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+