214 Cakes Price List

Here is my official price list for custom fondant cakes:

Sheet cake (half sheet about 14"x 11"), fondant covered with basic buttercream border - $55

4" round tier, basic, fondant-covered with buttercream border - $20
6" round tier, basic, fondant-covered with buttercream border - $30
8" round tier, basic, fondant-covered with buttercream border- $40
10" round tier, basic, fondant-covered with buttercream border - $50
12" round tier, basic, fondant-covered with buttercream border - $70
14" round tier, basic, fondant-covered with buttercream border - $90

Square cakes, add $10 per tier

Fondant Bows: looped bow - $10, simple bow - $5

Buttercream designs such as roses, flowers, and detailed piping are priced individually, but usually about $5 to $10 per tier.

Other 3D designs or sculpted figures extra, depending on complexity.

I can design a cake to fit any budget!

If you order a First Birthday cake from me, you will receive a complimentary a 4" buttercream "Smash Cake" for the birthday child to devour.

Wedding Cakes: Don't freeze your top tier only to throw it away a year later - I can create a 6" replica of your top tier for your anniversary. Receive 20% off your anniversary cake if you ordered your wedding cake from me.

Example prices:

14" round $90, 10" round $50, 6" round $30, plus pearl candy border $15 = $185 (fresh flower placement extra)

8" round basic fondant = $40

sheet cake $55, plus $15 for detailed fondant designs = $70

10" round $50, 8" round $40, plus baby quilt and feet $15, candy border and buttercream design $5 = $110

The Hardest Part - Part 3

As I promised in Part 2 post of this subject, let's take a look at a few examples of what other bakers in my area are charging for cakes:

Carrie's Cakes  (www.carriescakes.com) out of Salt Lake City (they deliver all over the Wasatch Front):
For basic cake with simple design, prices start at:
Two tier $295 and up
Three tier $450 and up
Four tier $575 and up
The prices above are starting prices for basic, round cakes. The final price is based on the design elements of the cake, i.e. shape, sugar flowers, bow, intricate piping, etc.

One Sweet Slice in South Jordan and Sandy (www.onesweetslice.com):
For Custom Birthday or Specialty Cakes-
Fondant covered single tier cakes-
6" Round - (serves 10) $50
8" Round - (serves 15) $75
10" Round - (serves 20) $100
 Tiered Cakes-
6" & 9" Round - (serves 30) $200
6", 8", 10" Round - (serves 50) $300
 For square cakes add $10 per tier
Sculpted and 3D cakes start at $250 and are based on complexity of design, structure, shape and size. Certain design elements such as fondant bows, piping work, hand painting, or detailed fondant work are additional cost.

Couture Specialty Cakes (couturespecialtycakes.com)
Starting prices for basic fondant cakes, "Build you own":
11 x 15 x 2 Sheet cake starting at $35+
6" round tier $35+
8" round tier $45+
10" round tier $55+
12"round tier $75+
14" round tier $95+ 
Square cakes add $10 per tier

Sugarland Cakes (www.sugarlandcake.com)
1/2 sheet cake (serves 40) starting at $100 for buttercream, $120 for fondant
"Smash Cakes" (for baby's birthday when you give them their first cake to eat) cost $15 for a 4" buttercream cake, $40 for a 4" fondant cake

The previous examples are private bakeries. Here's an example of some Sam's Club prices:
Small two-tier buttercream cake with pre-printed edible paper designs - $49.98 (10 & 6")
Three-tier buttercream, with some piping and pre-printed edible paper designs- $79.98 (10-8-6")
 
All of the following factors would cost extra according to all of the websites I checked:

Shape other than round? 
Do you want a multiple-tiered/stacked cake?
Do you want a 3D or sculpted design?
Fondant instead of buttercream?
Does the design you want involve a lot of detail?

Wow! See why it's so hard to answer the question, "how much are your cakes" ?!

I'll show a few cakes I've done in the past for my family and show how much they would have cost according to these competitor prices. Hopefully soon I can decide on my final prices and post them for easy reference.

Thanks for coming along with me as I explore the challenge of pricing cakes!

Stay tuned!

-Linda





According to these competitors, the following cakes (all of which I made as gifts for my own family or close friends) would have cost.....

