As you all know I make cupcakes every Tuesday for "wing night" at my house. If you didn't know before, you know now! Well, every Wednesday my mom takes some of the leftover cupcakes to work with her. Last week one of her co-workers asked if he could order some cupcakes from me. I wish I could've been there to answer him: "HOLY HECK! Of course you can!!" My mom had to say, "Sure but you know you'll have to pay for them." To which he happily agreed. (I have a feeling my punctuation is somewhat mangled.) Anyway, I made them today and sent them to work with my mom.
That's 12 Frangelico chocolate cupcakes with Nutella SMBC (Swiss meringue buttercream, but it's a pain to type out. And trust me, I will be typing it frequently here!) & 12 vanilla cupcakes with vanilla SMBC and sprinkles. I love a man who orders cupcakes and specifically requests sprinkles!
This brings me to a question. How much would you expect to pay for this box of cupcakes? I want to hear your feedback, and then I'll post how much I charged and see if I'm over or under-priced.
UPDATE: I got $1 per cupcake, which comes to $24 for the whole box. My price is on the low end of everyone's feeback. I even had some wishful thinkers saying I should've gotten $50+!! Wow I wish you people lived in my neighborhood! :) I'll probably divide my cupcakes into regulars and fancies. I'll charge $1 per cupcake for regular (simple) flavors. And $1.25 or $1.50 for cupcakes with more expensive ingredients (the Frang/Nutella cupcakes for example).
I want to say THANKS SOOO MUCH to all of you for your comments and support. 34 comments??? 125 subscribers??? 273 votes on the poll??? 100,000+ page views??? You guys rock. I'm so grateful for every person who stumbles across this blog. Thanks! Thanks! And thanks some more!! :) :)
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38 comments:
I have been wondering how much to charge for cupcakes too!
Have you ever seen the website for Once Upon A Cupcake? (http://onceuponacupcake.blogspot.com/)
I LOVE her cupcakes, She lives in So Cal and she charges $2 a cupcake ($24 a dozen) for basic (even though her basic cupcakes are in no way "basic")
I don't think I could get away with charging that much.. For the simple frosting and sprinkles you did..I would say at probably $1 - $1.50 a cupcake. But at the same time, you had a pretty unique flavor.. So .. geez.. I don't know..
That sure didn't help you much.. did it?????????? :)
I'd go with the $2 per cupcake, but I think it should be higher/lower depending on how involved and/or expensive the ingredients are.
I'd say $25.
I would go 25-30. But then, what do I know haha...
Hmmm I never thought about that before.
I would say depending on the uniqueness of the cupcake (specialty flavors, more expensive than normal ingredients etc ...)two dozen could be anywhere from $35-$50.
Then again I live in NYC where some places think it's ok to charge $4 for a single cupcake so I may be overshooting a bit haha.
I'd say at least $1 a cup, and maybe 1.50 for the ones with Frangelico and Nutella!
i dont really know about the pricing, i would personally think that $2 each is reasonable. anyway, i really just wanted to say congratulations! :)
I live in Seattle - there are various cupcake shops here (www.cupcakeroyale.com and Trophy Cupcakes are my faves), and they charge between $2-3 a cupcake. They also make mini ones which go for $1-1.50 each.
I think $2 is entirely reasonable.
I just paid $3 for a cupcake from Whole Foods, and I had great expectations...but they all fizzled. :( Dry and tasteless!!!
I've baked christmas cookies for the past five years and have thought alot about this. With baking you cannot account for your time involved with it because it will drive you crazy thinking in those terms. The first year I calculated it out to the fact that I made 5 cents for every hour of baking I did. Another thing that I take into consideration is the fact that while I am an experienced baker I am not a professional baker, nor have I had any kind of education in that field. So when people come to me to get their christmas cookies they are more or less looking for a deal. A better way to put this is, the most they can get for their money. With all that said I would expect around $20 - $30 for that tray of cupcakes, they look yummy.
congrats! When I was starting out of my kitchen it was always $1 per cupcake, no matter what...it let me practice and everyone was happy...UNTIL you got to packaging. If you upgrade your packaging (adding inserts or getting window boxes or WHATEVER), you may need to adjust. It starts getting SO SPENDY SO QUICKLY! good luck, and Vegas is rootin' for ya!
I'd say 25$. A lot of places charge that much for a dozen, but since this is your first customer, cut him a break. :)
There's a new cupcake shop in Montreal that publishes its menu and prices
http://www.clevercupcakes.com/index.html
I think it's 24$ for a dozen of regular cupcakes, and 36$ for a dozen of the fancy ones as well as the healthy ones.
