I have managed to cut my hours down to 8. Very helpful post! The details and diligence that go into making these birthday cakes make their final destination that much sweeter. She was just recently asked to make her first cake (for money) for a baby shower. What would you suggest I charge per serving? I wish I can append a picture here. I will stick to my prices for the orders that have already been made, but then my prices are gonna have to go up. My reason for asking is I have a sports theme cake and cupcake order. I sometimes think wedding cakes are easier! Hi Rose Thank you so much for your site! (I don't have any extra money due to disability payments. So helpful! I plan on raising to prices for decorative cakes but still have no clue what to charge for sheet cakes and cupcakes!!

Thank you for the confirmation that I am doing the right thing with my prices!

I notice u say you charge for both fondant and buttercream One question, these prices per serving do they vary for other cake flavors (vanilla, chocolate etc) ? My base price is $25 and up.. is that good enough?.. Your information is timeless. I'm so sorry I missed your question! I work a full time job as a radiologic technologist during the day and 4 days out of 7, come home and bake and decorate, along with being a mom to two boys and a wife! Where to go? Sometimes at home we have to charge less, but not much. Now, a lot of my facebook friends wanted to know how much I charge for a single layer fondant cake. . Not to mention it was 4 hours away, so I assembled it there. This was so helpful for my little home bakery! great starter info! Thank you so much for your kind words! Maybe it's a friends' kids birthday tell them that you normally budget $15 for children's gifts, so you could offer a $15 discount (and NOT BUY A GIFT) but that would be the max discount you could offer. I have found that some people will always want cheap, some people want quality, that's what I offer. If I lose some business, so be it. Covington@forgoodnesscakescentralcoast NEW!! I am also very proud of the business I have created but it does keep me up very late at night and at times keeps me from my family so charging accordingly for my work is extremely important. I guess I am just really beside myself, when there are so many not doing what they are supposed to, while many of us have worked so hard to do it by the law. I could have liability insurance but I choose not to. If so, how much would I budget for that?

Havent heard of cottage food law I'll ck into it. I price buttercream and fondant the same. it's been of great help!!! Could I bother you to ask for your advice on this pricing issue? I charge $15-25 extra for 3-D sculptured toppers and, I charge $5.00 per serving and up for sculptured/carved/3-D cakes. this is what I was looking forexcellent guidanceGOD BLESS you and your family!!!

(A heads up that we may ask you to submit a signed copy of this link above )Thank you and happy posting! thank you so much from the bottom of my heart for sharing this, and all your other posts about running a small cake business. -fondant covered cake is $4.50 per serving. Well said Rose! While the thank cards say a lot, the smiles seen on the faces of those getting the cakes speaks volumes. Are the prices per serving that you listed for frosting covered cakes and then how do you charge for fondant? A 5" + 7" round tiered cake with 26 servings is $120 minimum, plus taxes. Dont undercharge! I am planning on having a pick up service from my door step . This is very helpful. I was doing the same thing 2 yrs ago charging cheap until one costumer send me one of her friends and she said that i work really nice and charge so cheap. Thank you so much for taking the time to share this with all of us. I have the same passion, I've learn by my self and after I worked as a icream maker in Italy, I started to think maybe I can sell my cakes. Hello! Minimum $3 per serving. I've been decorating cakes for 20 plus years but because of the law not allowing me to sell out of my home, I've only done cakes for friends and family and mostly at cost "to gain experience". This is just what I needed. You're just going to have to be honest. Best wishes on getting your business legit! I have had the passion to do cakes for years but with my children it was hard to make that happen because I tend to lose myself in the hours I put into it. This has taught me A LOT! I often will give them a discount, but I rarely do them for free unless it's my immediate family and then they may still pay for ingredients. Still the $3 min? License B allows you to use cream fillings, etc You will need inspections with this license and with both options you cannot have children under 5 in the baking area or pets, if so it must have a door on the baking area. Customer wants a 2 tier cake with bright colors. Thank you for posting this!!! No? Stop thinking that way. What this means is this. Thank you for sharing this information. Prices vary dramatically by location and baker. You always encourage me so much! Thank you again! That was April 2015. How would you tackle the 3D or designer cakes? I'm working myself in that direction and have new-found hope that it is possible. thank you i have issues of worrying if im undercharging or worse over charging. I have often thought this when someone' jaw drops at the prices of my cakes. I applaud you for doing what you do and you really shouldn't have to explain what you do to others. It can be from a box, with canned frosting, as long as its made with love, Fierro said. I'm sorry Catherine - I don't know what a Cassata Cake is and I really can't give out specific prices. I've been advised to charge cheap prices to get my name out I would quote her a price and if she mentions that so-and-so paid less, just tell her that you give discounts to family and close friends but you can't extend that to everyone. I would love to know what you think of what I have done so far. thank you! What is a smash cake? Sometimes I charge more for special flavors that have lots of nuts or fruit or other special ingredients, but these prices cover all "basic" flavors. Wow! Then if anybody at the party asked who did the cake, my customers could/would give them a card! Also figure in your cake expenses (all of it). I'm just getting started in the home baking stuff and pricing definitely has been the hardest thing for me.

