In fact, the New Jersey chapter is so full of love and support with over 150 bakers from our community, that Fierro and Malec are constantly reaching out to new agencies to partner with and find new birthdays to celebrate. Thanks for any direction you can give me. My question is this: Do you use wedding size servings to price all of your cakes (since you charge per servings) or do you differentiate between party cakes and wedding cakes? I make a six layer 8 inch rainbow cake with buttercream frosting. Each Sprinkle Squad member has access to the ledger of cake requests and can sign up for what they can accomplish. It's really hard and so what defeating. I've never really taken any classes other than online Craftsy classes (after I already had a business). If your work and the quality of decorating is more along the lines of what theyd find at a grocery store bakery, then you may want to gear your prices more toward what theyre charging (although NOT as low theyre still not putting out homemade cakes and theyre not paying retail for ingredients!!). Your cakes are beautiful. And I've never done a shoe like that - I'd base it on how many hours it took to make it. We have a storefront and with the additional cost of rent, utilities and payroll,. I don't want to undercut the other bakers in my small town but at the same time there is only one other person that does the type of decorations and work that I do, and she is fantastic at what she does. You really need to check with your local health department or small business administration to determine the requirements for where you live. Thanks again for the info! the facebook page I put in the website info, I am not able to log-in at this time, but has hundreds of photo's where my work is shared. There are not a lot of people doing this other than Walmart or Publix so I feel like I have an edge. . Sometimes at home we have to charge less, but not much. Wow, thank you so muchyour story sounds EXACTLY like mine. But I can tell you that I'd probably charge $100-$115 for all of that. I wish I knew how to attach a picture, but I dont. How to Charge for Cakes. I am from Italy. This principle applies to all industries. If someone cant afford my cake, Im okay with that. Smash cakes are $20-$35 when ordered with a party cake, depends on size and design. How do you juggle homeschooling your children, and having a cake business? CONGRATS. 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. I think undercharging is an epidemic among home bakers! This is all good information. How big is one serving usually? Rose you are such an inspiration love your blogs. I'm currently renovating my cellar (separate from my house) into a studio, to work out of. I would love some help! What do I need to get going? Oh Karla - you're so very welcome! Your cakes and cupcakes are AMAZING! Would you ever look at my work and give me some ideas on what you think I should be charging? You share so much that you have learned with us all, and you are to be commended for that! When you price your product and you see the end result and you immediately say to yourself, gosh thats expensive. I have a question. 
We eventually did eat it and it was delicious.Rachel L.Program CoordinatorCommonBond Communities, Ive said it before and Ill say it again, I am beyond thrilled that I stumbled upon this charity where I can use my passion to make other people feel special on their birthdays who might not have that happen otherwise!Kari S.Volunteer Baker (Sprinkle Squad)For Goodness Cakes, The case worker who works with the family of today's cake said the mom will be so happy, she has no money to do anything like that and this will make her son's birthday so much better. I was planning to serve a half sheet with 2x2 slices since that would give 54 slices. Thank you so much for the encouragement and much needed advice! I'd recommend a base price plus your materials and extra time. I still don't charge as much as some nearby bakeries (35 miles is the nearest real town - I live in the STICKS! 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? Cake bakers should not be Criticised or Ridiculed just because they bake from home. There's a great guide here that might help you: http://www.sweetsugarbelle.com/2012/11/cookie-pricing-chart/. Thanks! I started at age 19 with my first cake being my daughters first birthday cake, care bear cake. I have to just let those orders go. Do you have recommendations for pricing cookies as well? Lori. He was on cloud 9 about it! The only requirement is to fill each cake with love. I also believe if they can't afford it go and get a supermarket cake but don't compare them to mine. I have been doing this a little over a year and haven't been able to figure out how much to charge. I can assure you that none of my children have ever put their fingers in someone's cake. Beginning in 2016, Lehman created a network of volunteers to bake birthday cakes for at risk and underprivileged youth and young adults. I've never had that problem. I have a situation where so many bakers around me charge so little for their cakes. I get about one order per week and lose about two per week. I have a serving chart but the numbers are less than what I saw on your pics. out by underpricing or not??? Very good advice!! First I wanna say, your article is awesome. I've finally come to terms with selling an 8 inch cake for $35 (so many people scoff at the price), but I still struggle selling a 2 tiered cake that costs $50+. 516 Comments. So thank you Cottage Food for giving us the opportunity to do so. What I'm getting is "can you do this instead of a gift" from people (esp family). if someone else is doing it, maybe they are desperate for the money, or don't have other things pressing for their time or whatever. That type of customer 99% of the time are very problematic and are just wanting the lower price, not quality. Here is my pricing that you can find in my website: Your comments always encourage me, make me feel appreciated, and make me smile . Thank you so much for sharing all of this with us! This is all i need. I'm sorry Catherine - I don't know what a Cassata Cake is and I really can't give out specific prices. They're dry and crumble and they charge an outrageous price. We can focus on a quality product and stick to it. Thanks for this clarification. If you didnt learn one thing in this post, just learn this one thing please. I am so happy to have found your blog today! 
