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Original poster

What would you pay for these cakes?

35 replies

meganwools1 · 28/02/2020 10:50

Hi,

I am thinking about starting a little cake making business. I have attached photos of cakes I have made for my daughter’s birthdays. I also add surprises to the cakes like ombré layers and smarties hidden in the centre.

I am unsure about pricing. What would you be willing to pay for cakes like these?

Thank you
x

What would you pay for these cakes?
What would you pay for these cakes?
What would you pay for these cakes?
OP posts:
PaulinePetrovaPosey · 28/02/2020 12:12

Maybe £30?

I know that's probably not a lot for the work that's gone into them, but they look a bit amateur (Sorry!!) so not special enough to pay a massive premium over supermarket cakes.

ShirleyPhallus · 28/02/2020 12:14

I think you need to work out how much you’d have to charge to make a profit and then go from there

They’re very sweet looking cakes but a step away from being professional so potentially a bit lower at first to get some practice before charging higher prices

MrsPelligrinoPetrichor · 28/02/2020 12:16

Invest in some deep boards!

£30? Blimey,I bet the ingredients and toppers etc cost £20 of you add it all up.

Add everything up and multiply by 3 that should give you a starting point. You need to cover your costs and make it worth your while.

Good luck!

JellyBellies · 28/02/2020 12:19

I would expect to pay 60 to 80 pounds for something like that.

MrsPelligrinoPetrichor · 28/02/2020 12:21

Yes me too, £60 and I'd be delighted but £80 is more realistic.

PaulinePetrovaPosey · 28/02/2020 12:21

*£30? Blimey,I bet the ingredients and toppers etc cost £20 of you add it all up
*
I know. But the question was what I would pay not what would turn the OP a profit. If there's a mismatch there she needs to know.

strawberrylipgloss · 28/02/2020 12:22

Add up your ingredients.
Add up the time spent cooking at minimum wage.

I'm guessing £50+ but I'm assuming they are "standard size" tins and not unusually big or small.

Herpesfreesince03 · 28/02/2020 12:24

They’re very good for homemade cakes (and FAR better than I could do), but not quite professional looking yet. I’m not sure the prices would be worth it for you tbh. I buy a lot of professionally made cakes, I’ve bought a similar one to the Kit Kat one you’ve made for £20 and the unicorn one for £35, but they were flawless

sugarbum · 28/02/2020 12:25

a = how much were your ingredients?
b= how much time did you spend making them?
c = how much do you think your time is worth per hour?

(I'm not including the overheads that a professional would such as electricity and so on)

a + (b x c) = ?????

Do you think people would pay that?

If not, is it really worth your while?

Strictly1972 · 28/02/2020 12:26

I think for the one with the number 3 you could charge about £70 due to all of the detail. The others maybe a little less. We pay £45 for quite a basic one. I’m currently making my daughters on my own as I don’t want to pay this year & quite fancied the challenge. I don’t think it will be as good as yours but I wanted to try x

OnlyFoolsnMothers · 28/02/2020 12:26

Theyre very good OP, far superior to anything i could cobble together.
I would pay £30-£40
I have bought/ seen £70 cakes and tbh the finish is better.

JellyBellies · 28/02/2020 12:26

Where are you buying professional non supermarket cakes for 20 and 35 pounds?

Queenbean · 28/02/2020 12:29

On number 3 I think you may need to practice the unicorn’s horn a little more. On its own it looks a little unsavoury....

Hoppinggreen · 28/02/2020 12:32

They are good and far better then anything I could do but they look like they were done by a talented amateur so I would only pay a maximum of £35-40
As people have said though, the point is how much do you need to charge to make a profit (including your time)

MaidenMotherCrone · 28/02/2020 12:32

As others have said Very pretty homemade cakes but not quite there yet with the finish.

Keep at it though. Have you had a look at cupcakejemma on YouTube. She owns Crumbs and Doilies (very successful bakery in London) and has so many brilliant tutorials on how to make and decorate to a very high standard.

