To expect to be paid more than half? (Pic included)

[MrsA2015]

Background: I'm a home baker using decent/top quality ingredients in my cakes, friends and family buy off me for special events and am trying to kick start a little baking business from home ( after receiving loads of compliments and encouragement which I'm thankful for!) A friend has requested a cake (pictured) and offered well below the asking price knowing what quality I use and usually the one to berate others if they take the mick when it comes to price. I don't over charge and usually find I've undrecharged when adding up costs ( new to this). How much would you expect to pay for this cake? I'm just feeling a little upset really, I love her and will still make it just surprised at asking to pay less than half. I understand mates rates and all...
Before you ask
Yes she can afford it
I don't buy wholesale ingredients
No I didn't stick to my price (out of shock)

I would pay £200, as its two tiers

Just don't accept it. 'Sorry, but I can't offer mate's rates. It's X' (whatever the price is). She does the 'but . . . ' You just say, 'I don't ever mix business with friendship, so I can't offer mate's rates.' Over and over.

£60?

'I'm just feeling a little upset really, I love her and will still make it just surprised at asking to pay less than half. I understand mates rates and all...'

More fool you then.

Wow! Some of you,it's be quoting some fancy patisserie prices I only paid £220 for my triple tier (fruit cake,chocolate fudge and Victoria sponge layers) wedding cake! That was only 4 years ago. For your kind of cake I'd expect to pay about £50 in my area! I live in the North but in an expensive seaside town.

*must be quoting (autocorrect!)

I reckon she's offered you thirty quid

Could you make the cake in a little mini version with a fraction of the ingredients?
I'd love to see her face when you unveiled an extremely tiny cake .

Oh and please don't make it for her, word will get around and everyone will be wanting cheap cakes, you WILL be working at a loss.

spit it out then

If you do it for what she wants to pay, you'll always be cheap cake lady & will never get prices you should expect I'm afraid.

I'm also a home baker and started a little business last year whilst I was on maternity leave. I find it so hard to charge as much as the cakes are worth as I could never see myself paying that much for a cake.
Obviously it would depend on the size of the cakes, but if it was say an 8 and 10 inch cake, I'd be charging around £100, depending on how much the sprinkle decorations would cost me.

at mini version

10g butter
10g sugar
1/10 an egg
10g flour

etc

SERVE IT IN AN EGG CUP!

I'd say 150 at least. I would text and say you were caught in the hoof when she asked and when you price it up it will come to 135 and you completely understand if she wants to go elsewhere knowing your price. Then let her go elsewhere and find no one will do it for that price

You cannot actually see what size that is, so difficult to price!

That m and s one looks dreadful

I reckon she is bit cheeky plus really has no clue. I couldn't believe how much wedding cakes were when we got married.

Even for "mates rates" I'd expect to cover the cost of ingredients, gas/electricity & something for my time.

I have to agree with Expat, that if you still do it & at a loss, well yes, more fool you.

I hate guessing games...If you want to tell us how much she offered do ..If not don't suggest it. I have enough effort trying to work out what has happened in my sons day

I'm annoyed that I'm intrigued enough to be placed marking!

And I bet friend offered £20

How much were ingredients?

How long did it take to make?

How many people will it feed? What size is it?

Just here to find out what the cheeky bitch offered....

I could never guess how much a cake would be. I always ask for a price to stop myself being the cheeky bitch.

Femp, if you can make cakes, you're not your target market.

I bake cakes as I could never afford to pay for a professional cake but by the same token, I can't afford a Porsche either & wouldn't expect a dealership to sell me one for the cost of a Ford Focus either

I would pay £150 at least for that but I'm guessing she offered £30?

OP, I do this for a living and have done successfully for 10 years. You need to charge the cake by portions, (standard portion is 1' x 2"), the cake in the photo could be a 4" on a 6" or an 8" on a 10" you can't really tell from the photo, so the amount of portions can vary. Once you have worked out what your price is per portion you can then price up most cakes, adding to this for intricate decor etc (this looks to be glitter on a painted/sprayed surface, so you need to charge appropriately as to how difficult/time consuming you think this would be). I'd say at the very least £200 though.
My rule of thumb is simple:
If they ask, they pay full whack, if you offer, it is a gift.
Everyone and their dog will start asking for cheap cakes, so get used to saying no (or yes as you see fit) To be fair I did lots of cheap cakes to begin with to build up my experience, you could call it 'learning on the job'. I built up a portfolio/website, then slowly slowly I pushed my prices up.
Good luck OP, if you need any advice drop me a line.