Doing marketing like a lemonade stand will prove worthless in about yesterday. Hi Rose, I know this is an older post but I hope you still check your comments. I have recently had a cake decorated10 b 10 square How much per hour should I pay She has not charged me but she has spent five hours of her time decoratingI made the cake, THANK YOU!!! Yes! I just got an order for a chocolate vanilla half sheet cake for a pre-school graduation and I'm freaking out about how I'm going to price it!!. I'm a home baker, I also sell in a local market. Looking forward to more instruction. I needed this 'kick in the pants'. I would greatly appreciate your help. Rose, do you use Wilton's party cake servings and wedding cake servings charts seperately, or do you use one list for both categories? Here is my pricing that you can find in my website: Hi Judy! Customers how are penny pinchers and dont value quality over quantity.

WOW Tiffani! I charge the same for wedding or birthday - but both increase in price for size and difficulty. Sometimes that means Im only making about 20 cents and hour. Thank you in advance!! That yields 24 servings for an 8" round that's 4-5" tall. This is so helpful. Let the undercutting business deal with those people. Oh by the way, I'm from South Africa. Hi Rose! I'm thankful though that the custom cake business has become popular enough that more and more clients have a better grasp on how much these cakes cost. Thanks again for the info! And I've never done a shoe like that - I'd base it on how many hours it took to make it. To justify reasons for pricing to their more frugal audience can sometimes feel defeating for these culinary artists (especially when they are met with a rude response). I'm also a beginner in baking and hardly charge anything for my cakes as I'm still learning new tricks but I also want to be making it worth my while as you can work for free. I am stuck though most of my orders come by word of mouth and through people I work with at my day job. Ive been asked many times already how much I charge and it scared me because I had no clue about this industry. This has helped so much and I feel more comfortable with my prices. How much should you charge for those cakes? I have to say that I do not feel that the home baker is fair, they undercut you on cake and dessert prices. I really appreciate your posting, it help me very much. Very good advice!! I still feel a bit guilty accepting the moneyDo you think the cake is too flat for the price? I still haven't responded as I have no idea really and I'm scared (since I am just starting and want customers) that if I give them a high price they might back down. Plain and simple. Many of us home bakers are better than bakers with brick and mortar stores!! I have friends who have a $1500 minimum or a minimum of $20 per serving. did that make sense? Unless there are many more flowers or design. New York City@forgoodnesscakesbflo NEW!! I know I need to increase my prices (right now they are $2 per serving) but wasn't really sure how much I needed to increase them. I have been MASSIVELY undercharging on my cakes! Hello, thank you for the tips. I am not professional and feel it would be wrong to charge very much. I am getting ready to youtube myself to death with the fondant animals. I would love to see you make a video and put it on youtube so we can all learn from you. You are right about liability, all it takes is one person to get sick (not even on your cake ) and they sue everyone. Cupcakes start at $20/dozen and custom decorations average $30 per dozen and up. How do I figure out servings?? (By the way, I meant a 2 layer cake, not just one cake layer with frosting!). So my friend Jane paid $35 for a cake and referred me to her friend--I'm sure Jane mentioned the price she paid when she referred me. You're so right Kathia! What price would you charge for this cake? Rose! I thought you would abide by the laws, as you have all your business on the internet and well known. Quite frankly, I agree with herhence Im sharing my wisdom on this blog for free. The thing is potential clients call me to ask for prices and just never come back. Most home bakers and bakery owners alike would agree that pricing is the most difficult aspect of the trade (especially because it is our passion!) Sohere's my answer. My cake tiers are generally around 5" tall whether I do two taller layers or three skinnier layers. Thank you so much for sharing! It has been a year of learning, and I'm so happy I have found you! Not even enough to pay rent) I will be asking for gift cards to Michaels for my birthday so I can purchase some necessary pieces to my tool box. Oh my goodness! I sure hope I can get the page back! Just because YOU wouldnt spend $1500.00 on a cake doesnt mean somebody else wont! I've also started figuring out the cost of my cakes too. Yeah, I'd absolutely stick to that minimum! I love baking and I love that I can do it from home. I'm doing my first big set up for a community fair in my town. If it'll take you an extra hour to do the decorating and you want to make $10/hr, then add $10 to your base price or $12 or $15 to cover the materials. [emailprotected]. These tips really help me a lot. That was not good. For that reason, most of my clients meet me in my tiny town (I deliver there for free and meet multiple customers at once). I came up with my price list based on three things: So, I know you're probably still wondering but what do YOU charge? I have to pay full price for all of my cake supplies; so I do NOT pay the same as you for my ingredients. I studied Business and Marketing and have my BS degree. My prices haven't changed a whole lot since this post. Thank you you give me courage to keep on this path, cause im doing that, and its been hard cause i`m just starting and theres a lot of people doing the same for really low prices, but now i feel that i`m doing this right, its hard when they go someplace else, but when i do get a costumer they become loyal to me, so i must be doing it right dont you think? Hi enjoy reading ur thoughts m. How much should be charged for a 8 inch mocha cake.