I wish you good luck and hope you keep at it.

Herpesfreesince03 · 28/02/2020 12:33

@JellyBellies my local cake maker. She’s making me a drip cake for my daughters birthday next month, only £30. It’s only a little one but she only charges a few quod more if you want it bigger

What would you pay for these cakes?
Herpesfreesince03 · 28/02/2020 12:33

Not sure if the link worked as I can’t see it, they’re fabulous though

QueenieMum · 28/02/2020 12:36

I think they're great! There are cake cost calculators online that should help you - it's not just about what people will pay, it's whether it's worth your time and effort too.

I would also check out your local competition, from shops and bakeries to other home bakers. The market where I live is saturated and if it's similar where you are you're going to need to work out what will make you stand out. Don't just be price driven, think a bit wider and look for any gaps in the market.

Good luck!

AlphaIndigo · 28/02/2020 12:38

Based on the pictures, around £40. It might not hurt to be affordable and get your name out there, get some more practice and then raise your prices accordingly though, as long as you at least break even.

Reginabambina · 28/02/2020 12:44

Tbh I wouldn’t buy them. They’re great for a home made cake but they’re not professional at all.

BrokenMumTeenDD · 28/02/2020 12:46

As above. You need to work out your costs first.

Ingredients
Time
Packaging
15% of total added to cover invisible costs such as electricity,

You also need to invest in some moulds to give a more professional finish. This one for example... This will also save you a lot of time

Your cakes look good, but you do need practice so I'd suggest offering few on a local selling page at cost to gain experience & good reviews. Make sure they know what it would have cost, so they can tell their friends.

Taste is very important in handcrafted cakes though, people paying premium prices for design expect it to taste amazing & be as natural as possible. If it does, that's where you'll get your repeat business from & they won't mind the price.

What would I pay for it, I wouldn't as I make myself, but I'd expect to see them priced at between £80 & £130 if the finish is improved to more professional standard. They are very good for starting out though, so please don't take that as a put down

https://www.craftcompany.co.uk/katy-sue-silicone-sugarcraft-mould-unicorn-ears-horn-lashes.html?gclid=Cj0KCQiAkePyBRCEARIsAMy5SctYtY8VGwhcNlS6tv0TnYNd-Benn-k6VIE3DLzcRx6b3IsxYGxVmEaAunVEALww_wcB&gclsrc=aw.ds

ohtheholidays · 28/02/2020 13:03

The Peppa pig one I'd expect to pay about £70,£80 for the Unicorn one and about £60-£65 for the flower one.

Amateur my Arse!

I've just shown my DH and like me he thinks they look amazing,well done Meganwools1 you are very talented.

Were in the SE,not that far from London,I know Geography can effect what people expect to pay.

Good Luck with it Megan.

pollysproggle · 28/02/2020 13:05

I'm a pro baker OP, well done these look great for homemade and you definitely have potential.
My advice would be to start out with a lower price for these cakes even if you don't make much of a profit and build up your skills as you go whilst building your customer base. The better you get the more you can charge.
Stick to taking cake orders you're confident in making and don't be tempted to agree to a bespoke cakes that are too tricky.
Experiment new skills and designs on friends and family who won't care if it goes wrong.
Perfect your piping skills, there's lots of YouTube videos on how to pipe and practice on cupcakes. Perfect piping will give you a better and more professional finish.
Set up and Instagram and/or Facebook page and lastly but most importantly- get your kitchen inspected by the council!

Good luck 🧁

Glitterb · 28/02/2020 13:36

I paid £35 for something very similar

BobbyBlueCat · 28/02/2020 13:42

They are very good examples of a more than competant home-baker with potential.

But not professional standard yet.

I'd pay £30-£40(max) at the moment because family/friends would look at them and assume I'd made them myself at home.

Obviously when the rough edges are perfected and they have a more professional 'polished' look, I'd pay extra.