How much would you pay for this cake?

[BeagIes]

Just curious! Not the best picture.

Chocolate and vanilla, with vanilla frosting. Serves about 30 - 40.

You need to put it in a box, the cling film makes it look worse than it is.

@StrangerOnline It is 40cm long and 12cm high. Bloody heavy I can tell you!

Re the cling film. It’s resting on the edges, which are rolled up fondant, so not actually touching the buttercream. Then it’s goes into the fridge and forms up so comes off clean. Done it a few times.

It looks fab - well done OP & to serve that many must be huge. I guess £60-£70 or so.
I really struggle with birthday cake for kids though - my friend makes beautiful cakes for me every year and charges around £35-40 for a basic small cake and then add ons depends what you want after that.
Kids won't care and would be just as happy with a £15 cake.
I know it's miles better & tastier & not full of crap & super time consuming but even so it's a premium I pay coz she's a friend but wouldn't otherwise.

I’d charge £80ish probably but I always under charge!

I wouldn’t pay anything for it personally as could whip that up in an hour or so (obviously I’m only talking about decorating time there).

Looks nice OP, much better than some of the shit I see being sold! Nice finish. But no idea why it’s covered in cling film.

@NormaLouiseBates Butter made up at least half the cost tbh! Can’t believe how expensive it’s getting 😳

Thanks all for the feedback. Off to work now. Have a great day all!

Jusr before I go, to allay any fears the cling film is not touching the buttercream! Just didn’t want it getting “fridge smell”. My colleague has a box 🙂

Hmm, not sure. Does it contain pork?

I find these cake threads a bit tiresome really. People who make them semi professionally often just pile on to say everyone who wouldn't pay a higher price in line with the value of the ingredients and their time is awful/an idiot for not knowing the cost breakdown/ is inherently cheap.

If it were a friend making it who'd offered (not a professional) I'd just expect them to let me know what it cost to make or what they'd like towards labour beforehand. If it were a professional then the same frankly, as with any other business the person selling the product needs to add up their costings and a profit margin and go from there. If people are happy then great, if not then maybe it isn't a viable venture.

If I were paying for a cake in theory I'd be more than happy to pay what ingredients cost plus reasonable and realistic labour but equally would expect the finish and taste to be very very good, and for that person the have the proper hygiene paperwork in place wherever it was made.

As a general rule though I'm not a fan of the more recent culture of extravagant professional celebration cakes, something about £60-£100 on cake in the economic climate just feels a bit off, little children and adults doubtless care what is served and it does seem to be a bit of a status thing.

Very cute cake though OP. Best of luck with it if you open up commissions.

Looking at it in detail, I’d be a lot more than the suggestions here (but I’m really strict with my pricing). It’s a huge cake at 40cm long. I’m guessing two layers. People are going to think this sounds mental, but this is how I’d work out the quote - I’d probably carve from a 12” rectangle. As it’s only two layers, I’d start at £65 if it was staying that shape, so an additional £25 for the time carving and covering the awkward shape. Then £15 for the fondant details. I’d also add an extra £5 for all the colouring time of the different fondants and buttercreams. Then cost of the large board. I’d cover the board in fondant, but for the time you’ve spent doing the board in buttercream at least another £5. So that’s £115 from me (not including box and board so probably £125 in the end). People might turn down the quote, but that’s fine as I would resent making it and my business would fold if I ended up being paid £2 an hour for skilled work. Totally get that that is a lot for a kid’s birthday, but that’s how much this cake should cost if the baker is paid correctly. So if someone doesn’t want to pay that much, that’s fine, this just isn’t the cake for them.

This is more like the prices I'm seeing in my area.

@dontgobaconmyheart , why read the thread if you find it tiresome?

@BeagIes , no idea how much the ingredients cost but my rough guess is £85

£90

I'm genuinely shocked that people would pay £80-90 for a cake for a child's birthday. We used to have a homemade cake with candles and some sort of decoration on top and loved it.

How much did it cost in ingredients?

For commissions I'd then add £10ph for your time and £5 utilities.

I don’t think anyone actually would, it’s just to show how much a cake would cost surely?

I have customers who regularly pay £150-£250 for children’s cakes. It’s a lot of money and absolutely not for everyone, but people definitely do. I think you’d be surprised how many people spend £80-£90. That’s a fairly low price for a custom cake priced correctly and lots of bakers are in business selling lots of cakes at that price. But equally lots of people would understandably think it’s too much. My mum always made my cakes and that was really special, but not everyone has the time or skill and would rather pay for something. For some they’re happy with a supermarket cake, others want something a bit more special. It’s just a spectrum like all things in life!

Some people would, and do.

I'm a professional cake decorator, and would charge around £120. Some people will pay it, some people won't and that's fine. But it's got to be enough that I make a reasonable profit, otherwise what's the point?

The problem with cakes, if you are not professional, is that people see a cake, add up roughly what they think it would cost them to make it, and think that's how much should be charged. Usually they've underestimated the costs anyway (ingredients are so expensive now), and haven't taken into account anything towards fuel, insurance, equipment, marketing, additional ingredients such as colourings, board, boxes, delivery etc. And that's before any labour costs have been added on. It's amazing how many people think I should work for well below minimum wage.

@budgiegirl , I used to batch cook and make enough to feed me and a friend for 4 meals each. I costed the ingredients one week and it came in just below £3. I mentioned it to my friend, who wasn't charged anything for them, and the response I got was 'That much!'
Someone I know took in repairs, and people begrudges paying for things like zips and thread.
For some reason, people think that home-made means very cheap or free.

It's a nicely done cake but basic because of the design. Large though! I'd pay up to £40.

It’s very good, I’m sure your friend will love it.

I’ve never brought a cake as I’m a fairly decent baker and can manage a character cake. But you’re probably looking at £50 plus to even come close to the costs plus your time. Cakes are ridiculously expensive. I’ve made cakes in the past for friends, but only ever charge the cost of ingredients or give it as their birthday gift.

Ouch!

I think some people who don't buy professional cakes for a birthday party are not aware of pricing. It's not just how it looks I've had a dry sponge from a "professional".

Tbh in a huge sponge fan and not too much icing I'm happy to pay for a decent baked cake.

I would say £60/70 for OPS it looks good.

Are you in UK OP? Just because frosting isn't a word usually used here. Different countries have different prices for different things. And different currencies.

looks fab OP, I would have said £50 but with increases in prices of raw ingredients & energy £60-£65. Well done. I am sure the customer/friend will be delighted with it.

Frosting is a perfectly common word in the Uk?