Love your advice and goodies!! Thank you, Rose! Hi Nora! Every time you discount to satisfy those #2 type customers, you might as well pull a dollar from your wallet and give it to them. (Those I use only for decorations). The big cake shops in a town near here won't even deliver there. How do you charge for a sheet cake, just a simple 1 cake layer and frosting with decor. You just sold out of your back pocket emotionally. I do offer one-on-one coaching services if you'd like some personal help. So I will forward her all your info. I've read this previously and I thought you had a few website links to some of your favorite cake supply websites, and now I can't find them (maybe I'm just dreaming that) but if they were actually there, is there anyway you can re-share those with me/us? I add on extras for time-consuming things like sugar flowers, ruffles, 3D toppers, etc. Cupcakes start at $20/dozen and custom decorations average $30 per dozen and up. Our very own Twin Cities Co-Chapter Leaders Allison S. and Kim S. were recently featured in Edina Magazine in a spectacular article highlighting all the Goodness that our Volunteer Bakers bring to the community! I cater full time also, but again, the home caterers are really putting the real busn. I can only imagine how frustrating that is. This will take some time and math but you. Thank you for a stunning website! First layer square second layer basketball with a diploma hat. If I lose some business, so be it. For Goodness Cakes does not discriminate on the basis of race, creed, color, ethnicity, national origin, immigration status, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender expression,physical or mental ability, veteran status, military obligations, and marital status.For Goodness Cakes is an officially recognized 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization.Tax ID # 81-10383832118 Wilshire Blvd #826Santa Monica, CA 90403, Want to learn more about beinga volunteer? Per serving, or set price and if set price how much per sheet cake? Thanks Dorinda. She decided to go with someone else who would do it for $65. I've not long started making cakes and spend all day (and most of my night) doing them. Hence the frightening face of Pennywise is now the focal point of this latest creation. Happy Baking! I absolutely love that I found you. I just recently found this article on Pinterest and I LOVE it! Rose! Was happy. They turned out great. Facebook facebook.com/forgoodnesscakesincWebsiteforgoodnesscakes.org, Instagram@forgoodnesscakeshq Headquarters@forgoodnesscakesabq Albuquerque@forgoodnesscakesaz Maricopa County@forgoodnesscakescalifornia Los Angeles & Orange County@forgoodnesscakesnj North Jersey@forgoodnesscakestwincities Twin Cities@forgoodnesscakesphilly Philadelphia@forgoodnesscakespdx Portland Metro@forgoodnesscakesmke Milwaukee@forgoodnesscakesie NEW!! This has taught me A LOT! Thank you Thank you , I'm so SO glad to have helped! That's very thought full of everyone here, it's so good to know that you are not alone in your thoughts. OH and no, rarely does anyone pick up at my home. $4.00 per serving minimum; very few exceptions. The $4/serving minimum you mentioned that you charge was back in 2013, correct? I had to pull it up today and read it again after I posted a pic of the latest cake I made and had a number of people ask about it. 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!) 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!!! As I better my techniques I realize I need to increase my prices, but it's a struggle for me too. 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. Hi! Always buttercream with minimal decorations. I charge by the serving and difficulty so the shape is not so much a factor. I would love an email or some kind of contact. People who ordered a bigger cake was paying more but was it really worth that. I'm just getting started in the home baking stuff and pricing definitely has been the hardest thing for me. Always something. Then if charging per serving, should the charge based on 10 or 14 servings? My prices haven't changed a whole lot since this post. I've been home baking for 9 years and I've learned by mistakes. I enjoyed your original article and I have to say, youre right about pricing strategy. When I started, I was just throwing our random numbers and guessing. Learn from me: Don't even think about trying to compete with mass retailers! I work with only