Cake Pricing Calculator
To price a cake, add your ingredients, boxes and decorations, your pay (hours x hourly rate) and overhead, then divide by (1 - profit margin - card fee) and round up. The price per serving comes from standard party and wedding serving charts, and the order adds delivery, sales tax and a deposit, so you can quote the customer straight away.
Price every cake from your own recipes
The Cake Pricing Calculator workbook on Etsy uses the same math as this page and adds:
- Cost ingredients the way you shop: buy flour by the pound, bake by the cup, and the workbook converts it.
- Save your batter, buttercream and filling recipes once, then use them on any cake at 0.5, 1.5 or 2 batches.
- Up to four tiers in round, square or sheet, with servings filled in from the party and wedding charts.
- A one-page customer quote with your shop name, price, deposit and balance, ready to print or save as PDF.
- Keep every quote in a Price List to quote the same cake again later.
One .xlsx file for Excel, plus a link to make your own copy in Google Sheets. Instant download.
Questions
How much should I charge for a 2-tier cake?
Add what the cake costs you - ingredients, board, box, supports and decorations - plus your hours at your hourly pay and a little overhead, then divide by (1 - your profit margin - your card fee). With the example here (8 in and 6 in round, party servings, 5 hours at $20) that comes to $203, or $6.34 a serving for 32 servings.
How do I work out the price per serving?
Pick the shape and size of each tier and the serving size. Party servings are 1.5 x 2 in slices and wedding servings 1 x 2 in, so the same cake gives more wedding servings. For cupcakes, cookies or your own cut, type your own number of servings instead.
Should I charge for my time when I bake from home?
Yes. Your hours x your hourly pay is part of the cost, before any profit, so the profit margin is on top of your pay. The calculator also shows what you really earn per hour once card fees are paid.
Is the delivery fee part of my profit?
No. Delivery and sales tax are added to what the customer pays, and the card fee on them is taken from your profit, so the profit you see is what you keep from the cake itself.
How much deposit should I ask for a custom cake?
Many bakers ask 50% up front and the rest before pickup. Type your own percent and the calculator splits what the customer pays into the deposit now and the balance later.
Good to know
- This free calculator prices one cake at a time and does not save anything.
- The serving counts are a guide; your own slicing may give more or fewer.
- Fee rates and the example numbers are starting points; type your own.
Questions? Message us on Etsy.