Date: September 20th, 1998 03:34:01
From: Jeannine
e-mail: Norder@prodigy.net
Subject: Re: Re: Pound Cake Prices
Terry,
Would you be willing to share your recipes...for the cake and the
icing? Thanks!

Date: September 20th, 1998 09:34:37
From: Terry
e-mail: tcowen@localaccess.net
Subject: Re: Cheap Pricing
I used to charge $1.25 per serving for my wedding cakes until our only competitive bakery dropped to $1.00 and forced me down to that also.
I understand that they have now dropped to .75 but I refuse to go lower as it is not worth my time. So far it hasn't affected my business - I booked 4 weddings on Thursday alone. Just hang in there and really work hard on delivering a quality product and you should be able to charge more. Good luck.....Terry

Date: September 21st, 1998 09:48:10
From: Mindy
e-mail:
Subject: Re: Cheap Pricing
My Wilton instructor sells her 9x13 cakes for $8. Not sure what she
gets for a wedding cake but another cake decorator in this area gets
.50 per slice for her wedding cakes. Mindy

Date: September 22nd, 1998 05:30:39
From: Marida
e-mail: binsted@erols.com
Subject: Re: Re: Cheap Pricing
Hi, Tina: I think when you make cakes for bakeries, hotels, etc. you
should charge them the same as if you were dealing with your clients and
then if they want to raise YOUR prices that is okay. I have several
hotels and country clubs who order cakes from me at my $2.00 a slice and
then charge their customers $2.50 and they get away with that. After I
had spinal surgery I wanted to cut back so I asked the hotels not to
write me into their packages but they could recommend me then I could
better control how many cakes I do. If you undercut your prices to
accommodate those caterers,, bakeries, etc. then you probably had to
turn down a customer who would pay you your going price. I am so amazed
at the difference in pricing in different parts of the country.

Date: September 22nd, 1998 04:14:41
From: Mindy
e-mail:
Subject: Re: Re: Large size cake pans and packaging
I had wondered about using that for making boxes. how many of the
boxmakers would you need to be able to make the bigger boxes? Or would
1 of the boxmakers work?

Date: September 22nd, 1998 04:29:11
From: Sam P.
e-mail: sparsley@ipa.net
Subject: Cake prices in Arkansas area
Just for you that are needing prices for your areas. The going rate in
Arkansas are: Characters $18-20
Wedding cakes are $1.oo per serving
3D train with one boxcar $25
11 x 15 sheet $20
12 x 18 sheet $30

Sam P.
sparsley@ipa.net

Date: September 22nd, 1998 04:11:13
From: Mindy
e-mail:
Subject: Re: Re: Re: Cheap Pricing
I live in a small town(3300 people) in NE Missouri. My Wilton
instructor lives in a town of around 20,000 people. I buy my cake
mixes when they are on sale. Just got a bunch of them for .79. I have
been charging $10 for a 9x13 cake. And $20 for a 12x18. Unless they
have alot of decorations on them. And then it's an extra $5. I've
never sold a wedding cake, so I'm not sure yet on what I would charge
for it. Around here, the grocery stores charge $18 for a half sheet
cake. For a 1/4 sheet, they sell them for $10 unless you want an
edible image on it and I think that they charge an extra $3 or so for
it. It's hard to compete with those prices and the convience(sp) of
the in store bakeries. Has the cake business fallen off because of all
of the in store bakeries? Mostly around here, there have only been
bakeries in the grocery stores for maybe 5 years or so. Now all of the
grocery stores have bakeries. Just wondering. Mindy

Date: September 22nd, 1998 04:00:07
From: Tina
e-mail:
Subject: Re: Cheap Pricing
Hi Brenda, For 2 years I was doing wedding cakes for a local caterer.
She wanted to pay me .50 per serving because that is what she was
paying another decorator. I settled on .60 because she told me that
she would deliver and set up the cakes, all I had to do was bake and
decorate them. I thought that was just fine! I was doing three to
four wedding cakes a week for her, but I ended up delivering alot of
them because she thought that would be more convenient. (It was for
her at least!) She eventually got aggravated with me because I was not
able to deliver alot of them, and I would just take them to her shop
and she and her daughter-in-law would deliver and set them up. Then
she just stopped ordering from me altogether. She told me that she had
been taking some classes and decided that she would bake and decorate
her own wedding cakes!! But the only thing she could do pretty well
was basketweave, so she pushed basketweave. Well, later on I found out
that I was making the cakes for her, she was paying me .60 per serving
and charging the customer $1.25!!! I really felt cheated because I was
putting alot of work into those cakes for just .60 per serving when on
my own I would get .90-.95 per serving! So, I really wouldn't lower my
prices to try to compete with this person. You're probably worth every
penny you get! Thanx! ~Tina~

Date: September 22nd, 1998 11:20:42
From: Selina
e-mail:
Subject: Re: Using pudding for fillings
I too use lemon pudding as filling. I think a tart tasting filling compliments the sweet icing. Making a more pleasurable palate. I like to add some fine lemon zest to the pudding. To avoid it soaking into the cake put a very thin layer of buttercream onto the cake before adding the filling. Deep chill cake first if it's hard to spread.

