Post # 1
Member
426 posts
Helper bee
We’re starting to look at bakeries for our wedding cake, and we’re getting sticker shock from the prices. I know the location has something to do with this (Silicon Valley), but I wanted to know if these prices are typical for an area like that? So far, we’ve been quoted $8.50 per serving for a tiered fondant wedding cake. We’re not aiming for a huge cake, but I don’t know how small the cake can be before it starts to look stupid.
Feel free to share pics of your cake and how much it cost! Also, how many servings it was. I have no idea how many people a smallish 3-tier cake would feed.
Post # 2
Member
745 posts
Busy bee
- Wedding: August 2019 - City, State
The average cost in my area is around $4-$7 per slice. Fondant is always mroe expensive than buttercream. You’ll also likely spend elss on a ‘naked cake’. You can look up online a number of infographics on tier sizes and how many people they feed. You will like need enough servings for 20% less than the number of guests who attend. Less even if you are having dessert and/or a sweets table.
I am paying $650 for my cake, 3 tiers, but with cascading sugar flowers all down the side. My price includes an additional $100 fee for the sugar flowers, as each petal has to be hand sculped and made for each of the dozens of flowers. My cake is meant to serve aprpoximately 120 people, of a total of approximately 160 guests (Depending on my rsvps that are currently incoming).
Good luck! 🙂
Post # 3
Member
116 posts
Blushing bee
- Wedding: November 2020 - North Carolina
Sticker shock is the reason why I haven’t progressed much in my wedding planning. I see something I like, check the price, and then I’m too depressed to do anything else for a couple weeks.
Post # 4
Member
32 posts
Newbee
cypresstree85 : Fellow Bay Area resident here! They will definitely suggest the size of the tiers based on how many people you would like to feed. I agree with PP that if you go buttercream, it’ll cut down costs. I also decided to have the “display cake” (the decorated one) feed a lesser number of people and have a sheet cake (not decorated) in the kitchen to be passed out to the rest of the guests. That saved quite a bit and the sheet cake will taste exactly the same as the display cake! Cake is my only dessert so I would need to feed everyone, but if you do a dessert table, you can get a smaller cake because of the variety of desserts. Hope this helps!
ETA: I’m also having fresh flowers instead of sugar flowers to cut down on the costs because of the labor involved.
Post # 5
Member
4083 posts
Honey bee
SoCal bee here. I think the price you were given is standard specially where you live. Actually, I expected it to be more expensive for you. Our cake bakery (contracted by the resort) is included with our all inclusive venue price so I cannot say exactly how much our cake is but I checked their website on my own and buttercream is about $5 per slice and fondant about $7. It gets higher depending how intricate you want the design to be. Ours will be simple and white since we have a cake topper and flowers for decor. I am not having any other dessert so we will be getting a 3 tiered cake with two flavors to feed all guests. cypresstree85 :
Post # 6
Member
330 posts
Helper bee
cypresstree85 : Unfortunately, that is typical for fondant. I actually make cakes (sometimes on the side) and because I do this, I’m more understanding of the cake prices, good quality fondant is expensive (I pay $75 for 25 pounds and that is white, it’s a lot more if you buy colored fondant), I’ve tried making my own but it’s super difficult to work with. Also, butter is CRAZY expensive and a bunch of butter goes into cake, fillings, frostings! I make elaborate, fondant cakes, sugar flowers, molding work but for my wedding opted for a simple buttercream cake that my florist will add flowers to and a really pretty cake topper from Etsy, we are paying $775 to feed 130 people and that includes delivery so I was ok with that. If you don’t have to have fondant, skip it!! Most people do not like eating fondant no matter how good it tastes given the chewy texture, good luck!!
Post # 7
Member
194 posts
Blushing bee
- Wedding: July 2020 - Ireland
Holy cow. Our 5 tier cake will be 690 euro, I believe with buttercream. It’ll do 300-350 finger slices. $8.50 per serving seems crazy!!!!
Post # 8
Hostess
3831 posts
Honey bee
vanessalynn22 : I agree! The best wedding cakes I’ve had were all buttercream, the fondant always goes to waste.
OP, we live in a HCOL city as well and paid a similar amount for our buttercream cake.
Post # 9
Member
7000 posts
Busy Beekeeper
Like anything, you get what you pay for. That pricing sounds about right for a fondant cake from a quality baker.
Post # 10
Member
1488 posts
Bumble bee
- Wedding: November 2019 - City, State
We got quoted $8/slice by a bunch of people which seemed ridiculous. So I kept hunting and found a great little bakery that does lovely cakes for $3/slice which seemed much more in reach.
Post # 11
Hostess
8485 posts
Bumble Beekeeper
cypresstree85 : single 9 inch tier, served 60. Cost £105.
Post # 12
Member
4083 posts
Honey bee
That size of cake served 60 people? Or did you have a matching sheet cake in the kitchen to serve 60?
Mrs_Beer :
Post # 13
Hostess
8485 posts
Bumble Beekeeper
socalgirl689 : nope..it served 60 people
Post # 14
Member
4083 posts
Honey bee
Really? I guess looks can be deceiving. I would have never thought.Mrs_Beer :
Post # 15
Member
1116 posts
Bumble bee
- Wedding: April 2019 - USA
Mine served 100 people and cost about $475
Member