spongecake, fresh fruits and whipped cream. Your story is exactly what I went Thur and burnt my self out! I hope you've can give me more advices. How do I set prices? I really love creating special cakes for people's special occasions but I can not spend 8 hours on creating a that spectacular cake and only make $20. Personally, I love baking from home and I have no desire to run a full-time bakery. I'm thoroughly enjoying your site, thank you for sharing and I hope March onwards is going to be a happier time for you. I have been MASSIVELY undercharging on my cakes! weddings princeton nj feature And other worries are where is possible to by gluten free food ? You can check laws for different states here: http://forrager.com/laws/. Thanks in advance for any help or advice you can offer! Just read your article on pricing and it was great. Not to mention it was 4 hours away, so I assembled it there. As far as canceling because of a family illness. So, I did the first cakes Friday and delivered them, buried my first grandchild Saturday morning, and my husband helped me and we finished and delivered the second cakes Sunday afternoon. Maybe try party supply stores? At the time, these were my prices for cakes including my wages. Wrong timing for a great product, pricing vs cost analysis, and MARKETING! This has helped to take the guesswork out of pricing and I know not everyone is going to buy my cakes. I do not understand this. They are almost penalized for ordering a big cake. Over the summer, For Goodness Cakes is running a fundraiser on Bonfire.com. I have found that some people will always want cheap, some people want quality, that's what I offer. Is the pricing the same for square cakes and topsy turvy cakes ? Hi! My eyes have been opened and my prices are being adjusted accordingly. So why do you charge so much for delivery? My oldest daughter is 16. She ordered one for her sons birthday regardless of how it looks ( i really suck at decorating!) Thank you so much Rose for your advices, you are very kind to share your experience with us, and an admirable women. Hi! I bake and make cakes as a side business, and I many times have people who say that I charge too much or too little for my cakes. Thank you for posting this!!! Wonderful article. Anyway I'm a bit scared how Can I do in US now. I know I under change but always feel guilty charging more. That's NOT a reputation I wanted. Thank you for all the information. Dont stress about all those penny pincher customers. I had 2 cakes to do one weekend five years ago and my daughter went into labor at 5 months and her first child and her daughter did not live. Thank you Rose, Thanks for sharing your expertise! Hi Rose I know I need to raise my prices but am concerned I will lose costumers if I do, but like you said making $2 an hour is not okI love making/decorating cakes but making a little money while doing it would be great!! We used to make anything customers asked for, no more. IF you home schooled also you are to be commended, that is a huge accomplishment, so I can imagine how well your children are behaved. The problem was that everyone who saw it, wanted one. Thanks. So the cake would cost $50 to $75. Or for gold accents? I have only used my airbrush a handful of times and mostly just for adding a little extra dimension so for those, no, I didn't charge extra. Lately it's been taken for granted that I will bake for extended family or friends of the extended family. Pricing is hard. But how ? Thank youuuuu so muc, now I know I was doing it all wrong and I will make the proper corrections. Its kinda disappointing seeing that I have spent so much to buy tools and online courses. In my 20s I worked at pace warehouse which was just like sans club.. I would politely disagree with your comment. I appreciate the fact that you put together all of this info and sharing. I'm a full time school teacher and I've baked cakes for 35 years from my home to make extra money; including to put my own self through college and raise our two daughters, and I too hear from people that want a cake and they've not been happy with a big cake shop's problems; inconsistent decorators because of employee turnovers, or inexperienced decorators, etc. My question is, I am concerned that I may be overcharging. I wanted to give up because I sell myself VERRRRY cheap!! She actually teared up seeing her name spelled correctly and the detail Katherine put into it. 
