How much would you say I was asking for this cake?

[Cosmos45]

Just out of curiosity really.. I make cakes as a hobby, they are buttercream decorated rather than fondant and I have made some recently for a few local people (NHS workers and stuff). Someone local asked me if I would make them a cake, I do not know this person but it was someone who knew someone type of scenario.

I sent this message:

"I don't actually have a cake business but I do make cakes for family and friends. I have been asked recently to do a few for people - the ingredients, box and board come to about £9 and I am starting to ask for a small amount (say £10) to cover a bit of my time. I only do swirly icing types ones and I could do you pink swirly one, I will send a picture of the type of thing I mean"

Reading that, how much would you have given me for the cake when you came and picked it up?

I don’t think the wording was unclear at all. It’s quite clear and I’d have given you £20 at least, I think I’d give a bit more than £10 for the labour of it as you’re not a business with set prices, just going out your way as I’d asked.

I would expect to pay 19 but round it up to 20.

I wicra

I read your text as £19, but i can see how she may have mis-read it.

For example, you said that you recently made cakes for a few people, which came to £9. She probably thought that the stuff you bought came to £9 altogether, not per cake.

Before I started baking cakes, I thought ingredients were cheap eg flour and eggs are £1 for a pack of each and most people have at least a couple of the ingredients in their cupboards anyway. She may not have realised how much it cost.

Next time,, just price your items for how much you want to sell them for and don't try to justify your decision.

Should you be making cakes for other people in the current situation?

Im actually surprised so many posters think your message was open to interpretation or not clear, if you can read and understand basic English, then it was crystal clear if you ask me, key use of the word AND mainly!!!

Ps. The poster who insinuated that “each cake wouldn’t cost £9” - just 🤣

@BestestBrownies - that cracked me up!

OP, I'm assuming the person who bought the cake must have seen or heard about your cakes and is definitely being a CF
Got one at the weekend for £25 and that was for 4-5 portions. I wouldn't expect to pay less than £20 for a homemade cake tbh, it's time and effort and yours looks lovely

I'm laughing at all the comments about hygiene regs... Must make sure to inspect the kitchen of friends when they offer me cake next... Whenever that will be

The problem was op breaking down the elements of cost rather than quoting a take it or leave it price.
Saying you usually charge X, but are "starting to" add in Y has muddied the waters. Clearly madam thought she wasn't going to be the first to pay the increased charges, when everybody else paid the smaller amount.
Cheeky as fuck, but op did leave her an opening you could drive a bus through.

Namechanger what's so funny about my post?

All I was pointing out was that if you don't bake cakes, then you could assume that the basic ingredients are cheap:
Asda plain flour 45p (1.5kg)
Tesco eggs 70p (6 eggs)
Asda butter £1.55 (1 block)

@EmpressJewel - you're missing the cost of the sugar, vanilla essence, icing sugar, extra butter for icing, food colouring for icing, baking parchment, board and box for display and transportation.

One poster said it took 5 mins to mix a cake and 15 mins to decorate it. I want to see her video! It takes me 5 mins just to get the ingredients, scales and mixing bowls out, another five grease and line the cake tins, then a couple to weigh stuff, at least 5 to cream butter and sugar, then beat and add eggs, sift and fold flour and smooth down into cake tins.

Then 15 mins of washing up.

I can't imagine making a decent cake and icing it in less than about 45 mins to 1 hour.

I thought your message was pretty clear that the overall cost was £19 and I would have rounded up to £20. Anyone picking that lovely cake up and having the gaul to had you a tenner is a CF....or, as I always think that is not strong enough a phrase in these instances (makes them sound rather mischievous, cheery types)......an arsehole.

What a beautiful cake!

Your cake is amazing and I wish that I could eat it now!

I have bought quite a lot of cakes, (4children, 2 granddaughters) and no how much they cost, I would of thought£19 by what you said, and been really pleased with that! I'd of given you £20 and some flowers, 😊

It's beautiful! You did a lovely job and I would absolutely pay £20!

Namechanger no need to make fun of people and be catty.

Each cake wouldn't cost £9 though if OP is buying in bulk.. you mainly pay for the time and the effort someone puts into a cake.

Express - because there’s SO much more to it than what you’re reeling off 🤦🏻‍♀️

£19, but I'd round it up to 20

*You should be expecting £0, you're not allowed to accept money for making cakes if you aren't registered with your local authority and HMRC.
*
I don't understand this logic. Surely the first £10 is reimbursement not profit? If I go down the shop and buy something for my friend, I don't declare it to HMRC when they pay me back.

OP - it's a lovely cake and would take me all day and a lot of swearing to achieve something half as good. I'd have given you £20 (as a PP pointed out, you were clear but left a window and they took it).

£10. You didn't say £10 on top of the £9. It read to me like you were covering costs and rounding up.

But she did??? She this cost xyz AND I’ve started to ask for £10. The English language is surely not this complex to understand?

She did say it but she implied previous customers hadn't been charged. Too much info.

Hi OP, cakes look great! It’s always nice to bake for friends and family and feel appreciated.
I would hate the commercial aspect too. Definitely when asking for money always just state the total. We had a situation where someone did something for us (for which we know nothing about) they said an amount and we paid it. Turns out that was only for materials and we should have psychically known how much to add for time! We were embarrassed but this was something they knew inside out so why not just tell us how much in total and we would have gladly paid it!

@Tubs11 your friends charge you for a slice of cake when you round? It's hardly the same .