To ask how much you would expect to pay for this cake?

[Badger84]

So I've started up a cake business and I'm struggling with pricing. There is quite a lot of competition in my area so want to price competitively but also want to make a profit! Some of the people I've quoted have been fine with my prices, others have scoffed and said far too expensive. I've attached a picture. Can you tell me how much you would expect to pay? I won't tell you how much I would charge to influence you

I'd expect to pay about £60 for that cake (I live in the south east) - looks great! £40 is not enough for you to make any profit.

I don't think it's necessarily that people don't appreciate how much time and effort is put into baking cakes, I bake myself, it's whether or not you would pay such a large sum for a child's birthday cake.

^^ this. Lovely cake op but for me at the end of the day it's just a cake.

Everyone round here gets their celebration cakes from Costco.
£12 for a really large, well decorated rectangular cake. But you're ok if you've no Costco near you.

it's whether or not you would pay such a large sum for a child's birthday cake.

I agree too. Most kids are just as happy with a colourful or chocolate supermarket cake. Half of it ends up getting trampled into the floor anyway.

And an adult cake would be unpalatable for many with so much sugar on it.

Interest in baking and cakes is on the wane atm. We saw cupcakes popular 10 years ago, GBBO, but now even under criticism from cancer and other health charities as we find out how bad sugar is.

I'm not sure I would be thinking about launching a cake business at this time.

Where are you OP? I want a cake like this!

And an adult cake would be unpalatable for many with so much sugar on it.*

Oh I dunno. I'd have a go.

Everyone round here gets their celebration cakes from Costco.
£12 for a really large, well decorated rectangular cake. But you're ok if you've no Costco near you.

Those aren't the people that the op is targeting. There is a market for personalised birthday cakes. Just because you wouldn't buy one doesn't mean others won't.

Costco cakes are all fur coat and no knickers- lots of fluff and not much taste.

£60-£80

Said that not having read other comments and having bought equally professional looking cakes.

It's a lovely cake OP. I do my own kids cakes and fully appreciate how difficult it is to get that fondant so smooth and clean! And all those balls!!

I also know that when I make my own and I have to pay retail prices for the icing,all the chocolate for the ganache, any equipment I don't already have, it's going to cost me £60 easy.

There is a huge market for cakes like this. No one round here seems to mind paying that kind of price for a kids birthday cake.

These cakes look fabulous, but I'd never buy one because I find that roll-out sugar paste inedible. I wish royal icing and marzipan would come back into fashion for birthday cakes, or even good old glace icing.

I'm making my DCs birthday cakes soon. The icing alone has cost me £30 for 2 cakes. Thats not including the figures I bought for one, the ingredients to make the cakes and the time it's going to take me. £40 is very cheap.

Professionally made cakes do cost more. And some of these replies are down right rude. I'd like to see you do better .

thecustomary, I take the icing off before I eat it. The DCs like it but I don't. It comes off easily.

These cakes look fabulous, but I'd never buy one because I find that roll-out sugar paste inedible. I wish royal icing and marzipan would come back into fashion for birthday cakes, or even good old glace icing.

I agree with you on the yuckiness of fondant icing! If you used a cake maker they could use marzipan and royal icing. That's the bonus-you specify and get exactly what you want.

There's a lady in our area who charges £50 for this but I know a shop that sells them for £25....seems there's lots of variation.

Wow, you're all saying so cheap, we just got a smaller, way plainer (just toasted coconut topping) cake that was £40. You'd easily pay around £70+ here for that.

Come on then OP... what you charging?

customary If I make the children's cakes I often do glace icing, but I always make it too runny. I can never seem to get it right. One year my eldest asked for a chocolate cake with pink icing. That was easy.

I made one with roll out icing at the weekend but after a couple of days it went really sweaty. It may have been because it was just the cheap stuff from Home Bargains or maybe the layer of butter cream underneath.

She's already said...

Ok you've all been very helpful Thankyou (except one 🙄) The icing is the most expensive part as many of you have said. I charge £40 for this type of cake. I just wondered if this was way off but looking at your comments I think that's probably about right so Thankyou

mrgrumpy how were you storing the cake? It shouldn't be in a fridge or airtight container once it's covered in fondant or it'll sweat.

MrGrumpy01

I'm no good at all at icing cakes in any more elaborate way than simply coating them because I don't have steady hands - any attempt to do piping or lettering wobbles all over the place . I have tried food colouring in glace icing but it never seems to turn out the colour I'm aiming at. I guess it's just not one of my skills!

Can I ask why the icing is so expensive? Does it use loads of ingredients more than you'd guess?

Thanks purple. I could have sworn I was on page 1 of this thread.

50bales it's expensive when you buy it, not make it.

Could you increase profit by making it (and also make to sell if it's expensive to buy)?

In theory, yes.

I think the very serious bakers do.

I believe it is a skill and probably a faff unless you're making large quantities.