But, still, I have a full time job and two kids and you know each one takes hours to make. It's going to be about 4 cakes, with fondant, and a ton of edible (I like to make everything edible) bees, flowers, possibly an edible branch, and many other little fun added pieces. I have been an independent home cake designer for many years and remember struggling with the same issues that you mentioned. Thank you so much in advance if you ll answer me!!! Which by the way is under construction! It has been a year of learning, and I'm so happy I have found you! I have a minimum $5/serving price and then I do my best to estimate how many hours it'll take and how difficult it will be and go from there. My prices for fondant vs. buttercream are pretty much the same. When I first heard about For Goodness Cakes it was like the biggest, brightest lightbulb went off in my head. Here are more popular posts you might enjoy: So, did this help you? But I love seeing a child's face when they see their special cake that you've created just for them. I had no idea what to charge. And thats it!! Do you have other questions about how to charge for cakes? I am wondering if your prices had changed since your publication. Now its my only income. I will stick to my prices for the orders that have already been made, but then my prices are gonna have to go up. Thank you so much!! Especially in our tiny town. 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. thanks for the info!! I only started doing them for other people because they kept demanding them. Hello Rose, thank you for all your info. Thank you for giving me more confidence to charge more!!!!! Any info or ideas would greatly be appreciated . I sometimes think wedding cakes are easier! Rose, do you use Wilton's party cake servings and wedding cake servings charts seperately, or do you use one list for both categories? Usually I counsider "double barrel" at least 4 layers of cake. My cake orders are stagnant and Ive priced them out to what I think they should. Lucky come January I can sell outside of my county. Your webpage and designs are wonderful. And by the way, your cakes are amazing!! Try to be fair to everyone and still stay in business. I live about 10 miles outside of a tiny town in the country. I sure hope I can get the page back! I live in Nigeria, west Africa. Oh its for there daughter sweet 16! 'Sprinkle Squad' delivers thousands of birthday cakes to Arizona foster childrenby Cameron Polom ABC 15 Arizona Sept. 13, 2021(Original Article Here)PHOENIX Volunteer bakers dubbed the"Sprinkle Squadare hungry to deliver joy to foster children and at-risk youth across the Valley. This helps so much! My Very Standard Cupcakes are $20 a Dozen, but I would have to write on each of these. But after doing some research, I came to the conclusion that charging "by the serving" works best for me and is pretty much the standard way to charge across the cake industry. Slowly but surely I'm charging a more accurate price for my cakes and continue to feel less guilty each time. Thanks so much!!! 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. 
I charge the same prices stated above, by Rose. 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'm self teaching and I don't want to overcharge someone for mistakes or low quality workmanship because I'm still learning. I was going to originally charge ~$40 for a 12x18 inch sheet cake (banana cake with brown sugar cream cheese frosting), but read your post and realized that I didn't want to be "that cheap cake lady" either! For that reason, most of my clients meet me in my tiny town (I deliver there for free and meet multiple customers at once). COST OF SUPPLIES FOR BOTH TOTALLED $85.00 *Note: It all depends on the complexity of the design of the cake and or additional fillings if requested. A 5" + 7" round tiered cake with 26 servings is $120 minimum, plus taxes. I find there is a wide range of serving sizes, and it has such a huge impact on price when you charge by the serving, which I do. This is by far, the hardest area for me. The laws and regulations vary from state to state so you'll need to check with your local health department and/or the Small Business Administration in your area! [] How to Charge for Cakes | rosebakes.com/ [], [] Atwater at RoseBakes.com created a very well thought out and a detailed guide explaining what you should charge for a cake if you were to create one.
