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Cupcake Pricing

post #1 of 16
Thread Starter 
Hi all,

Do any of you charge a flat fee per cupcake...not using the matrix? I'm just wondering what a competitive price is for 150 cupcakes. They will be two flavours...white and chocolate, filled and iced.

This will be for a wedding. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated. I'm leaning towards $1 to $1.50 each. I charge $2 a serving for buttercream cakes and $2.50 a serving for fondant covered cakes.

Input please!
Suzanne M.
post #2 of 16
I never make cupcakes, but it seems to me that you have a fair price.
post #3 of 16
Being new, I don't know for sure, but looks to me like the cupcakes are going to be more expensive to make and take more time to bake, ice and arrange. One cupcake seems like maybe more than one average wedding cake serving, so that would mean the cupcake should be at least what a cake serving should be, maybe more. I'll be interested to see what the people who know will say. Janice
post #4 of 16
Its my understanding that you charge at least the same amount as you would a cake, maybe a little more. Its still a cake mix all you are doing is putting them in cupcake cups by request, and they can be more problem. You do have a fair price...especially for a wedding!!!!
post #5 of 16
I agree--I would charge at least what you would for a serving. Plus--if you start adding the extra time it's going to take to fill and decorate all those individual servings--I'm thinking just a bit more--maybe in your $2.50 range.

Hope this helps! Pricing is the hardest thing about cake decorating, I think.

post #6 of 16
It also depends on how decorative you are going to make the cupcake. I would not charge less than $2.00, and some places I am sure charge up to $5.00 a cupcake depending on the design. So hopefully this will give you a good idea what to charge.
"Action is the foundational key to all success. ~ Pablo Picasso"
post #7 of 16
Ok I did some looking around here in Germany and on the internet...most places are charging 1.75 a cupcake, that only includes say one flower with a leaf, with each flower you add they add .25. Now if they are for a wedding...they start ar 2.75, to start with and 75 cent more if you want it decorated to look like the cake...... if its only a cupcake wedding its a straight 2.75. I said to myself WOW cupcakes are so expensive! but these prices are the norm..
post #8 of 16
I think your price shouldn't be less than $2.00 per cupcake. Especially if you are filling the cupcakes. Often times people say "but there just cupcakes" and cupcakes takes just as much time and attention as cakes. Just my opinion.
post #9 of 16
You'll definitely undersell yourself if you decide to seel at $1-$1.50 each...bakeries that specialize in cupcakes start at $1.75-$2 and that's only with the simple swirl of BC! Once they start adding flowers or letters, etc, the cost goes up to as much as $5!!!
As said by others, it depends on the detail of your cupcakes.
post #10 of 16
I would start at the per serving price you get for your cakes and go up from there. Filling and elaborate decorating should cost extra. Cupcakes are bigger than a regular serving of wedding cake.
Hope your day is a piece of cake!
Hope your day is a piece of cake!
post #11 of 16
Cupcakes made correctly are much more time consuming than any cake with the same amount of batter. You have 24 per batch. That's 24 perfectly filled little cups as compared to filling 1-2 cake pans with the same amount of batter. Each cup has to have the exact same amount of batter in them. You cannot eyeball this and do it really well. You can do "OK" work by eyeballing it, but not exemplary work.

Cupcake servings should always be a bit more than cake servings. You have much more time involved in preparing them before you even start baking. The customer is paying an additional price due to the convenience of exact individual servings. They are not having to pay anyone to cut and serve the cake, they don't need a knife and forks, and can even get away without plates. Convenience costs... just look at your local 7-11.
post #12 of 16
I would charge 1.75 for a plain frosted and go up from there. I am doing a wedding in august that is 400 cupcakes. I charged her 2$ a cupcake, no filling. I will be doing buttercream roses, perhaps ricepaper butterflies, and other designs.
Becky D
Becky D
post #13 of 16
Thread Starter 
You convinced me! I never thought about all the work involved. I just didn't feel as if I could charge more for a cupcake than for a wedding cake I've seen the light.

I quoted her $1.75 for plain and $2.00 for filled. They will be iced with a swoosh (the big round rosette) of blue buttercream and some will have a water lily on top.

I'll let you know if she gives me the job,
post #14 of 16
If you don't get it and someone under-priced you... don't feel bad... let them do all of that work for nothing....

I think you're still low... so you should get the job!!

Good luck!!
post #15 of 16
I'm in Canada, and I charge $1.50 for plain iced cupcakes.
Filled would be extra, and so would any additional design. That's also my flat rate for cupcake cakes which includes basic border and writing, but I charge extra for the design on top (i.e. bct, nail flowers)

So I would agree with all those who said to charge more.
Definitely NOT $1.00!!

I also saw a cupcake cake at the local Sobey's supermarket, and they were charging $19.99 for 18 cupcakes. That works out to about $1.10 each.
Now I'm sure that your cupcakes are waaaay better that the supermarket's processed cupcakes and icing, so then you should charge more and people should be willing to pay more for the quality of your work.
I'm just learning now to let people "take it or leave it". There will always be someone else who will appreciate a quality cake that they'll never find in the grocery stores!! icon_smile.gif
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