2-tier 6" and 4"..............$75 (Couture), or $90 (One Sweet Slice), plus the card on top (made of fondant)

8" round $45 (Couture)+ or $75+ (One Sweet Slice)- (extra for fondant starts and circles)

8"round - $45 (Couture) or $75(One Sweet Slice)

2-tier 10" & 8" TALL, plus fondant figures - From $130(Couture) and up to $295 (Carrie's Cakes)

8" TALL - plus 3D work - $90 up to $250

2-tier 8" & 6" - $80+, $125+ (fondant bow and mouse ears extra)

3-tier 14-10-6" From $250 (Couture) to $450 (Carrie's Cakes)

3-tier 12" & 10" plus 3D sculpted $150+, $250+, $295+

 

 

 

 

 

The Hardest Part - Part Two

After a week as crazy as I've just had, I feel the need to get this next blog post up and resolve this "hardest part" once and for all!

I had three cake orders to complete in one week. A first for me! I had one very complicated cake due on Wednesday,

and two others due on Saturday (the day after Halloween!).

Since customized fondant cakes are time consuming, combine three cakes and a part-time nanny job with a holiday like Halloween in the mix and I am ready for a break! I feel like doing cakes could take over my life if I let it, instead of it being just a fun hobby, so I would like to make sure I am making a little income if I'm going to keep doing them on a regular basis and make it worth my while. I did these cakes this week for way less than they are worth considering all the time I put into them, and this week has showed me that it's time to step-it-up in that department.

So let's get down to the "nitty gritty" on pricing cakes. This is truly the hardest part!

I searched the internet for articles on the subject of pricing cakes. There were several from experienced bakers/cake decorators, and they all had pretty much the same advice: "New bakers: Don't undersell yourself!" I guess it's pretty common for new bakers to have this problem...

A company called "CakeBoss" that makes computer software for bakers (not to be confused with the TLC Cake Boss from New Jersey) has a great article with lots of good info on pricing cakes. http://www.cakeboss.com/Cake-Stuff/Articles/How-Much-Should-I-Charge To quote their article:

"[How much should I charge for my cakes?] This is one of the most frequently asked questions by cake decorators when they begin to sell their cakes.  The simple but frustrating answer is that no one can tell you how much you should charge.  Setting a price structure is one of the most difficult parts of any business. As with real estate, the price of cakes varies widely by location and is largely determined by your local market.  Finding the right price point requires research of your competitors' prices, and a solid understanding of your own costs.

As artists, it is hard to know what value to place on our work.  We don't want to sell ourselves and our talents short, but neither do we want to shock our customers with high prices, leave them feeling like they paid too much, or even worse - have a customer argue with us about the price of our cake."

More from the CakeBoss article:

"How do I know what people will pay for a cake in my community?

Call other custom bakeries in your area and ask them how much they charge...for wedding, party and sheet cakes.  Set your prices close to theirs, or maybe slightly lower if you are still building your skill level.  Do NOT undercut them - this is a disservice to them, and to other decorators in your community"

Interesting! If I charge too much lower than other cake makers in my area, I am ruining it for THEM! Ugh. I don't want to be the bad guy....


So I did what they suggested, and I researched my "competitors" prices.

Stay tuned for Part 3 to find out what others in my area are charging for cakes.................

"The Hardest Part" - Part One

What is the hardest part about being in the cake decorating business? You might guess that it's the baking of the cake; getting the cake to have the right taste and texture, knowing how long to bake it, leveling and torting the cake, etc. Yep, that can be challenging. Maybe it's stacking cakes with multiple tiers. Or you might guess that the hard part is the design and decorating. Getting the frosting and fondant colors right, having the right consistency in the butercream. And what if I mess up? What if the fondant rips or breaks when I'm shaping it over the cake? Kind of nerve wracking! Well, the fact is that cake decorating is not easy, but contrary to what you might think, none of that is the hardest part.

The hardest part is putting a PRICE on the cake!

I worry every time someone asks me "How much do you charge for cakes?" They see the colorful, fun and unique things that can be done with a cake, but they aren't really prepared to hear that the cost is going to be greater than what they're used to paying at the grocery store.

Let's face it. When most people think of getting a birthday cake, the usual thought is, "I'll stop by the grocery store and pick up a cake for $18.99 and ask them to write 'Happy Birthday Johnny' on it". I'll admit that even though I usually make my kids' cakes, there has been a time or two (or five) over the years that I just didn't have time or didn't want the hastle, so I caved in and bought a ready-made one at the store. It's convenient, takes almost no advanced preparation, and hey, it's cake.

A cake roll from the grocery store - we begged the store bakery to write on it for us!

It's colorful, but it's still in the foil pan! Ugh.