We eventually did eat it and it was delicious.Rachel L.Program CoordinatorCommonBond Communities, Ive said it before and Ill say it again, I am beyond thrilled that I stumbled upon this charity where I can use my passion to make other people feel special on their birthdays who might not have that happen otherwise!Kari S.Volunteer Baker (Sprinkle Squad)For Goodness Cakes, The case worker who works with the family of today's cake said the mom will be so happy, she has no money to do anything like that and this will make her son's birthday so much better. I was planning to serve a half sheet with 2x2 slices since that would give 54 slices. Thank you so much for the encouragement and much needed advice! I'd recommend a base price plus your materials and extra time. I still don't charge as much as some nearby bakeries (35 miles is the nearest real town - I live in the STICKS! 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? Cake bakers should not be Criticised or Ridiculed just because they bake from home. There's a great guide here that might help you: http://www.sweetsugarbelle.com/2012/11/cookie-pricing-chart/. Thanks! I started at age 19 with my first cake being my daughters first birthday cake, care bear cake. I have to just let those orders go. Do you have recommendations for pricing cookies as well? Lori. He was on cloud 9 about it! The only requirement is to fill each cake with love. I also believe if they can't afford it go and get a supermarket cake but don't compare them to mine. I have been doing this a little over a year and haven't been able to figure out how much to charge. I can assure you that none of my children have ever put their fingers in someone's cake. Beginning in 2016, Lehman created a network of volunteers to bake birthday cakes for at risk and underprivileged youth and young adults. I've never had that problem. I have a situation where so many bakers around me charge so little for their cakes. I get about one order per week and lose about two per week. I have a serving chart but the numbers are less than what I saw on your pics. out by underpricing or not??? Very good advice!! First I wanna say, your article is awesome. I've finally come to terms with selling an 8 inch cake for $35 (so many people scoff at the price), but I still struggle selling a 2 tiered cake that costs $50+. 516 Comments. So thank you Cottage Food for giving us the opportunity to do so. What I'm getting is "can you do this instead of a gift" from people (esp family). if someone else is doing it, maybe they are desperate for the money, or don't have other things pressing for their time or whatever. That type of customer 99% of the time are very problematic and are just wanting the lower price, not quality. Here is my pricing that you can find in my website: Your comments always encourage me, make me feel appreciated, and make me smile . Thank you so much for sharing all of this with us! This is all i need. I'm sorry Catherine - I don't know what a Cassata Cake is and I really can't give out specific prices. They're dry and crumble and they charge an outrageous price. We can focus on a quality product and stick to it. Thanks for this clarification. If you didnt learn one thing in this post, just learn this one thing please. I am so happy to have found your blog today! 
Love your advice and goodies!! Thank you, Rose! Hi Nora! Every time you discount to satisfy those #2 type customers, you might as well pull a dollar from your wallet and give it to them. (Those I use only for decorations). The big cake shops in a town near here won't even deliver there. How do you charge for a sheet cake, just a simple 1 cake layer and frosting with decor. You just sold out of your back pocket emotionally. I do offer one-on-one coaching services if you'd like some personal help. So I will forward her all your info. I've read this previously and I thought you had a few website links to some of your favorite cake supply websites, and now I can't find them (maybe I'm just dreaming that) but if they were actually there, is there anyway you can re-share those with me/us? I add on extras for time-consuming things like sugar flowers, ruffles, 3D toppers, etc. Cupcakes start at $20/dozen and custom decorations average $30 per dozen and up. Our very own Twin Cities Co-Chapter Leaders Allison S. and Kim S. were recently featured in Edina Magazine in a spectacular article highlighting all the Goodness that our Volunteer Bakers bring to the community! I cater full time also, but again, the home caterers are really putting the real busn. I can only imagine how frustrating that is. This will take some time and math but you. Thank you for a stunning website! First layer square second layer basketball with a diploma hat. If I lose some business, so be it. For Goodness Cakes does not discriminate on the basis of race, creed, color, ethnicity, national origin, immigration status, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender expression,physical or mental ability, veteran status, military obligations, and marital status.For Goodness Cakes is an officially recognized 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization.Tax ID # 81-10383832118 Wilshire Blvd #826Santa Monica, CA 90403, Want to learn more about beinga volunteer? Per serving, or set price and if set price how much per sheet cake? Thanks Dorinda. She decided to go with someone else who would do it for $65. I've not long started making cakes and spend all day (and most of my night) doing them. Hence the frightening face of Pennywise is now the focal point of this latest creation. Happy Baking! I absolutely love that I found you. I just recently found this article on Pinterest and I LOVE it! Rose! Was happy. They turned out great. Facebook facebook.com/forgoodnesscakesincWebsiteforgoodnesscakes.org, Instagram@forgoodnesscakeshq Headquarters@forgoodnesscakesabq Albuquerque@forgoodnesscakesaz Maricopa County@forgoodnesscakescalifornia Los Angeles & Orange County@forgoodnesscakesnj North Jersey@forgoodnesscakestwincities Twin Cities@forgoodnesscakesphilly Philadelphia@forgoodnesscakespdx Portland Metro@forgoodnesscakesmke Milwaukee@forgoodnesscakesie NEW!! This has taught me A LOT! Thank you Thank you , I'm so SO glad to have helped! That's very thought full of everyone here, it's so good to know that you are not alone in your thoughts. OH and no, rarely does anyone pick up at my home. $4.00 per serving minimum; very few exceptions. The $4/serving minimum you mentioned that you charge was back in 2013, correct? I had to pull it up today and read it again after I posted a pic of the latest cake I made and had a number of people ask about it. 