For years I gave away my cakes or definitely didn't charge enough. I agree. Hi and thank you for your input. People tend to want custom one of a kind cakes for the price of Sam"s cakes. If it's a wedding cake, I may give them a $50 discount (the amount I'd pay for a gift) or $20 (the amount I'd pay for a gift) but that's it. -Simple Buttercream cake is $3.50 per serving It's not about not putting my butt on the line - it's about making life choices that work for ME. I can't wait to get your daily emails. I found this very informative, thank you. No one would pay that price for her work.

I need to be paid for my time just like anybody else. I've had a similar start to you and was charging way too little for my cakes. They are all the craze right now. i just started almost 1 yr ago and i have been looking at the issue to of am i shorting myself. I would need more details to answer this, but if you're adding anything that is going to take significantly more time for you to make, then yes, you should charge more. . All are hungry to deliver joy to a child, a creative outlet for bakers who desire tangible ways to give back to the community. It is a lot of work and when he is in school I have to kick in and do all the baking. I always feel like I'm over charging, and underselling myself. Thank you so much this was a lot of help and very informative. My main question is how do u determine servings? It's presumed I will be making the celebration cake, as a gift, without being asked in person. Please advise advise. licenses, paying taxes for food tax, and state tax. It's rare but when we get to see photos of the kiddos with their cakes and it's all SMILES priceless!Allison Sundquist(Volunteer) Regional Central DirectorFor Goodness Cakes, "I got involved with For Goodness Cakes in 2016 while I was a designer at an ad agency in San Francisco. You have a two tiered cake with rockets and a red four - how much would you charge for that cake ? Thank you! For instance, a 6" round cake that's 2 layers is 12 servings. Everyone says I do a good job and am so cheap. He is usually very shy with showing excitement that brings attention to himself, but he was all into the kids gushing over his cake. Enjoying the read/ info on your page. Per serving, or set price and if set price how much per sheet cake? My son has food allergies and I could not find a baker anywhere that was safe. It's a simple matter of my home bakery is not that big (by choice). Thanks so much for the quick response Rose. Greediness is very unbecoming. Thanks so much for this post! Thank you - I do have a question. Wedding) or do you charge differently for wedding? She thought the price was outrageous and settled for a simpler cake that I still undercharged her for. If I do a double-barrel cake, I charge the same "per servings" but I quote the cakes with more servings. Thanks a million for this info! Tuanks! I wish you the best in your cake business and as always, if I can help, dont hesitate to shoot me a message or email and please keep reading at RoseBakes.com!! I wish you the very best with your business! As a home baker pricing is very difficult and I live in New York City where competition is fierce. You can find offices in your state here: https://www.sba.gov/tools/local-assistance. I have been seeing ideas on your website many times over for the past 1-2 years now and I JUST NOW read over your story. Hello great article. I do feel I am not charging enough and I am paying people instead of v/v. I'm sorry - I don't do those. I honestly would