Many home bakers undercharge by forgetting their time, gas or electricity and the wear on equipment. Pricing per serving makes it easy to compare with bakeries in your area – custom celebration cakes often sell for $4–$12 a serving.
How to use the Cake Pricing Calculator
- Flour
- Sugar
- Butter
- Eggs
- Milk, cream and cheese
- Chocolate, fruit, flavourings and decorations
- Boxes and boards
- Price per box / board
- Oven electricity used
- Electricity price per kWh
- Equipment wear and other supplies
- Hours spent (planning, baking, decorating, cleaning)
- Your hourly rate
- Delivery distance (round trip)
- Delivery cost per mile / km
- Servings
- Profit margin
Results update as you type, and every field accepts the units shown in its menu.
How it works
Enter the cost of the ingredients, packaging, electricity and equipment, the hours you spend and your hourly rate, delivery, servings and the profit margin.
Inputs explained
| Field | What to enter |
|---|---|
| Flour | Amount in your currency |
| Sugar | Amount in your currency |
| Butter | Amount in your currency |
| Eggs | Amount in your currency |
| Milk, cream and cheese | Amount in your currency |
| Chocolate, fruit, flavourings and decorations | Amount in your currency |
| Boxes and boards | A number |
| Price per box / board | Amount in your currency |
| Oven electricity used | In kWh |
| Electricity price per kWh | Amount in your currency |
| Equipment wear and other supplies | Amount in your currency |
| Hours spent (planning, baking, decorating, cleaning) | A number |
| Your hourly rate | Amount in your currency |
| Delivery distance (round trip) | A number |
| Delivery cost per mile / km | Amount in your currency |
| Servings | A number |
| Profit margin | In % |
What each result means
- Ingredients = [Flour] + [Sugar] + [Butter] + [Eggs] + [Milk, cream and cheese] + [Chocolate, fruit, flavourings and decorations]
- Packaging, electricity and equipment = [Boxes and boards]×[Price per box ÷ board] + [Oven electricity used]×[Electricity price per kWh] + [Equipment wear and other supplies]
- Labour = [Hours spent (planning, baking, decorating, cleaning)]×[Your hourly rate]
- Delivery = [Delivery distance (round trip)]×[Delivery cost per mile ÷ km]
- Total cost = [Ingredients] + [Packaging, electricity and equipment] + [Labour] + [Delivery]
- Price to charge = [Total cost]×(1 + [Profit margin]÷100)
- Price per serving = [Price to charge]÷[Servings]
- Profit = [Price to charge] – [Total cost]
Example values
How the main result changes when Flour changes and everything else stays at the example values above:
| Flour | Price to charge |
|---|---|
| 1 | 152.89 |
| 1.5 | 153.49 |
| 2 | 154.09 |
| 2.5 | 154.69 |
| 3 | 155.29 |
| 4 | 156.49 |
Formula
Total cost = ingredients + packaging + electricity + equipment and supplies + hours × hourly rate + delivery distance × rate
Price = total cost × (1 + profit margin)
Price per serving = price ÷ servings
Worked example
Inputs — Flour: $2; Sugar: $2.5; Butter: $6; Eggs: $3; Milk, cream and cheese: $4; Chocolate, fruit, flavourings and decorations: $8; Boxes and boards: 1; Price per box / board: $4; Oven electricity used: 3 kWh; Electricity price per kWh: $0.17; Equipment wear and other supplies: $5; Hours spent (planning, baking, decorating, cleaning): 4; Your hourly rate: $20; Delivery distance (round trip): 20; Delivery cost per mile / km: $0.67; Servings: 24; Profit margin: 20 %.
Results — Ingredients = $25.50; Packaging, electricity and equipment = $9.51; Labour = $80.00; Delivery = $13.40; Total cost = $128.41; Price to charge = $154.09; Price per serving = $6.42; Profit = $25.68.
Frequently asked questions
How do I price a cake?
Add up ingredients, overheads, your time and delivery, then add a profit margin.
How much should I charge per hour?
At least your local living wage; experienced decorators charge $20–$50 an hour.
What is a typical price per serving?
Around $3–$6 for simple cakes and $6–$12+ for custom decorated cakes in the U.S.