Fair price for a children's birthday cake!

Hi, I would appreciate your input on this question (and thanks in advance):

I have a very kind and talented cake-making friend, who is willing to make a cake for my son's birthday, for $50. That was quite a bit more than I was wanting to pay, but I'm not sure what a starting price for a cake would be anyway. Should I be shopping around - am I going to get a better deal from a professional shop or is this about what I'd pay regardless (or indeed, a lot cheaper than the going rate)!

We were after a cake that will feed about 10 kids, basic choccy cake, with a simple theme (like a picture) but nothing major or fancy (no figurines or whatever).

I don't know if that's enough to go by to answer my question, but I appreciate your input anyway. Thanks!

Buy one from the supermarket, the kids will love it. My 7 yrs old grand daughter wanted a bought cake this year, lol, So we took her to choose, pink or blue was the choice. She went on about that cake for days. Yet her mother had always made her really nice cakes. kids for you. I do think the fact she had been told days earlier when she was going to go shopping, made it even better.

Good grief - I don't know.It sounds a lot to me.My hubby splashed out and bought a cake for my 60th (mind you that was 3 years ago) It was quite large, absolutely yummy carrot cake, with lashings of rich icing and the sides smothered in almond slithers, and then a very large layer of thin white chocolate spread across the top with some lettering on it.It was $30.He got it from one of the local bakeries.

If you take into account the actual time spent baking and decorating, and using quality ingredients, it's probably fair.But depending on the age of the children, will they really care whether or not it's a top-of-the-range cake!

I'd go with a supermarket one, under $20.00.

I'm guessing that this cake may be fancier than you are expecting.Clarify what you want with her and get her to requote.For a decorated cake, made by someone who is very talented (and therefore does a very good job), I think $50 is OK.

Have a basic figure out as to the price of ingerients, time for baking, cleaning up etc. Icing ingrediens, skill, special tools, cake board, years of learning her skills,possible delivery etc, etc. The icing alone could take between 1-2 hrs. Somehow it almost works out that you pay them $5.00 an hour, or less.
Supermarket one will be fine as most kids at partys dont mind ready bakig mix flavours etc, for them its about how it looks.

Awesome advice, thanks everyone. I think I'll go for a store-bought one (supermarket or local bakery) and maybe add some fancy touches myself :)

candles, don't forget the candles.

And, of course, the candles! 6 of them to be precise :)

And remember the matches or lighter! I went to a 21st recently and no-one being a smoker, the candles remained unlit.

lol , yes, smokers are few and far apart these days.

Hi, I would appreciate your input on this question (and thanks in advance):

I have a very kind and talented cake-making friend, who is willing to make a cake for my son's birthday, for $50. That was quite a bit more than I was wanting to pay, but I'm not sure what a starting price for a cake would be anyway. Should I be shopping around - am I going to get a better deal from a professional shop or is this about what I'd pay regardless (or indeed, a lot cheaper than the going rate)!

We were after a cake that will feed about 10 kids, basic choccy cake, with a simple theme (like a picture) but nothing major or fancy (no figurines or whatever).

I don't know if that's enough to go by to answer my question, but I appreciate your input anyway. Thanks!

Good grief - I don't know.It sounds a lot to me.My hubby splashed out and bought a cake for my 60th (mind you that was 3 years ago) It was quite large, absolutely yummy carrot cake, with lashings of rich icing and the sides smothered in almond slithers, and then a very large layer of thin white chocolate spread across the top with some lettering on it.It was $30.He got it from one of the local bakeries.

If you take into account the actual time spent baking and decorating, and using quality ingredients, it's probably fair.But depending on the age of the children, will they really care whether or not it's a top-of-the-range cake!

I'd go with a supermarket one, under $20.00.

I'm guessing that this cake may be fancier than you are expecting.Clarify what you want with her and get her to requote.For a decorated cake, made by someone who is very talented (and therefore does a very good job), I think $50 is OK.

Awesome advice, thanks everyone. I think I'll go for a store-bought one (supermarket or local bakery) and maybe add some fancy touches myself :)

candles, don't forget the candles.

marksean, the price is irrelevant really if your friend will do exactly as you require to procision then price is not an option, if you want a budget run of the mill non tasting cake and you are not to fussy about what goes on the top grab a supermarket one there is nothing at all wrong with those.But maybe, just maybe your friend was not ripping you off they were just charging for what they thought you wanted, which was there time to design you the perfect cake, sometimes money can not gauge everything lol. Sometimes when we ask our friends to do things we expect them to want to do it for NTN and for skills that take time, it costs money, this is not a criticism but a true friend statement

The basic iced birthday cakes in the Weddingcakeshop ( locally)start at $75 dollars. so $50 dollars is a good price

Used to decorate kids cakes and $50 isn't out of the way for a nicely decorated cake,sometimes they can take hours to do depending on what the customer wants. Go for other options as all above have suggested if you don't want to spend that much, whatever you choose i'm sure it will be loved.

I'd go to greater expense (and quality) for an adult, but just picture for a moment the typical children's party.squished cake, half-eaten cake, cake on the floor, regurgitated cake.

Almost forgot.cake being fed to the dog ;)

I am a qualified chef and childrens cooking tutor and yes that sounds ok for a decent cake . ingredients are fairly expensive , power and if they use quality cocoa then $50 not too bad.
I make a batch of chocolate cup cakes for a little under $4 but thats using inferior ingredients .
$50 sounds extreme but i think if a talented cake maker then you will get nice suprise. where do you live !

Depends on the labour involved. Granddie went to a party recently where there was a "wiggles big red car cake". The hostess confessed it had cost $110! It was the size of a small block cake rectangle,like you see packaged in the supermarkets. (tasted like it too, dry as dust, was supposed to be strawberry!) had marzipan captain feathersword inside, guess the labour to make that was what put the cost up! God if my old hands only worked, got the knowledge, just not the hands. The pak'n'save or New World cakes are awesome tastewise, have seen some lovely creations around.

All I can say is if some folk can afford to spend $110 on a kids birthday cake, they must be on good incomes - I wonder if the kids appreciated it.

I was thinking the same , in todays age where most eople struggle to keep head above water , $50 on a kids cake is even a lot!
I know a good dense cake worth every cent , BUT hey people . your kids honestly DO NOT CARE.
Parties have become a competition there days and take it from me as ive run a childrens entertainment company for 16 years.
what has happened to good old fashiond fun! Now it is about the parents and their wine and out doing each other etc.
As for cakein all honesty , pop some cream between sponge and chuck some icing on and sprinkles and let the child help decorate

Fair price for a children's birthday cake!

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