love to know how to make money blogging. Thank you, this was most enlightening! I feel like I am good at what I do particularly because I literally just decided to try my hand at making cakes a little over 1 year ago with no formal training, just advice from a relative that has made them and a great imagination. If they still aren't willing to pay, I'm not sure what you could do. Hello! Well, no more! I have found out that I've been way undercharging for my cakes, in fear of not getting business. I usually charge anywhere from $20-30 per dozen, depending on flavor and decorations. I thought when I started my business you were supposed to protect the public by either opening a shop with a health inspected kitchen in a rented shop or your home with a separate kitchen for home and business. Baked from scratch (each recipe is tasted by me and others), I know not everyone is going to like all the flavors but if I can eat it and others clean off their plates then it is a recipe I use. Im sharing this info because I care about small businesses. I needed to see what I am charging is correct! This is a super informative site. Call them and ask if you can. Keep up the great work that you do. I just wanted to say for people who ask you to bring a cake instead of a gift - how much would you be willing to spend on a gift for this person? I had thought $2.50 per person but I may go to $3.00 pp. As I was reading I saw myself and heard everything friends and family have been telling me in your post. After evaluating everything I was doing, I increased mypricesand started to take fewer orders. I made a "Last Supper" cake with Jesus and the 12 disciples and it took me 16 hours to assemble. I'm looking forward to hearing from you You've done a really awesome job . Hi Gabriela, I don't actually bake from scratch so it would be incredibly difficult for me to price it for you. I have a $4 per serving minimum and I calculate 9" cakes as having 32 servings. I used a 9x13x2 pan and the cake turned out to be 1 1/2" only. You are exactly right when you say if they want to pay grocery store prices they are going to get what they pay for ! LOVED, LOVED reading your comments about how to charge for cakes. Im working out of my own home to start while I build a reputation and clientele base. Hence the frightening face of Pennywise is now the focal point of this latest creation. How much for rice paper printed cakes and cupcakes? We buried my grandfather 2 days later. I have been an independent home cake designer for many years and remember struggling with the same issues that you mentioned. This is new for me and I never know what to charge. This is an opportunity to spread love and joy in the community, whether you are Martha Stewart or Betty Crocker. This last time I made an impression and word of mouth spread before I knew I was making cakes and cupcakes.

Thanks again. You won't regret valuing your work - even if you do lose some orders. Period. I receive emails and comments (and sometimes even phone calls) every single week asking me about how to determine what to charge for cakes or how to price cakes. Obviously, I cant answer that question for you some bakers/cakers just do better work than others, but you have to be honest with yourself and set your prices accordingly. I probably spent almost three hours on this clown face, said volunteer Jodi Shaw with a laugh. I love this posting. Hi . I can see that might be a problem with some home bakers. Thank you for posting this! Thanks for all the information and advice. Sheila.

