Cake Pricing Calculator
Build profitable cake quotes by combining actual costs with business margins.
Suggested price
$171.93
$7.16 per serving
Labor cost
$80.00
Base cost (ingredients + labor): $115.00
Overhead & profit
$56.92
Profit portion: $39.67
How to Use This Calculator
Add up ingredient costs
Include everything you purchase for the cake—flour, butter, fillings, boards, and décor.
Estimate labor hours and rate
Capture baking, chilling, decorating, shopping, and cleanup time. Pay yourself a professional wage.
Add business overhead and profit
Allocate a percentage for utilities, rent, insurance, delivery, and then apply your profit margin.
Formula
Final price = (Ingredients + Labor) × (1 + Overhead%) × (1 + Profit%)
Price per serving = Final price ÷ Servings
Example: Ingredients $35, labor 4 hrs × $20 = $80, overhead 15%, profit 30% → Final price ≈ $173.68 → $7.24/serving.
Tip: Adjust overhead and profit to match your market, complexity, and rush orders.
Full Description
Pricing custom cakes requires more than just covering ingredient costs. Bakers must account for time, utilities, packaging, and profit to keep their business sustainable. This calculator simplifies the math by quantifying labor, overhead, and profit add-ons so you can quote confidently and consistently.
Simply enter your actual ingredient total and the hours spent from prep to delivery. Add an hourly rate that reflects your expertise. Overhead percentage covers recurring expenses like electricity, rent, licenses, and admin time. Finally, profit percentage ensures your business grows and funds future investments.
When this is useful
- Creating quotes for wedding, celebration, and sculpted cakes.
- Comparing profitability across cake sizes and complexity levels.
- Building tiered pricing tiers for standard vs. premium offerings.
- Teaching cottage bakers how to factor in business expenses.
Revisit your rates annually to align with market demand, inflation, and skill growth. For rush orders or premium decorations, boost the labor hours or profit margin to reflect the extra effort.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I pick an hourly rate?
Consider your experience, local market rates, and business costs. Many decorators charge $18–$30 per hour or more.
What overhead percentage should I use?
Start with 10–20% if you work from home; commercial bakeries often need 25% or higher to cover rent and staff.
Should I charge extra for complex designs?
Yes. Add more hours for intricate work or increase your profit margin to reflect specialty skills.
How do I include delivery?
Add delivery time to your labor hours or treat it as a separate line item on the invoice.