Wedding Cakes & Food Forum

How much did you pay for your cake??

My fiance and I went to a cake consultation tonight at a local bakery that has a VERY good reputation in the area.  We designed a 3-tier cake that will have "pearls" rimming the bottom of each tier, a satin ribbon above each string of "pearls" (the pearls are edible icing made to look like pearls), and a big, edible bow on top with ribbons that drip down the cake.  It's very beautiful.  The first tier will be red velvet and the remaining tiers will be amaretto raspberry.  We are inviting 150 people to the wedding so they're estimating around 130.The total price (with a 5% discount we get if we order by a certain date) is $820.Does this sound insanely expensive?  Or reasonable?  Please tell me how much you are paying for your cake, how many people it will feed, and what it looks like.Thanks!

Re: How much did you pay for your cake??

  • edited December 2011
    PIB of our cake, which is similar in style to yours except that we're having sugar flowers instead of bows. We have 4 tiers, to serve about 100 people, with four flavors. Total including tax, delivery, cake stand rental, and a free anniversary cake is about $650. However, you have 30 people more than we do to eat cake... but, honestly, I'd be afraid of running out of cake and would definitely want a cake to feed the entire guest count even if we had leftovers. Running out of food is my worst nightmare!
  • edited December 2011
    We have a consultation on Monday night but FI and I went to Publix to look a month ago and they said for square 3 tier to feed 150-200 was $560. They taste good and can look really nice too. You would be surprised it was a publix cake. If the consultation we have on Monday is too expensive we will probably go with Publix.
  • edited December 2011
    My cake is for a small reception. It will be 2 tiers, 2 flavors, no special fillings, cream cheese icing  & will feed 45 guests. The price is $286.00 so I think your estimate is reasonable.
    image Hobbs Anniversary
  • edited December 2011
    Today I was quoted $700 for a 3-tier cake that feeds about 125-150 people.  I get 3 cake flavors and 3 filling flavors.  The outside will be fondant, no cake topper, the cake with be white with multi-colored stripes. Bottom and top layer are square while the middle is round.   ( raspberry filling and lemon cake; red velvet and vanilla filling; banana cake and hazelnut filling) I am from Chicago.
  • edited December 2011
    It really comes down to where you live, to be honest. However, there's a PIB of my cake that I'm doing, it's supposed to feed 140 people. We haven't set fillings or anything yet, but I wasn't told that I have a limit. He priced it out at $6 per person, which, including delivery, comes out to $910. So no, I don't think yours sounds insanely expensive, if you're getting a quality cake. Like I said though, I think it depends entirely on where you're located. HTH.
  • leah.sleah.s member
    First Comment
    edited December 2011
    Thanks everybody =-)
  • edited December 2011
    Wow - I can't believe how much people's cakes are costing.  Our cake was for 125-150 (3 tier) with two cake flavors and three filling flavors in each layer and cost us under $400.  We are also in the Chicago area (but a suburb and not downtown).  We didn't have fondant so that probably helped the cost some.  Here are some pics of what we got for that price http://i36.tinypic.com/2zpnszk.jpghttp://i34.tinypic.com/sesqys.jpghttp://i36.tinypic.com/2w706pu.jpghttp://i37.tinypic.com/10nayza.jpg
    IMG_2788

