Post # 1
Member
1251 posts
Bumble bee
Hey Bees! I know there are some old threads on this topic but I was hoping to get a current read on cake prices.
My fiance and I are having pies served as the main dessert but I want to have a surprise grooms cake shaped like FIs favorite helicopter. I was just quoted $12/pp by a baker in Maryland. I was shocked at the price and I wanted to get some opinions as to whether it might be becasue of the extremely odd shape or if that is just the current cost of cake.
Please share your experience with odd shaped cakes. I appreciate shape, cost pp and location of baker. Did your price also include delivery? THANK YOU!
Post # 2
Member
47420 posts
Honey Beekeeper
seejanebee: I would get some other quotes. You could also consider getting a plainer slab cake that looks like a helipad with a model helicopter on top.
Post # 3
Member
1251 posts
Bumble bee
No one has any experiences to share? Still hoping to pull this off 🙂
Post # 4
Member
9519 posts
Buzzing Beekeeper
The most effective answer is for you to do the research. Call more bakeries and get quotes. The price I paid for a grooms cake here in Vegas won’t do much for you.
Post # 5
Member
1224 posts
Bumble bee
Also see if they’d be willing to knock down the price if you let them use Rice Krispie treats instead of cake for some of the oddly shaped details. Worth a shot!
Post # 6
Member
376 posts
Helper bee
seejanebee: the price of the groom’s cake i bought wasn’t quoted per person, but rather for the difficulty of the design. I bought one for our rehearsal so it only needed to feed about 45 people so I told the baker that up front and then she showed me different designs based on what i was interested in and the prices varied from $60-$300 based on how complicated they were to make.
i ended up getting a football-shaped cake with his favorite sports team’s logo on it and was on a “football field” of green icing for about $65; however, it was buttercream icing. if it would have been fondant, the price would have been closer to $100.
so, short answer to your question: if it’s a very complicated cake, that’s why the price is so high.
ETA: this was in charleston, sc and did not include delivery
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This reply was modified 4 years, 9 months ago by bananastand.
Post # 7
Member
208 posts
Helper bee
How big is the cake supposed to be? I could see it depending on the work being 12 dollars a person, sculpted cakes take longer, and it depends what do they charge for a regular slice of cake? the sculpted cake should be at least double that if not a bit more.
Post # 8
Member
208 posts
Helper bee
A cake that’s shaped like a football helmet for reference is usually $75, and that’s not a hard cake to make.
Post # 9
Member
208 posts
Helper bee
seejanebee: Sorry Pastry Chef, just checked cake decorating forum and said that a helicopter cake shouldn’t be less then $150. Honestly just depends how hard you want to make it, do you care if it lies flat on the board, or does it have to be elevated. If it’s elevated then you have more equipment etc.
Post # 10
Member
1251 posts
Bumble bee
liaeona: GREAT idea! Thanks for posting
bananastand: Thank you for sharing your experience and the details. I know the final cost would of course depend on the size and shape so I appreciate you including specifics.
ajbates: Are you a pastry chef? Do you ever just make cakes as small as they need to be to complete the shape? Or does the customer have to commit to a certain serving count?
Post # 11
Member
208 posts
Helper bee
seejanebee: I am a pastry chef. And honestly it depends, some designs need to be larger then others regardless of servings. But yes I tend to make things as small as they have to be to make the shape unless I wanted something bigger. I normally just talk about size you want the cake to be rather then servings for a sculpted cake. I’d make sure if you wanted it to feed x that it would but wouldn’t make you commit to it. Like I said I would just price for the whole thing, not the servings for those type.
Post # 12
Member
171 posts
Blushing bee
- Wedding: October 2016 - pier 5 hotel
Are you looking in Baltimore? I want to do a groom’s cake to and I wasn’t sure if I wanted to use the bakery out venue gets our cake from or shop around.