Date: September 22nd, 1998 11:03:30
From: Selina
e-mail:
Subject: Re: Large size cake pans and packaging
Why not make your own boxes using the aleenes box maker and poster board. You can get 6 sheets for a dollar so it only costs about 40c a box and a little time. But they will fit perfectly for the size you require.

Date: September 22nd, 1998 07:23:26
From: Marida
e-mail: binsted@erols.com
Subject: Re: Re: Cheap Pricing
Hi, Mindy. That is ridiculous. Hope cake mixes are cheap where you
live. Where do you live?

Date: September 22nd, 1998 09:56:17
From: Carolyn
e-mail: Bridal1
Subject: Re: Cheap Pricing
Some of these prices sound like prices I got many years ago. While I don't want to overcharge people, I certainly want to make something for my time. After all, we are not doing this for our health - in fact, we are probably hindering our health by the long hours, standing on our feet so many hours (I am still trying to get over a heel spur that I developed in the Spring and has cost me many dollars - $375 just for orthotics for my shoes plus 4 cortisone shots that were very painful!), plus time taken from our families, on and on and on. We have to love what we do or the stress would be too much. The stress of getting wedding cakes set up on time, etc. would be too much for some people. Evidently, I thrive on it since I have done it for 35 years. I get $18 - $20 for a 9 x 13 and $1.50 a serving for most wedding cakes. $6 would not even pay me to get out of bed to bake the cake!! Fifty cents a serving for wedding cake is what I charged when I started, I think!

Date: September 23rd, 1998 05:35:21
From: Lourdes
e-mail: L2jlu2@AOL.com
Subject: first wedding cake price? HELP!!!
I would like to know how much i should charge for the cake in the
Wilton's 1992 year book, page 82.

I need the cake for about 95-100 people. I will not be making the
fans. I am in NY so i was thinking of charging $2 per person for this
cake with the roses. should i charge extra for ruffle around the
cake. Should I make the roses buttercream, or are they usually done in
royal icing?

By the way they don't want to keep the top cake for their first
anniversary so it will be included in the size of the cake.

As alwyas i would like to thank all of you for your help in advance.

Lourdes

Date: September 23rd, 1998 03:07:03
From: John
e-mail: piferj@ptsi.net
Subject: Re: Cookie pricing
I live in Kansas, and I get $4.00 per dozen for chocolate chip, and
oatmeal cookies, regular size, and I charge $9.00 per dozen for the cut
out decorated cookies. Some of my customers have asked me to use the
dome trays that the local deli's use, so I add the cost of that to the
per dozen charge. Those trays are expensive.

Date: September 23rd, 1998 11:20:06
From: Sam P.
e-mail: sparsley@ipa.net
Subject: Re: Cookie pricing
I get $7.00 per dozen cupcakes and I live in Arkansas.
Cookies I dont do yet.

Date: September 23rd, 1998 11:20:12
From: lynne
e-mail:
Subject: Re: first wedding cake price? HELP!!!
hi lourdes;
since you are in a high price area i would agree w/the $2. i would not
charge extra for the ruffle, but maybe up the per slice to $2.10-2.25.
i would make the rosses from buttercream. if you complete the
decorating the night before the buttercream w/set up enough you should
not have any problem w/the roses falling off. i usually put a 'blob'
of icing on the cake then push the rose on it gently but firmly. add
leaves.
btw: in my area i'd get about $1.50 for it.
lynne

Date: September 23rd, 1998 12:19:25
From: Tina
e-mail: jcup2@hotmail.com
Subject: Cookie pricing
I'd like to know what everybody charges for cookies. I've been doing
cookie trays (for holidays, mostly) for about ten years. I'm told by
some that my prices are too cheap and then I'm told that they are too
high as compared to a local bakery. Well, I've tasted the cookies at
the local bakery, and believe me, they do not taste fresh! I always
bake my cookies fresh and never freeze them like some other ladies in
my area do. Anyway, I have been charging $2.50 per dozen for choc.
chip, peanut butter, oatmeal, etc. and $3.00 per dozen for decorated
cut-outs. Does this sound too cheap to anyone? Would appreciate some
input! Also, what does everyone charge for cupcakes? I usually just
ice them with a #22 tip in a swirl and put sprinkles on them. I've
been charging $3.00 per dozen. Thanx, ~Tina~