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!) 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!!! As I better my techniques I realize I need to increase my prices, but it's a struggle for me too. 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. Hi! Always buttercream with minimal decorations. I charge by the serving and difficulty so the shape is not so much a factor. I would love an email or some kind of contact. People who ordered a bigger cake was paying more but was it really worth that. I'm just getting started in the home baking stuff and pricing definitely has been the hardest thing for me. Always something. Then if charging per serving, should the charge based on 10 or 14 servings? My prices haven't changed a whole lot since this post. I've been home baking for 9 years and I've learned by mistakes. I enjoyed your original article and I have to say, youre right about pricing strategy. When I started, I was just throwing our random numbers and guessing. Learn from me: Don't even think about trying to compete with mass retailers! I work with only spongecake, fresh fruits and whipped cream. Your story is exactly what I went Thur and burnt my self out! I hope you've can give me more advices. How do I set prices? I really love creating special cakes for people's special occasions but I can not spend 8 hours on creating a that spectacular cake and only make $20. Personally, I love baking from home and I have no desire to run a full-time bakery. I'm thoroughly enjoying your site, thank you for sharing and I hope March onwards is going to be a happier time for you. I have been MASSIVELY undercharging on my cakes! weddings princeton nj feature And other worries are where is possible to by gluten free food ? You can check laws for different states here: http://forrager.com/laws/. Thanks in advance for any help or advice you can offer! Just read your article on pricing and it was great. Not to mention it was 4 hours away, so I assembled it there. As far as canceling because of a family illness. So, I did the first cakes Friday and delivered them, buried my first grandchild Saturday morning, and my husband helped me and we finished and delivered the second cakes Sunday afternoon. Maybe try party supply stores? At the time, these were my prices for cakes including my wages. Wrong timing for a great product, pricing vs cost analysis, and MARKETING! This has helped to take the guesswork out of pricing and I know not everyone is going to buy my cakes. I do not understand this. They are almost penalized for ordering a big cake. Over the summer, For Goodness Cakes is running a fundraiser on Bonfire.com. I have found that some people will always want cheap, some people want quality, that's what I offer. Is the pricing the same for square cakes and topsy turvy cakes ? Hi! My eyes have been opened and my prices are being adjusted accordingly. So why do you charge so much for delivery? My oldest daughter is 16. She ordered one for her sons birthday regardless of how it looks ( i really suck at decorating!) Thank you so much Rose for your advices, you are very kind to share your experience with us, and an admirable women. Hi! I bake and make cakes as a side business, and I many times have people who say that I charge too much or too little for my cakes. Thank you for posting this!!! Wonderful article. Anyway I'm a bit scared how Can I do in US now. I know I under change but always feel guilty charging more. That's NOT a reputation I wanted. Thank you for all the information. Dont stress about all those penny pincher customers. I had 2 cakes to do one weekend five years ago and my daughter went into labor at 5 months and her first child and her daughter did not live. Thank you Rose, Thanks for sharing your expertise! Hi Rose I know I need to raise my prices but am concerned I will lose costumers if I do, but like you said making $2 an hour is not okI love making/decorating cakes but making a little money while doing it would be great!! We used to make anything customers asked for, no more. IF you home schooled also you are to be commended, that is a huge accomplishment, so I can imagine how well your children are behaved. The problem was that everyone who saw it, wanted one. Thanks. So the cake would cost $50 to $75. Or for gold accents? I have only used my airbrush a handful of times and mostly just for adding a little extra dimension so for those, no, I didn't charge extra. Lately it's been taken for granted that I will bake for extended family or friends of the extended family. Pricing is hard. But how ? Thank youuuuu so muc, now I know I was doing it all wrong and I will make the proper corrections. Its kinda disappointing seeing that I have spent so much to buy tools and online courses. In my 20s I worked at pace warehouse which was just like sans club.. I would politely disagree with your comment. I appreciate the fact that you put together all of this info and sharing. I'm a full time school teacher and I've baked cakes for 35 years from my home to make extra money; including to put my own self through college and raise our two daughters, and I too hear from people that want a cake and they've not been happy with a big cake shop's problems; inconsistent decorators because of employee turnovers, or inexperienced decorators, etc. My question is, I am concerned that I may be overcharging. I wanted to give up because I sell myself VERRRRY cheap!! She actually teared up seeing her name spelled correctly and the detail Katherine put into it. 
