorating By kolabe79 Updated 20 Apr 2014 , 11:22am by nancylee61

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kolabe79 Posted 17 Apr 2014 , 12:11am
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My friend asked me to make her wedding cake exactly like in the picture for 250 people.

I would like to know how much should I charge for it with fondant and without (just butter cream).

also how can I make the notes without having eatable inc and special printer. I was thinking maybe I could buy eatable paper, print the notes and glue it on the fondant. Any other suggestions for that?

Any help and suggestion will be very much so appreciated.

Thank you very much in advance.  

 

 

 

t_copy_of_piano_wedding_cake_008_146.jpg

50 replies
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jnwoods386 Posted 17 Apr 2014 , 12:22am
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AI would definitely use an edible image for the music sheet. Maybe you can have it printed at a cake store like D&G If they're in your area. Not sure of what price you should charge tho bc it's depends on your costs and your area

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kolabe79 Posted 17 Apr 2014 , 11:25pm
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A

Original message sent by jnwoods386

I would definitely use an edible image for the music sheet. Maybe you can have it printed at a cake store like D&G If they're in your area. Not sure of what price you should charge tho bc it's depends on your costs and your area

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Danilou Posted 17 Apr 2014 , 11:41pm
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ARead this.......This question is asked all the time!!

http://cakecentral.com/t/769773/how-much-to-charge-for-a-cake#post_7505525

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AZCouture Posted 17 Apr 2014 , 11:57pm
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AIs this the first cake you've ever charged for?

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ugcjill Posted 18 Apr 2014 , 2:19am
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250 people? That cake will be enormous. My avatar pic feeds 200, it's five tiers.

 

Ballpark price, $1800 for fondant, $1200 for buttercream. If you decide to quote $200, you will be paying buckets of money out of your pocket and taking food out of the mouthes of a cake baker's children. Think of the children!

 

For a friend's wedding, I think $100 in a card is a good present. I love my friends, but a $1500 wedding gift is a bit extravagant.

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kolabe79 Posted 18 Apr 2014 , 2:28am
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Thanks for the reply. I know market is different everywhere, but I am hopping that some one on this forum knows price range for this kind of cake in Utah

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kolabe79 Posted 18 Apr 2014 , 2:30am
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No it is not, but it is the biggest one for 250.

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kolabe79 Posted 18 Apr 2014 , 2:32am
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I asked around the bakeries here in Utah, close to the aria where I leave and I got quotes for pricing from $495 till $1200. I am just not sure which one will be the right price to ask. I don't want to loose money, undercharge my work, and don't want to overcharge as well. 

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howsweet Posted 18 Apr 2014 , 2:46am
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AIt's a no brainer that the person who said $495 was way off -- that's less than $2 per serving.

Are you making the piano and couple by hand in sugar? I'd be charging at least $300 for just that part. It would depend on the detail.

I'd charge $20 for the full sheet of music, probably $20 for the piano trim, $3-4 each for the music notes if they have to be hand cut. $1 each if I used a cutter. Oh, if I have to find extra long wire and bend it just right, that would be more.

Then the base price would be $1250, except it would wind up being more because it would be more than a 3 tier cake. Then there's delivery which would possibly require me to hire a couple of strong guys.

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MBalaska Posted 18 Apr 2014 , 2:52am
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HowSweet, If I ever hit the Mega-super-powerball lottery I'm going to buy for myself your multi colored 2011 award winning cake. (just LOVE that baby ;-D)

and send the strong guys with it, Tell them to dress warm as they're going to Alaska.

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alissan Posted 18 Apr 2014 , 3:17am
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I live in utah and I get super sick of these cake decorators that way under charge. I it is an epidemic out here!  The average price out here is $4-$5 a if you live on the wasatch front.  good luck because everybody out here has a friend of a friend that will under cut you.

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howsweet Posted 18 Apr 2014 , 3:22am
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A

Original message sent by MBalaska

[B]HowSweet,[/B] If I ever hit the Mega-super-powerball lottery I'm going to buy for myself your multi colored 2011 award winning cake. (just LOVE that baby ;-D ) and send the strong guys with it, Tell them to dress warm as they're going to Alaska.

It took me a minute to figure out what you're talking abut because i have never won an award! You mean that rainbow cake I entered in the flower contest? Thanks so much for saying that! All I see when I look at that photo is the flaws. That was actually made in 2010 and I checked my records and it was $836 not including the topper, which averaged out to $8.44 a serving. The flowers were a little cheaper because they didn't care about them looking real.

I'll never forget those customers - they ordered the cake without ever meeting me or having a tasting. After hearing about that case in Colorado, I now see why they may have done it that way. If I had understood at the time I'd have tried to give them a tasting, but I just didn't think about it. I just thought they liked roses and rainbows. It was one of my first wedding cakes and I didn't know that ALL brides want a tasting.

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MUDDY828 Posted 18 Apr 2014 , 3:52am
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Most any stores bakery will print out a sheet of edible images for about seven bucks a sheet. Just think when you go out for dinner and look at the dessert menu it's 4-6 per person and that's not even a top end restaurant. Don't undercut yourself believe me it's not worth it. The bakery uses sugar sheets.