Thanks again for a wonderful post. I'm not a full-time baker/decorator, but hope to be soon. You can check laws for different states here: http://forrager.com/laws/. Bakeries do have the added expense of paying for their building, extra utility bills, commercial equipment and maybe paying other employees, etc. Very helpful, though I don't think people will pay these prices in South Africa. Your cakes are beautiful. Hi Lishia, thanks for stopping by the blog! But I have noticed as I go along im getting better at it and I want to make what I'm worth. Thank you from mexico!!!!!! I've had ppl ask for Elmo two tiered cakes and want to pay only $30-40??? I also add on for delivery. Required fields are marked *. I am at awe (pretty much in tears) just reading and knowing confirmation on what I need to accomplish in my next step in my cake business. Very good article. There's so much more than just covering ingredients. I told her $70 at first, but I felt like I was losing her, so I dropped it to 40-60 depending on the time spent. always make cakes for my kids, and have recently been getting alot more orders from friends and acquaintances. I am not greedy, far from it, I have helped more people then I can count, starting business, needing a job or sharing my knowledge with other business owners. I work with all types of cakes, mediums, and also teach the Wilton Method of cake decorating at our local store. One flavor per one dozen regular sized cupcakes. I wanna know how to charge for the fondant cakes. Thank you so much for this! I do have a question: is there any state/government rules and regulations that a home baker has to follow to produce and sell from their home? (minimum order one dozen). Reading what you have to say gave me a little more confidence to charge clients a reasonable price. For cupcakes, I start at $20 per dozen usually. Hi there..wondering how to charge for fruit filled cakes, like strawberry or banana? Thank you this indeed helped me a lot! Thank you so much for sharing this! At a minimum I'd start at $2/serving and maybe $10/dozen cupcakes! I actually quote 24 servings for an 8" round. Where did you learn how to decorate so well? The info is greatly appreciated!!! Thank you Rose. Thank you so much for sharing this hard won information with us. Anyway I'm a bit scared how Can I do in US now. I have a cake coming up for a surprise birthday for at least 150 people. You are SO right about those clients that want something for nothing. I wanted to ask if I low balled myself on a recent order (my very first charged cake). PS. I think Rose's article was not only extremely helpful to fellow bakers, but witty and blunt-- which let's be honest, is necessary in the business world to stay afloat these days. Thanks for the info. Is that way to low? I'm so happy to help! I couldn't homeschool my kids and run a full-scale bakery. Thanks! I found the most help by going to my local Small Business Administration Office. With this information I will now know how to start off and be successful thank you. Now its my only income. I don't need to hire full-time help because I don't take that many orders. The other thing is about purchasing wholesale, it is not that much of a difference in cost for me and for you. Huge emphasis on marketing. I also started out too low and have now got to a place where I think the work I produce has improved greatly and most people seem happy to pay it. My daughter and I have a really hard time figuring out how much to charge. If you budge and give discounts just because they balked at your price will damage your reputation. I'm saving for a shop that I can place behind my house, saving for the insurance and renovations. Hi Rose, Thanks for showing me how to price Thank you so much for the encouragement and much needed advice! $30.00 per 2 dozen mini cupcakes. I can't believe how much I was underselling myself!

I'm self teaching and I don't want to overcharge someone for mistakes or low quality workmanship because I'm still learning.

I have seen so many home bakers, that charge less, or know so many with a good following, they get more business than I do now. My daughter & I are self taught but she is really getting into the business part. Oh my! For Goodness Cakes is a nonprofit organization that gives underprivileged youth the chance to have a birthday by matching volunteers to bake special cakes just for them. And thats it!! I recommend Americolor for the best, brightest colors! We all have to take the hand we're dealt and work with it. I have been a home baker for 10+ years but only recently have started getting occasion requests to bake for special occasions. absolutely no idea on pricing it up. I only started doing them for other people because they kept demanding them. Thank you so much for taking your time to help us that love to make cakes but don't know what to charge! So in 2012 (and again in 2013), I had to change my thinking on How to Charge for Cakes. This will come with simple decorations. Thanks so much! This principle applies to all industries. Hello! We definitely have a family business . When you are doing a smaller cake and the level of complexity of the design is difficult sometimes that does not translate or warrant the larger cake being charged the same way. It's usually a cute photo opportunity. Personally, I love baking from home and I have no desire to run a full-time bakery. Gotta not do this again! She said just tip me! I don't do airbrush designs, so I can't answer that really. I've been home baking for 9 years and I've learned by mistakes. I havent smiled in a long time, thank you for making me happy, much love Vanessa, said Nilsen reading a card she recently received from one of the children. I would feel an anxiety attack coming on when people would ask how much I would charge for a cake. Lucky me I discovered your site by chance (stumbleupon). I do a good job, but obviously not nearly the best, and I always felt guilty for charging "too much" for my cakes. Then you know it will take you 4 hours to bake and decorate, add an hourly rate there. Thanks again for the article. Just starting out, I'm having a hard time pricing and this (and your whole site for that matter) has helped me tremendously You rock girl!

