25/05/2026
"Sorry that price is more than I expected"
"I can get it cheaper elsewhere"
"How much?! It's only a simple design!"
I'm sure I'm not the only baker who receives these responses...although I'd rather a response like this than just being completely ignored after taking time out of my day to get a quote together!
So, what do I take into consideration when pricing?
🥚 Ingredients costs
🎂 Size of cake
📦 Cake boards and packaging (these can be particularly expensive for tiered cakes and bento boxes)
🕑 Estimated time of baking and decorating
🔌 Utility and business insurance costs
⛽️ Fuel costs if delivery is required
🤓 Skill involved
🌈 How many colours of buttercream/fondant does the design require? Some colours like black and red take much longer to mix without just filling the buttercream with food colouring and ensuring it still tastes good!
🪜Does the cake need structural support?
I've probably forgotten something, but my point is that I don't just pull a number out of thin air.
When it comes to wedding cakes, I have always said I would never charge extra because it has the word 'Wedding' in front of it, and I stand by that. But they will always be that little bit more than your average cake, as would any tiered cake. And the reasons for this are that a tremendous amount of effort goes into making sure your cake remains standing for your big day, often in really warm conditions (we all love a summer wedding 🥵🤣)
A wedding cake (or any tiered cake for that matter) requires the baker to know how to incorporate a hidden support structure so that the cake does not tilt or collapse 😱
Your cake, alongside you, is a big focal point of your special day and wedding photos and has to be perfect 👌
We need to get it to the venue on time, in one piece and it often isn't just a case of getting it out the box and leaving, but completing the decoration and set up at the venue.
So in a nutshell, you're paying not just for baking and decorating but for all the hidden bits and skills that go with it...and I still won't charge the earth ❤️
Not me having a moan by the way, and aimed at nobody in particular, but people are often shocked by the price of 'just cake' and maybe this will help explain why it can sometimes be more than you'd think 🤔