    2/20/2011
  • rlyttlerlyttle member
    First Comment
    edited December 2011
    My is 4 tier with the ribbons, feeding 180 people. It costs $165 with the stand and delivery.
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  • edited December 2011
    Ladies, What keeps the price low on cakes (besides a simple design).  Seems like someone mentioned fondant driving up the price?  What is the alternative?  I thought cakes were 3.50 a slice.  These prices are waaaay higher.  What gives?  Is the 3.50 a slice thing just a lure?
  • edited December 2011
    Honestly for the size of the cake and number of invited quests the total price of your wedding cake is a steal! Most bakers are charging $8-12 per slice before even considering their labor costs. The cake I've designed for my own wedding which is around the same size as yours would cost me close to $1300 if I was asking another pastry cook to make it.Best Wishes, I hope your cake turns out exactly as you imagine it.
  • edited December 2011
    Thanks StageManager!
  • kelmcgeekelmcgee member
    First Comment
    edited December 2011
    I love to tell you how much but we actually didn't get a price from her.  I'm not really worried because it is a family friend doing the cake for us but now after seeing these prices I'm a little concerned.
  • pag41989pag41989 member
    First Comment
    edited December 2011
    wow! Thats an expensive cake. My cake is serving 130 people. It is 3 layers with strawberry filling, buttercream frosting with chocolate draped on each layer and chocolate covered strawberries.
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  • chosen175chosen175 member
    First Comment
    edited December 2011
    Our baker told us the price is driven up if you want fondant (which, for her, almost doubles the cost) and how intricate your designs are.That being said, our cake will feed 110.  It is 3 layers with 3 different cake/filling combinations.  With delivery and setup, the price is $214.  The girl doing our cake was trained as a pastry chef and worked for a convention center before moving to a bakery.  She does cakes on the side and has recently been considering opening her own bakery.  I found her, of all places, on Craigslist.  She did my dd's 1st birthday cake and it was the most phenomenal cake I've ever had!  In fact, FI (who doesn't care much for cake) requested that she do our wedding cake and it was the only request he has made so far in our planning.  She can keep her prices low because she's not paying the overhead, manpower, advertising, etc that a freestanding bakery would.
  • edited December 2011
    I think that sounds reasonable. My wedding cake was about $4500 but that's because of the size, 6 tiers, and amout of people we had to serve, about 450. And it was three different flavors. There were sugar flowers and "pearls" as well on each tier with a cluster of fresh flowers at the top. This was also done at a very small family owned shop in Bath, England.I think you are getting a great deal.
  • edited December 2011
    I am getting married in may and ordered a 4-tier cake. With 130 guest expected i paid under $500.00!!!!! Great tasting and very pretty cake. Try to do more research on better deals.
  • edited December 2011
    i'm just in the research phase and haven't decided on the actual cake yet. i'm finding that square is more expensive than round-shaped tiers. fondant is about a buck extra per slice compared to buttercream.
  • edited December 2011
    Honestly, I think that price is INSANE.We had a consultation for a cake, 4 tier to serve 150, with an extra top teir for us to save, and it was only $460. Over $800 is way too much in my opinion. Especially for such a simple design. I mean come on... It isnt like youre asking them to make the cake look like a rocketship and fly around the room.
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  • edited December 2011
    We're having a dessert reception and expecting about 120 guests at most, so the bakery recommended going with a cake to serve about half the guests (60).  So we got a two tiered carrot cake with buttercream/cream cheese mix frosting, with all the decorations we wanted, and it was $112.
  • lwogslandlwogsland member
    First Comment
    edited December 2011
    Wow that's very pricey..cakes must be alot cheaper where I am (Wisconsin).  I'm going to a very well known cake baker who charges up to 2.40/serving for buttercream cakes..which is what I'm doing..(For 250..so 600..plus charge of delivery and stand rental...under 700 total)
  • lwogslandlwogsland member
    First Comment
    edited December 2011
    i take that back..met with my cake baker..we're paying 2.10 a piece for a 4 tier 260 piece cake..no delivery no rental charges
  • edited December 2011
    Most places around me (Boston, USA) quoted about 3.50-7 depending on options.  None of the bakery-bakeries (i.e. places that just do baked goods, rather than groceries or all-inclusive caterers) were under $3/slice, and that included birthday cakes and things too -- ones that aren't as fancy as wedding cakes. 

    So that sounds like it's on the expensive side but not completely unreasonable.

    We haven't picked all our options, so we're not sure exactly how much ours will be.
  • shwethasrinshwethasrin member
    First Comment
    edited December 2011
    I think it really depends on where you live. For a basic cake (with filling, buttercream frosting, some design with buttercream), the more expensive places around me start at about 3 a slice. We are doing a three tier red velvet cake with cream cheese frosting and filling, swiss dot icing decoration, satin ribbons and fresh flowers, with a sheet cake, and it's about 350 for 144 people, and this includes their set up costs and cake stand rental. 
  • LasairionaLasairiona member
    First Comment
    edited December 2011
    Price depends on where you live so you will get a much more accurate estimate on your local board.
  • sharksfan20sharksfan20 member
    First Comment
    edited December 2011
    My fiance and I can't see spending more than $300 on a cake. I mean, it's a cake! You eat it and it's gone! Our cake estimate is $276. Three tiers and it is for 150 people. 
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