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kolabe79 Posted 18 Apr 2014 , 12:39pm
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I am not going to make the piano on the top, she is buying the cake topper. Music notes are going to be printed on eatable paper and then glued to fondant. Excluding all this would you still charge $1250? The bottom price for a slice a cake is $2.50? Should I just charge by that?

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kolabe79 Posted 18 Apr 2014 , 12:42pm
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Quote:

Originally Posted by alissan 
 

I live in utah and I get super sick of these cake decorators that way under charge. I it is an epidemic out here!  The average price out here is $4-$5 a if you live on the wasatch front.  good luck because everybody out here has a friend of a friend that will under cut you.

I live in Orem, what should I do then? I heard many storied around here and it seems that they don't charge enough and it makes harder for others to price correct their work.

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MimiFix Posted 18 Apr 2014 , 12:47pm
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Quote:
Originally Posted by AZCouture 

Is this the first cake you've ever charged for?

 

Is this the first cake you've ever charged for?

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AZCouture Posted 18 Apr 2014 , 1:45pm
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AShe said no but obviously has no input herself based on past cakes that she has supposedly charged for.

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MimiFix Posted 18 Apr 2014 , 2:05pm
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Quote:

Originally Posted by kolabe79 


My friend asked me to make her wedding cake..  I would like to know how much should I charge for it... 

 

I asked around the bakeries here in Utah, close to the aria where I leave and I got quotes for pricing from $495 till $1200. I am just not sure which one will be the right price to ask. I don't want to loose money, undercharge my work, and don't want to overcharge as well.

 

...The bottom price for a slice a cake is $2.50? Should I just charge by that?

 

I suggest you find a price based on how you usually price your cakes. Then decide if your friend will receive any kind of a discount. 

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alissan Posted 18 Apr 2014 , 8:09pm
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I would charge her what you want.  Break down your costs and time and charge her what you think is  appropriate.  I know that in Orem cakes are more than where I live - Brigham.  If you are doing it for more practice or a favor cut her a deal, if you want to, but let her know it's a deal, or you will be known all over town that you make cakes for cheap and every cheap person will crawl out of the wood work for a "cheap cake".  A cake that serves 200 people will not be cheap even if you cut her a deal. Your cost alone is quite a bit. If you dont have a lot of experience let her know and price it accordingly.

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morganchampagne Posted 18 Apr 2014 , 8:14pm
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AOr, if you don't have the experience don't do the cake. There's no reason to under charge. If you can't do it you can't do it. But the answer is NOT to over charge. Pass her along to someone who can do it and charge appropriately

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kolabe79 Posted 19 Apr 2014 , 3:06am
post #22 of 51

AThank you very much for all the replies. I do know how to make cakes. Usually I make cakes on order but very rarely wedding cakes. This is my 3rd one so far. I told her about the price ranges and she decided to have only the top part 6" real cake rest of the bottom layers fake and she wants 1 full size half sheet cake. How much should I charge for that? I know some people estimate by $2 a peace. Isn't it to much for the seer cake?

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AZCouture Posted 19 Apr 2014 , 4:27am
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AThat would cost MORE if I was asked to do that.

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AZCouture Posted 19 Apr 2014 , 4:28am
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ASo has she cut her guest list too? I have no idea what sheet cakes serve, but a full sheet serves 250??

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AZCouture Posted 19 Apr 2014 , 4:30am
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ASo, hiw did you price for the other two weddings?

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kolabe79 Posted 19 Apr 2014 , 4:33am
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AOne was a gift to family member the other one was partial gift as well both for family.

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AZCouture Posted 19 Apr 2014 , 5:45am
post #27 of 51

AOk...how do you price cakes that aren't for weddings?

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cakefat Posted 19 Apr 2014 , 11:23am
post #28 of 51

OP- in the nicest, kindest possible way, I think you're in over your head. Of course I haven't seen your past work, but just going by your posts, your friend should be worried.  A cake for 200 people is a lot. 

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bilbo Posted 19 Apr 2014 , 12:32pm
post #29 of 51

Quote:

Originally Posted by kolabe79 

Thank you very much for all the replies. I do know how to make cakes. Usually I make cakes on order but very rarely wedding cakes. This is my 3rd one so far. I told her about the price ranges and she decided to have only the top part 6" real cake rest of the bottom layers fake and she wants 1 full size half sheet cake. How much should I charge for that? I know some people estimate by $2 a peace. Isn't it to much for the seer cake?

No different pricing a wedding cake than a birthday cake. What do you usually charge?

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AZCouture Posted 19 Apr 2014 , 4:51pm
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A

Original message sent by cakefat

OP- in the nicest, kindest possible way, I think you're in over your head. Of course I haven't seen your past work, but just going by your posts, your friend should be worried.  A cake for 200 people is a lot. 

Agree. That's a major project. I suggest you do indeed do sheet cakes and dummies for the decorated cake, and friend pays for every bit of it, plus enough money that a person would reasonably make if they were at a job somewhere for the same amount of time. I'm using really simple language here because I don't believe you have the first clue about charging at all, and I'm giving you the simplest explanation as possible. But I would not sell one more cake until you can NOT have to ask a question like this. At least to the public. Give them away all you want to friends, but leave the general public to established decorators who can get a chance to make some appropriate money.

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