But, still, I have a full time job and two kids and you know each one takes hours to make. It's going to be about 4 cakes, with fondant, and a ton of edible (I like to make everything edible) bees, flowers, possibly an edible branch, and many other little fun added pieces. I have been an independent home cake designer for many years and remember struggling with the same issues that you mentioned. Thank you so much in advance if you ll answer me!!! Which by the way is under construction! It has been a year of learning, and I'm so happy I have found you! I have a minimum $5/serving price and then I do my best to estimate how many hours it'll take and how difficult it will be and go from there. My prices for fondant vs. buttercream are pretty much the same. When I first heard about For Goodness Cakes it was like the biggest, brightest lightbulb went off in my head. Here are more popular posts you might enjoy: So, did this help you? But I love seeing a child's face when they see their special cake that you've created just for them. I had no idea what to charge. And thats it!! Do you have other questions about how to charge for cakes? I am wondering if your prices had changed since your publication. Now its my only income. I will stick to my prices for the orders that have already been made, but then my prices are gonna have to go up. Thank you so much!! Especially in our tiny town. 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. thanks for the info!! I only started doing them for other people because they kept demanding them. Hello Rose, thank you for all your info. Thank you for giving me more confidence to charge more!!!!! Any info or ideas would greatly be appreciated . I sometimes think wedding cakes are easier! Rose, do you use Wilton's party cake servings and wedding cake servings charts seperately, or do you use one list for both categories? Usually I counsider "double barrel" at least 4 layers of cake. My cake orders are stagnant and Ive priced them out to what I think they should. Lucky come January I can sell outside of my county. Your webpage and designs are wonderful. And by the way, your cakes are amazing!! Try to be fair to everyone and still stay in business. I live about 10 miles outside of a tiny town in the country. I sure hope I can get the page back! I live in Nigeria, west Africa. Oh its for there daughter sweet 16! 'Sprinkle Squad' delivers thousands of birthday cakes to Arizona foster childrenby Cameron Polom ABC 15 Arizona Sept. 13, 2021(Original Article Here)PHOENIX Volunteer bakers dubbed the"Sprinkle Squadare hungry to deliver joy to foster children and at-risk youth across the Valley. This helps so much! My Very Standard Cupcakes are $20 a Dozen, but I would have to write on each of these. But after doing some research, I came to the conclusion that charging "by the serving" works best for me and is pretty much the standard way to charge across the cake industry. Slowly but surely I'm charging a more accurate price for my cakes and continue to feel less guilty each time. Thanks so much!!! 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. I charge the same prices stated above, by Rose. 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'm self teaching and I don't want to overcharge someone for mistakes or low quality workmanship because I'm still learning. I was going to originally charge ~$40 for a 12x18 inch sheet cake (banana cake with brown sugar cream cheese frosting), but read your post and realized that I didn't want to be "that cheap cake lady" either! For that reason, most of my clients meet me in my tiny town (I deliver there for free and meet multiple customers at once). COST OF SUPPLIES FOR BOTH TOTALLED $85.00 *Note: It all depends on the complexity of the design of the cake and or additional fillings if requested. A 5" + 7" round tiered cake with 26 servings is $120 minimum, plus taxes. I find there is a wide range of serving sizes, and it has such a huge impact on price when you charge by the serving, which I do. This is by far, the hardest area for me. The laws and regulations vary from state to state so you'll need to check with your local health department and/or the Small Business Administration in your area! [] How to Charge for Cakes | rosebakes.com/ [], [] Atwater at RoseBakes.com created a very well thought out and a detailed guide explaining what you should charge for a cake if you were to create one.