Custom Cakes, Cookies & Cupcakes - Are you really getting what you pay for?

I have been a home baker now for the past 6 years.  I went from baking for family and friends birthdays (which they never had to pay me for),  to baking beautiful deserts and treats for the masses, but of course, for a fair price.  But what I think is a fair price for all the love and work I put into these custom designed cakes, may not be what the person is expecting to pay if you have never purchased a real custom designed cake.

For years we have been accustomed to running to Public, (or whatever you local grocers name is), and buying an already decorated sheet cake for about 2.00 per slice (which is the average price for a mass made grocery cake.)  But here is what you are getting for that low bargain price.... A LOW QUALITY BOXED CAKE MADE BY A MASS MANUFACTURER.  These cakes are made in a large warehouse in sheets.  They are then cut to size and wrapped and frozen, then shipped to your local grocery store.  At the grocer, they can leave these sheet cakes in the freezer for as long as 6 months before they take them out for an order to decorate them.

Now, lets talk about the decor.  Do they use REAL buttercream with butter and shortening and soft powdery confectioners sugar and premium flavors and colors? NO.  They use lard and corn syrup.  Yep. This is why they last so long in the storage freezers on display and when you take them out and put them in direct sun, they don't melt.  Lard solidifies when its refrigerated.  And then becomes a jelatenous substance as its defrosted in the display cases, making them look fluffy.  If you are looking for a custom "Themed" cake, look no further than their catalog!  Where you will find flat 2D landscapes, covered in the same colorful lard, and then topped off with plastic figures.  Yep, thats it!  When you are using sub-par products, that have been frozen and then slathered with solidified sugary beef fat and plastic, then you get what you pay for.  A cheap cake.

When you order a REAL custom specialty cake, whether it is from a home baker like myself, or a specialty bakery, here is what you will get.  A fresh, just baked cake (usually about 24 hours old if that.)  Fresh ingredients like eggs, cream, and butter.  You are going to get REAL Buttercream icing tailored to your specific flavor and color!  Real Butter and shortening, real vanilla, confectioners sugar and its all beated either with a hand held or stand mixer, to the perfect consistency for the design you request.  If you ask your grocer for a fondant cake, most of the time you will get a cocked-headed look followed by NO, we don't do THAT here.  You can't even find fondant in a grocery store!  But with a custom specialty baker, you get that wonderfully sweet marshmallow fondant, smoothed over the perfect covering of buttercream and then beautifully designed into something that will leave all of your guests in awe....  The fillings are important too!  I will always use the freshest berries and fruit in my fillings. Or make home made puddings or ganache in both dark and white chocolate.  Grocery cakes... well... lets just say, they aren't that fancy.

Time is also of the essence when I make a custom specialty cake.  I take at the very least, about 6 to 8 hours to bake and decorate a cake to feed about 30 to 40 people. More people, means a MUCH longer process. Between the time it take to prep the batter, put it in the proper size cake pans and slow bake them checking them every 20 minutes to make sure it doesn't over cook and dry out, and then cooling the cake pieces properly, you are looking at about 3 to 4 hours on its own.  The decorating process definitely takes up the rest of the time. Putting together the cake with it's fillings and coating it with the first layer of buttercream. Allowing it to chill in the fridge so it sets nice and sturdy, to then receive the layer of decor. If you want a fondant cake, then you will be paying more because of the work it takes to color it, roll it and then shape and mold it into the decor of your choice.  For Buttercream or Royal Icing flowers and decorations, it is a little bit easier, but still requires a lot of product and time to ensure it sets in place before it's taken to its rightful owner.  Tiered cakes are also beasts all on their own.  They require actual hardware, like dowels and plastic trays to make sure that the cake doesn't fall apart during delivery and it doesn't sink into itself due to it's sheer weight!  All of that is extra money that you will have to pay for.

So when we look at a price breakdown of what a custom cake for 30 to 40 people would run you, lets look at the apx. cost of the products... (grab your calculators!)

Eggs - $2.50 per dozen (we use about half of that so $1.25)
Cream - $5.00 for a Quart (we use half of that so $2.50)
Flour (All Purpose 5lb bag) $8.99 (about half $4.50)
Flour (Cake flour, 5lb bag) 8.99 (same here $4.50)
Vanilla (1 oz.) $3.50
Sugar (4 lb bag) $4.50
Confectioners Sugar (4 lbs) $7.00
Butter (8oz box x 2) $6.00
Shortening (8oz) $4.00

Now comes the expensive part...
1 5lb container of pre-made Fondant (enough to cover a cake for 30 people) $30.00
1 2lb container of pre-made Fondant (enough for some small decorations) $15.00
1 .5 lb bag of gum paste (added to the decorating fondant to make it solidify like candy) $11.00
Food Coloring in various colors - about $2.00 worth
Cake round covered in decorative aluminum - $4.00
Cake box beg enough to fit your 25 lb cake - $4.00

Right now we are at $103.75 just for product! And that doesn't include any kind of fruit filling, chocolate or pudding.  And what happens the the bakers time... Are we not getting paid for the 8 hours of work we put into it?

So here is how the typical baker averages out the way they are going to charge you for a cake.
They will ask you how many people this cake is going to feed and what specialty decor you want on the cake (because remember that some decorations, especially very themed ones like for kids parties, are going to be extra.)  The regular cost of a specialty cake without all the extras is usually from $3.50 per person for a buttercream (simple) cake, to $6.00 per person for a more elaborately decorated cake, like for special birthdays, or weddings and anniversaries.

So for a middle of the way decorated specialty cake, with no special filling and covered with fondant for 30 people, you are looking at $4.50 per slice = $135.00 for a spectacular, show stopping, freshly baked, moist and delicious cake!   Not a bad price for the centerpiece of your event that everyone will get to enjoy.

So the next time you call a specialty baker to order one of those amazing cakes like you see on Cake Boss or one of the other network TV shows that galavant extravagant cakes, remember that WE are not a grocery store.  We put love, though, attention to detail and fresh ingredients in your cake to make sure you REALLY DO get what you pay for!

If you want to contact me to make a beautiful and delicious dessert for your next event, look me up on Facebook at www.facebook.com/thesweeterymiami  and check out the cakes, cupcakes and special hand decorated cookies I custom make for my customers. (I do ship out cookies and cupcakes all over the US.  Standard Food Rates will apply).

NOTE:  ****The cost of products used to make these cakes are an average based on my market here in Miami.  Some bakers will buy these products in bulk and may vary by a couple of dollars, but it's still in the ball park ;-)

(All cake photos displayed have been cakes I have made for my customers.  Photos cannot be used for personal or business use.)