Chocolate cake from Sam's Club. I'll admit this one tastes really good, but it's not too festive.

Have you ever had that sticky chocolate fudge frosting? Bleh.

Boy, I must have been really busy that year, it's a bowl of ice cream. :/

Those are examples of what $10 to $20 will get you. The cakes served their purpose but the kids don't look very excited...

Once I really splurged and spent $35 or $40 on a store bought cake:

This one actually looked pretty good, but I'm not a fan of the taste of the frosting or the spongy cake.

For my 40th birthday a few years back, my amazing hubby ordered a custom cake from a the best grocery store bakery in Utah - Dick's Market in Centerville. It was a Rubik's Cube and it cost around $100. It tasted great - Dick's cake is moist and yummy. If I'm ever in a pinch and want to decorate a cake but don't have time to do the baking, I will order plain unfrosted cakes from Dick's and frost/decorate them myself.

Now contrast those store bought examples with these buttercream beauties I made myself!

Now let's take it up a notch and contrast with FONDANT cakes.....

This 8" custom fondant cake VS. a mass produced grocery store undecorated chocolate cake at $10. What would you pay?

This cake took two afternoons to make, with about 4 or 5 hours spent just on the fondant designs alone! What is it worth?

If a grocery store charges $100 for a buttercream Rubik's Cube cake only a little taller than this one, what should I charge for a cake like this? Each fondant square was added separately...

 So what should I charge for custom fondant cakes, or even themed buttercream cakes? In part two of this blog post, we'll talk about what goes into creating these cakes, and what experienced bakers have to say about how to price your cakes. I have been doing my research!  Stay tuned for Part Two!....

Why I Decorate Cakes

I've always loved to craft. As a child I loved to color, paint, cut, sew, glue, bake, and just generally create things! It's a family trait. My maternal grandma was a talented artist - she was an oil painter and seamstress.
My mom is a jack-of-all trades - she is a talented seamstress, watercolor artist, former cake decorator, and over-all crafter. I must have inherited that desire to create. I especially liked to bake as a teenager. Whenever someone wanted cookies or brownies, I would be nominated to be the baker. Now as an adult, I have tried just about every craft imaginable, and my favorites are scrapbooking, quilting, home decorating, drawing/sketching, baking and of course, cake decorating. I guess the desire to create beautiful things is in my blood! (My sister is the same way, so really, I think it's in our blood!)

Growing up, my mom made a lot of fancy cakes. My siblings and I were lucky that we always had amazing cakes for our birthdays. I loved it when Mom was working on a wedding cake, because there was always plenty of time to watch her pipe on the frosting designs, and plenty of leftover frosting for me to play with. I picked up some of her skills by watching her and trying them out. When I had kids of my own, it seemed natural to make my own cakes for them like my mom did. It was fun each year to ask them what kind of cake they wanted and see their smiles when their vision became a reality.

I never took cake decorating classes or had special training (until recently). It was just something I liked to do and could do fairly well, but I never made cakes for other people. In the last decade or so, fondant cakes became more popular, to the point that I'd guess 90% of wedding cakes have to be fondant now! I didn't even know what fondant was until it started becoming more common. So a couple of years ago, a friend of mine asked if I wanted to take some cake decorating classes with her at a local store, and I learned how to do fondant and fell in love with it. It opened up a whole new world for my cake decorating! One can be so much more creative with fondant, and the outcomes look much more polished and professional!

When I started making fondant cakes, as usual I just did them for family. I did a couple of small cakes for my kids birthdays that year, but still to that point no one outside of my family knew I could decorate cakes. Then I did one for one of my older daughters' baby shower. Things went crazy after that!

Once the cat was out of the bag, I decided to be brave and do a daughter's wedding cake ("old-school buttercream, not fondant),

Cake up the nose is always fun!

and then everyone knew, and I gained confidence and started making cakes for people outside the family every chance I got.

The thing I like most about doing cakes, is that it's an art that I can share that makes people happy. Everyone loves to EAT cake, but it's even more fun when the cake also looks awesome and is a special representation of a particular person or occasion. A cake is a centerpiece, a focal point, a celebration in itself! Anyone feels special when a work of art has been created just for them.

And that's why I love to make cakes!

Welcome to my Blog!

I like to decorate cakes! It's one of my "too many hobbies", but right now it's my favorite hobby. My skills are also increasing in demand, so I have felt the need to start a blog where I can post pictures, prices, and fun info about my cakes for clients, friends, and family. So here it is. Welcome to my blog!