I just started my business but will not back down on my prices. I have over ten years experience. And I've never had a complaint or anybody run out of cake , We are a homeschool family also!!! Again, your loss. Im thinking based on what you said 5.00 per slice. I'm sure there are just as many cases of bakeries failing to satisfy or follow-through with a customer as there are home bakeries doing the same. I know pricing is hard, but I'm not able to help with pricing on a cake-by-cake basis. My wedding cakes do start out at $3.25 per serving and go up depending on designs. This was hands down the best post I've read so far on cake pricing! Thanks waiting for you response rose. In our family, you had dessert first on your birthday, thats on my dad's gravestone, to eat dessert first because life is short, said Shaw through tears. Your cakes are amazing!!!!!!! Hi Rose I was terrified when I first raised myprices, afraid of losing customers, etc. May i ask what city u live in. hi rose! It's an extra tall cake or tier - usually two or three cakes of the same size, stacked on top of each other with boards and supports in between. I enjoy your blog so much! Hello Rose. When you say 8" multi-tiered cake is $60, is that for the 8 inch tier and then the 6 inch tier is $36, for a total price of $96? I enjoy doing cakes. It's easy to understand and right to the point!!! Base price + time + materials = total. I am a home cake maker and the comments received were like yours: This is too cheap. Or do I just charge based on time spent and ingredients? Thank you so much for this article. I live in a very small town, but my work is such that it deserve the price tag, and people don't complain. I think undercharging is an epidemic among home bakers! I, on the other hand, take a commitment seriously when I am asked to make a cake for someone. I think that location/competition plays a vital role in your pricing so you're good w your prices.. So let me take back some of my comments and not lump everybody into the same category. undercutting means that people will flood your doorstep and overwhelm you which has been my problem a couple of times. My layered cakes would definitely be more per slice, but I'm not sure what to do with such a basic cake. I was planning to serve a half sheet with 2x2 slices since that would give 54 slices. Thanks for the support and dedication to what you do! I am already overwhelmed with orders and booked for 6-8 weeks in advance so if I lose orders like that, it's okay. Hi Rose. For all Media Inquiries, please email:media@forgoodnesscakes.orgFind all of our Shareable Sprinkl-y Goodness here :D Please see notes about usage included in each file, theyre cute, we promise!Just a quick note: We reserve the right to pull our likeness if your platform does not adhere to our brand standards of Goodness. Do you have other questions about how to charge for cakes? I have a minimum of 160$ for 6/8 buttercreme 5$ per serving. I base it on how long it'll take me to make it. I have to just let those orders go. I am just starting out and my biggest queue from your notes is to pay myself. I did have a couple questions going into this post though that I'm hoping you can answer. Thank you so much for posting this! They are nice cakes too. I live in a small rural town, where the nearest "big" town is 30 miles away! For now, I'm pricing based on the number of birthday servings, but I tell my wedding customers that their cake will serve a larger range, depending on serving size (say 100-125 servings, depending on size served). Just tried fondant for the first time last week. I am a waitress, I home school my 15 year old, and I rescue cats. My husband and children are very involved in helping me. Thanks for sharing your expertise! Two big thumbs up to you!! This may sound harsh, but if people want to pay $.50 (or less) per serving, then they need to go to a grocery store and get a cheapcakewhere the frosting is scooped out of a 5 gallon bucket and the sheetcakeis baked hundreds of miles away and shipped frozen.



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