Page 6 | How much to pay a friend to make a Birthday cake??

Pipercloe · 2024-10-12T19:54:15+00:00

My friends son, who is 16 bakes lovely cakes. I asked if he would mind baking one for DH birthday. He is excited to make the cake, but I have no idea how much I should pay for this, I have no clue how much even the ingredients would cost for a cake. I’m on a bit of a budget currently, so don’t want to pay lots but also don’t want to under pay. What is a reasonable price? 😬

Overpayment · 12/10/2024 21:17

You need to pay minimum wage, on top of the price of all ingredients and materials at the very least.

Bear in mind that mixing and baking the cake is in itself several hours work. That’s before you’ve even started decorating it etc.

You might also like to think about the misery of caged hens and pay the necessary extra for higher welfare eggs.

Aydel · 12/10/2024 21:13

Please don’t underestimate the cost of ingredients. I took a chocolate fudge cake into work and one of my colleagues asked if I could make one for her son’s birthday. It wasn’t cheap. I used butter and proper Callebaut Belgian chocolate. Plus cream for the icing. It was a big slab cake and the ingredients came to about £25. She had a hissy fit about the cost and paid up very grudgingly. She also asked if I would make one for her daughter’s birthday. I said no. The grief and nitpicking over the cost wasn’t worth it. And no, I wasn’t going to compromise by using Marge and cooking chocolate.

MumChp · 12/10/2024 21:12

Pipercloe · 12/10/2024 21:08

The thing is I can’t tell him I don’t want it as he’s so excited to make it

Give him a budget?
I would tell him what I would pay and more or less what I would expect of the cake.
It's quite easy to sort what ingrediens cost and a fair number of hours of work.

worcesterpear · 12/10/2024 21:10

Another option would be to ask him what ingredients he needs, then you buy them and give him some money for his time on top - £30-50?

HoppityBun · 12/10/2024 21:09

Pipercloe · 12/10/2024 21:03

I think he is planning on a 3 tier cake, with lots of chocolate accessories and some fondant accessories.
I cant imagine the ingredients would cost that much, but I don’t know 🤷🏻‍♀️
It won’t be a huge sized caked, it’s just for us not a party of people.
I asked mostly because I was trying to boost his interest in baking, I’m really not that bothered by a cake, I would happy buying a supermarket one.

I think you have to be prepared to pay much more than for a supermarket cake. You’ll be getting much better quality ingredients and the time, care and planning involved in making one cake is far longer than a conveyer belt product. It’s unfair to say you’re not bothered and would be happy buying a supermarket one when you have asked for a special one. You mention the ingredients but there’s also the cost of the cooking

coffeesaveslives · 12/10/2024 21:09

Pipercloe · 12/10/2024 21:03

I think he is planning on a 3 tier cake, with lots of chocolate accessories and some fondant accessories.
I cant imagine the ingredients would cost that much, but I don’t know 🤷🏻‍♀️
It won’t be a huge sized caked, it’s just for us not a party of people.
I asked mostly because I was trying to boost his interest in baking, I’m really not that bothered by a cake, I would happy buying a supermarket one.

A three tier cake with lots of chocolate and accessories is likely to cost almost £40 in ingredients alone - butter, eggs, icing etc. isn't cheap.

ahemfem · 12/10/2024 21:09

Pipercloe · 12/10/2024 21:08

The thing is I can’t tell him I don’t want it as he’s so excited to make it

No you can't really. Not now you asked for it

Original poster

Pipercloe · 12/10/2024 21:08

The thing is I can’t tell him I don’t want it as he’s so excited to make it

OP posts:

MumChp · 12/10/2024 21:08

Pipercloe · 12/10/2024 21:03

I think he is planning on a 3 tier cake, with lots of chocolate accessories and some fondant accessories.
I cant imagine the ingredients would cost that much, but I don’t know 🤷🏻‍♀️
It won’t be a huge sized caked, it’s just for us not a party of people.
I asked mostly because I was trying to boost his interest in baking, I’m really not that bothered by a cake, I would happy buying a supermarket one.

If so you should tbh have choosen the supermarked cake.

It will be more expensive to ask someone to make a cake with ingrediens and a person's time than a supermarked cake.

Cakes are quite time consuming to make and ingrediens today are not cheap.

ThisHangryPinkBalonz · 12/10/2024 21:07

I would think paying £50 was a bargain for a 3 tier cake with decoration. Professional ones can be very expensive, look online at local cake makers to get an idea - obviously he's not a professional but you will get the idea on what's classed as an average price.

Ingredients would be £20 easy.

Icantbuystrawberries · 12/10/2024 21:07

Oh yeah three tiers is alot more, if you don’t want a this OP just tell him you can’t afford it and want one tier only. One tier cakes around £20-30 depending on size but three tiers could be £60-100. This is using mates rates and paying for ingredients and very little time.

Original poster

Pipercloe · 12/10/2024 21:07

Okay so he’s going to tell me the price of the ingredients, but says he doesn’t want any extra. But of course I will pay extra.
but how much extra do I pay for his time?

OP posts:

Pumpkinseason3 · 12/10/2024 21:07

3 tiers or 3 layers @Pipercloe? Very different prices 😊

ahemfem · 12/10/2024 21:06

Ask him to price it up for you

Girasoli · 12/10/2024 21:06

Ah more than £40 then, he could well spend £20 just on ingredients.

Doggymummar · 12/10/2024 21:05

Around $100.00

BCBird · 12/10/2024 21:05

Just because he is 16 I think u still need to pay him.going rate. He won't be getting the ingredients or gas at a reduced rate.

TooBigForMyBoots · 12/10/2024 21:05

3 tiers will cost at least £120.

Icantbuystrawberries · 12/10/2024 21:05

I make cakes for friends and it’s easy to spend £15-20 for ingredients. 2/3 blocks of butter are £6 already. Then if you add on eggs, chocolate, cake boards etc.

I would normally accept £30 from a friend

Wonderballs · 12/10/2024 21:04

Pipercloe · 12/10/2024 21:03

I think he is planning on a 3 tier cake, with lots of chocolate accessories and some fondant accessories.
I cant imagine the ingredients would cost that much, but I don’t know 🤷🏻‍♀️
It won’t be a huge sized caked, it’s just for us not a party of people.
I asked mostly because I was trying to boost his interest in baking, I’m really not that bothered by a cake, I would happy buying a supermarket one.

You’d be surprised, given the price of butter

BMW6 · 12/10/2024 21:04

All in I'd say £50 to include all ingredients and labour.

MumChp · 12/10/2024 21:04

ThisHangryPinkBalonz · 12/10/2024 21:04

Don't be daft.

Show quote history

I am not.

Danioyellow · 12/10/2024 21:04

Have you asked him how much he wants? I think it’s best you’re all on the same page before you even start. I felt sorry for a couple getting slagged off on here the other day after they ‘only’ paid £125 for someone’s son to look after their dog for 2 weeks while they were on holiday, after he offered to do it as a favour.

ThisHangryPinkBalonz · 12/10/2024 21:04

MumChp · 12/10/2024 21:03

The same as a similar handcrafted cake bought at a shop.

Edited

Don't be daft.

Aquacitra · 12/10/2024 21:04

I'd ask him to price his ingredients and estimate how long it might take to make and go from there.