How can I cut the cake cost down?

shortgrass03 · March 2011

I've been talking with an old friend from high school about doing my cake. Well, we finally figured out what to do, and she gave me the price and my jaw dropped. (luckily we are doing this through facebook...lol) I know it's a really good deal, but I wasn't expecting to have to pay $250 for my cake! I'm less than a month and a half from my wedding, so I really don't have many options. I could have my sister make it, but she only does fondant, and I really want buttercream. (I've settled for everything else, including my photographer's "backup" since she's now on bed rest)

So, for a 4, 8, 12 graduation cake (3 tiers) and a 9x13 quarter sheet for 130 people I'm paying $250. (it comes out to $1.92/slice, I guess) Please don't just tell me I'm getting a good deal, because I'm on a super tight budget. Is there any way I can ask her to cut it down so that it's less expensive?

Thanks!

ivyrose13 · March 2011

I know you don't want to hear it, but you are getting an amazing deal. Anything below $2.50/slice is a really good price.

If you are still concerned about the cost, I would suggest a small, two-tiered cutting cake for your and FI to display and cut at your reception, and then have the same friend bake several sheet cakes in with the same cake and filling flavors to have out back. Sheet cakes are usually substantially cheaper than wedding cakes.

lisab613 · March 2011

hey shortgrass!
how important is it for you to have tiers? if you could do JUST sheet cake, that might cut the cost down. could you do 2 9x13 cakes? or maybe 2 of those and then a smaller cake for just you and FI?
or, could you pick a simpler design?

sculli · March 2011

I do wedding cakes on the side and have done cakes for my friends weddings so from a person who does them that's a great deal (I know you don't want to hear that). A lot of home bakers have to charge a little more then professional bakeries because most of the time we have to get things at cost and not in bulk. You might consider pricing out sheet cakes or varies sizes of round cakes from local bakeries. If you get varies sized round cakes you can stack them on different pillars on a table and make a gorgeous display. My FI refuses to allow me to make my own cake and I refuse to have anyone charge me an arm and a leg for a stacked cake so we are doing variously sized round cakes. If you go to bakeries to price these out just make sure you don't mention wedding lol. Good luck!

AllisaurusRex · March 2011

We are doing just one 8" round Ultimate White cake from Wegman's supermarket to cut (we are using silk flowers as decoration, and we will do that ourselves) and doing several smaller versions of the same cake, one at each guest table. The smaller cakes are about 4" round. They are meant to serve 2 people generously, but we will have them cut into 4 slices to serve the 4 guests at each table. It is a VERY rich cake, so more than a couple of bites is almost too much anyway. The small cakes are $6 each. Another option would be to use sheet cakes for the guests.

SSaltzman87 · March 2011

I definitely second just doing sheet cakes. I think that's the only way to cut down the price unless you simplify the design.

topchef33 · March 2011

Doing just the sheet cakes will be much cheaper! The bakery we're using charges $70 for a sheet cake that I believe feeds 80.

shortgrass03 · March 2011

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/special-topic-wedding-boards_food-cakes_can-cut-cake-cost-down?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Special%20Topic%20Wedding%20BoardsForum:23Discussion:ecba0c73-01d4-4a47-831f-4db5c1f34ba5Post:79bddd5a-3370-4232-9e6b-57c9b0b4fd2b">Re: How can I cut the cake cost down?</a>:
[QUOTE]hey shortgrass! how important is it for you to have tiers? if you could do JUST sheet cake, that might cut the cost down. could you do 2 9x13 cakes? or maybe 2 of those and then a smaller cake for just you and FI? or, could you pick a simpler design?
Posted by lisab613[/QUOTE]

Hi Lisa! (Yay April 2011!)

It's a pretty simple design - yellow buttercream with blue ribbon around the bottom on each tier. lol Her and I talked about smaller tiers, so I might see how that will go. I'm feeling a little bad about it, though, because she's getting married in June and I know she needs the money, but I also need the money!

Sue-n-Kevin · March 2011

My caterer is doing a "token cake", 2 layers I think, it's about $70. It will be all white. I'm then getting 2 sheet cakes at Costco decorated in all white (they have mousse fillings inside), a sheet cake that feeds 48 is $16. I also happen to LOVE the way their cakes taste. The caterer will be cutting the sheet cakes in the back room, while we are cutting the token cake. The wedding party will get the bottom layer of the token cake, we'll save the top layer for our 1st anniversary, and the rest of the guests will get pieces of the Costco cake. So, we are feeding 100 with pieces of cake for $102.

If you have a Costco near you, and don't have a membership, I HIGHLY recommend getting one! For $55 a year, you'll save tons of money just on your wedding.

meima · March 2011

We're doing cupcakes, and a cake "top" to freeze for our 1 year. Cupcakes, the simplest ones, are $1.60 at the most inexpensive bakery I've looked at. For filled cupcakes or "premium" flavours, you're looking at around $2.40 each. The cake is another $50.

$1.92 is NOT a bad price, but you might be able to save a few dollars if you go the cupcake route.

GardeniaLily · March 2011

We are doing cupcakes too. It's costing us only half of what a tiered cake would. But cupcake prices might depend on your bakery, so you should check if you are considering that!

mandi921vh · March 2011

To cut costs you can do what PP have mentioned and use cupcakes or do a sheetcake.

How can I cut the cake cost down?

Re: How can I cut the cake cost down?

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