With the approach of the holidays, people begin to think about what is best served at the table. One of the most common and traditional attributes of a menu is a cake. Cooking it at home is not only exciting, but also beneficial in terms of our health. With a modest income, the question of how to calculate the cost of a homemade cake may become relevant.
Cakes are made by both large industrial enterprises and private confectioners. Private traders usually order desserts on the occasion of family or corporate celebrations: birthdays, anniversaries, holidays, important events in professional activities. Shop cakes are suitable for general holidays, such as New Year or March 8, as well as for ordinary tea parties in case of sufficient earnings and the absence of contraindications for health. The cost of dessert depends on various factors. This article answers the question of how to calculate the cost of the cake correctly.
Purchased and custom-made cakes
All cakes, as well as cakes, can be divided into store and home. We buy the first in the store, and the second we do on our own at home or order from professional confectioners. Standard purchased cakes often consist of cheap ingredients, including vegetable fats, margarine, egg powder, flavors, and colorings. Their main advantage is that all these ingredients are written on the packaging, and the price of desserts due to mass production and cheap ingredients may be lower. Another plus is the long shelf life, while at home dessert it is no more than three days.
Amateur cakes can also be made from cheap ingredients, but good professional confectioners prefer to use natural ones. Accordingly, the confectionery product of a private trader is more expensive. Taste is also higher. And there will be less harm to health from eating such a cake. The price may also be affected by the individuality of the design, especially if it is complex and intricate. Some of them resemble works of art.
The weight of a homemade cake is usually higher than that of a purchased one. This is due to its higher density. Therefore, custom-made cakes will cost more. But this is an average.
The costs of a private pastry chef for the production of cake
To answer the question of how to calculate the cost of a custom cake, you need to figure out which components this cost is made up of. The price of making an individual dessert is influenced by many different factors. In addition to the cost of the product’s ingredients themselves, the final cost will be affected by such items as utility costs, transportation costs, expenses associated with the wear of confectionery equipment, labor costs associated with the fact that the confectioner spends his time and energy, as well as does creative work, which, of course, costs more than the routine.
The cost of products for the manufacture of the product is (on average) about 60% of the cost of the cake. Moreover, if only high-quality ingredients are taken, now it will be a very substantial amount. After all, we all know that natural products are now expensive, and in recent years they have become the most expensive ones. So, the above figure may be outdated.
Additional expenses
Utility costs associated with the fact that the manufacturing process of confectionery products is quite energy-intensive. Cakes require a lot of space in the refrigerator, where they should stand, and a lot of gas or electricity is also consumed when baking and making components. The kitchen should have good lighting. Various mixers also consume energy. All this increases the cost of the final product.
Shipping costs add about 10% to the cost of the product. The confectioner must buy the necessary products, and often deliver the cake itself to the buyer. Also, expenses may include courses and advertising fees.
Stages of making a cake
Making cake to order requires a lot of time and effort. In addition, the confectioner must earn something on this. The associated increase in price will be from 50 to 100%. The figure depends on the type of cake and the specific confectioner. Sometimes it happens that they work at a loss. Most often, this happens with beginners and those who do not pay due fees to price calculations.
Making a good cake consists of the following main steps:
- Shopping for products.
- Making biscuits.
- Impregnation preparation.
- Collecting the cake and keeping it in the refrigerator.
- Making a cream designed to give the product a beautiful and mouth-watering look.
- Cooking a holistic cake and keeping it in the refrigerator.
- Cooking decoration elements.
All of this can take 2-3 days or more. If the cake is simple, without creative decor, then its production will require 8-10 hours of time. Of course, this is also a lot.
Cake Cost Components
Directly, the price of a product consists of three main components:
- The cost of the filling.
- The cost of coating the cake.
- The cost of decorative elements that are created exclusively for this cake.
There are also so-called Naked Cakes, where the coating is not used. The cost of the filling is determined by its weight and the products from which it was made. In different cakes, the filling is different, as is the coating. As a coating, cream, chocolate velor, sugar paste, caramel and others can be used.
Decorative elements, most often, also consist of edible mass. It can be chocolate, caramel, sugar substance, cookies, etc. As a decoration, natural components can also be used: berries, strawberries, pieces of fruit. The cost of decor depends on the products from which it is made, and the artistic level of the composition.
Cake price calculation
In order to find out the price of the cake, you must first decide what weight is needed. If up to 15 people participate in the feast, 2-3 kg may be enough. It is usually assumed that per serving takes 100-150 grams of confectionery. Large cakes can be tiered. If the weight of the product is 4–5 kilograms, then it should consist of two tiers, with 6–8 kg - of three, with 8–10 kg - of four. This will save space on the table.
Covering the cake with mastic costs from 1000 rubles, design and alignment with cream - from 500 rubles, decoration with butter cream - from 600 rubles, making figures - from 300 apiece, flowers - from 250 rubles. a piece.
The cost of the bulk of the cake is from 900 rubles, for 1 kg from "Napoleon" to 1600 rubles. for 1 kg at the Pavlova cake. "Yogurt" will cost 1000 rubles. per 1 kg, "Bird's milk" - 1200 rubles. for 1 kg. and so on.
