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.................