Date: September 23rd, 1998 11:15:38
From: lynne
e-mail:
Subject: Re: Cookie pricing
hi; when i was making cookies in my shop i started out charging $3/dz
for cookies about 2 1/2-3" in diam. the last couple of months i went
up to $5. i only had one customer buying them :) they did not mind in
price increase.
for decorated ones you need to be getting a better price. somewhere
around what john charges i think.
good luck
lynne

Date: September 23rd, 1998 11:03:26
From: millie
e-mail: millied@elfatrading.com
Subject: Cake prices in my area (NYC)
(legal)character cake, 9x13 sheet, 9" round 1 mix - $20 - $45

10" round, 9x13, 11x15, character cake - 2 mixes - $35 - $55

These are the sizes my customers frequently ask for. I am not doing
wedding cakes yet, but I'm told I should be able to get anywhere from
$2.50 - $5.00 (regular buttercream). I can't wait till I'm good enough
to start doing wedding cakes LOL

Millie

Date: September 23rd, 1998 10:19:10
From: Rose
e-mail: cakefarm@yahoo.com
Subject: Re: Re: Re: Re: Cheap Pricing
Mindy,
I live in SE Missouri. My prices are very similiar to yours. I charge .90 - .95 for a wedding cake. If they want hundreds of roses or flowers on the cake I charge extra. Do any of you charge more per serving for smaller wedding cakes in comparison with the larger cakes? I know it takes the same time to deliver a small cake as a large one. And the set up time would be very similar, depending on the style of cake. Rose

Date: September 23rd, 1998 11:56:19
From: Carolyn
e-mail: Bridal1
Subject: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Cheap Pricing
I live just 30 miles north of Kansas City and deliver wedding cakes into the city almost weekly. I charge $30 extra for delivery into the city. I don't deliver anything under 75 servings. Smaller than that, they have to come pick up. I charge $1.50 per serving for most all wedding cakes. Most of mine are buttercream.

Date: September 24th, 1998 04:16:01
From: Marida
e-mail: binsted@erols.com
Subject: Re: first wedding cake price? HELP!!!
Congratulations on your first cake. I would recommend that from here on
in you establish your cake prices before meeting with your customers;
that way they don't try to compromise you. If you check your local
bakeries, caterers, etc. to get a ball park idea of what the going price
is you should not have any trouble establishing your cake prices. After
you have established your base price you can decide how much extra you
will charge say for roses, the fountain, or any extras you might have to
do over and above the normal wedding cake. Hope I'm making sense to
you.

Date: September 24th, 1998 03:46:14
From: shirleyr
e-mail:
Subject: Re: How much to charge for a character cake?
Hi ,
I charge $25 here in mississippi for character cakes.It is so much work, and I havent had any complaints yet about the price! Good luck !
shirley

Date: September 24th, 1998 01:42:37
From: Lisa
e-mail: LISASCAKES@aol.com
Subject: Re: first wedding cake price? HELP!!!
Hi Lourdes,
I too, am in NY and i know that it depends on where you are it the state many people here NY and think NYCity and if your in upstate you may not be able to get that much. I am about 3 hours outside NYC and could be hard pressed to get more that 1.50 a slice. So check around first the price can vary greatly, it seems such a shame that people don't relize what we decorators are worth.

Date: September 24th, 1998 11:17:38
From: Tina
e-mail:
Subject: Re: Re: Cookie pricing
I guess I'll have to up my prices. Seems like I've been doing alot of
work and not making enough money!! About those trays-- one year I had
a woman ask me "I'm not being charged for the tray, am I? I'm paying
for the cookies, I don't want to pay for the tray." Can you believe
the nerve of some people? At that time, I was only charging $1.50 a
dozen, and you're right- those trays are expensive! What I do now is
to take soda boxes and cover them with either wrapping paper or foil,
put paper doilies in the bottom. They actually make a very nice
looking tray--and they're free!! My husband brings them home from work
when they fill their soda machines.

Thanx everybody! ~Tina~

Date: September 24th, 1998 10:57:33
From: dee
e-mail: ChefNana1@aol.com
Subject: Re: Re: Re: Cookie pricing
Tina... I hate to sound stupid but what is a soda box and how do you wrap it???? I'm confused.. dee

Date: September 25th, 1998 01:38:13
From: Tina
e-mail:
Subject: Re: Re: Re: Re: Cookie pricing
Dee, If you buy a case of soda (24 cans) they usually come in these
boxes. They measure about 10 1/2 x 16 and are about 2 inches deep. To
wrap them I usually cut my paper or foil about 3-4 inches wider than I
need. I wrap each side and fold the extra underneath and on the inside
of the box and tape. Then I cut a piece to the exact measurement of
the inside bottom, tape that down and lay a rectangle paper doily over
that. It really makes an attractive tray and you don't have to buy
those expensive ones!! Can't remember how many dozen they hold, but if
I have alot , I make two boxes (trays). Hope this answers your
question! ~Tina~