Oh man, I hear ya! When I first started charging, I had no idea! Even with research it's hard to gauge especially if you are not professional.
I know for a fact I under sell myself for that very reason. But the important thing to remember is that you should think about charging for yout ime and not just your product and time is worth a lot (on top of the gems you bake).
That said, for 2 dozen I'd charge $30 (that's a buck and a quarter per cuppie). The more confidence and clients I get, I may upgrade :)
CONGRATS on your first order! It's a great feeling!
WOW!!! those cupcakes look wonderful....and congrats on your first paid order...I am sure it will be the first of many...
I think you should have received a minimum of 45.00 dollars for the great box of treats....
CHeers,
Diana
My thought was around $35.
I totally agree with snowpea! Just to let ya know I made my scratch cupcakes today. Cream Brulee/Brown Sugar SMBC frosting. So good. I do have a question. Don't you find box cake cheaper and eaiser?
$25 sounds good... as much as cupcakes are fun to make and give out... you never get the "real" amount of money from people that they are worth...
like unless you buy wholesale ingredients and are making mass amounts then the costs doesnt seem worth it...
it costs me a fortune just to make a batch for a birthday... cupcake cases, decorations, ingredients, and they definatly add up to more than $2 a cupcake...
then packaging! argh
Dayum. You are a serious cupcaker!
Okay, your price dilemma is affected by the fact that you rare starting to charge, so should probably keep it a little low, and you don't have the overhead of a storefront... yet. For 2 dozen there needs to be a price break. I certainly would pay more for anything brown than white cupcakes. Like Dani said, you could charge different prices, especially if there is much difference in the effort. The description would suggest there is. So... I'm thinking $18-$20 for a dozen vanillas and $28-$30 for those delicious Frangelicos. I want one of the Fras right now! If you charged less, that's fine as a means of drawing in your future clientelle. Once it starts, everyone will want a cupcake party. I would also say you could increase prices quickly once word gets out of the deliciousness.
Still, Creme Brulee takes the cupcake for me, so far. Have you got mail order to northern California yet?
Boo; I say you charged him 15 dollars for the whole box.
Id say for your handy work and good tasteyness [not that thats a word] you should charge like 40 bucks for 24 cupcakes. because you are amazing.
annnnnnd thats why your my wifeeee.
I think you should compare it to a cake that would sell in a bakery... However many cupcakes would feed how many people? Just like what size cake is what price and approximately how many people it feeds... I also agree with everyone on which ingredients you have to use!That is so exciting though so congrats!!
I'd have to say for the vanilla ones $2 per cupcake, so $24 in total. For the Frangelico & Nutella (fancy ones) $2.50 per cupcake, so $30 in total. Grand total $54.00 - You've got to take into account: raw materials (butter, sugar, etc.), time, skill and labor. Good going on your first sale they look fantastic!
$2 per cupcake is totally reasonable, especially when you consider labour, flavourings, decorations, etc.
If people wanted cheap cupcakes, they'd bake them using a cupcake mix! ;)
For a first-time sale, I would bring it down to an even $40 for the two dozen.
They look great, by the way!
I was also wondering how much you chanrged them for.
I have no idea about cupcake prices.
It would depend on the going rate in the area. I'd charge slightly less than the average for your location. Since you aren't a retail market that has to consider the cost of employees and everything else that goes with that, they are paying for your time and supplies. So knowing how much it cost you to make the cupcakes would be a good start (and don't forget to toss in a few bucks for things like the electricity and gas that were used)
If they cost a dollar each to make, charge 1.50 or so
$2.50 for individual cupcakes is definitely reasonable and the going rate here in WA state. But, for a dozen or two dozen there should be a substantial break.
I vote for $1.75-$2 per cupcake for the two dozen.
Great news! You're on your way!
As to price I think $2 a cupcake made from scratch is a fair price. But since you're starting out you might want to lower it a bit in order to establish a customer base. Your time, the cost of the ingredients, etc. are all factors.
The pix of the cupcakes showed them to be as fancy and beautifully done as any fine bakery would turn out.
Have you seen www.allthingscupcake.com ? I think you'd be a shoo in for cupcake of the week!
ps. I was in Target the other day and they were selling cupcake size bakery boxes. So cute and exactly the right size for orders of cupcakes!
wow...you make sure you tell your first customer that he got a HUGE BARGAIN!!!
So you undersold. Good way to start If he buys again, inform him that he's the only customer you'll keeep at that price. If he's a decent guy he'll ask for your real price. IF not, he'll still be a lotal customer!May I ask how long you've been at your blog and how you managed so many readers? It looks great, and is a treat to read. We're just starting on this blogventure thing. S
for all the wonderful cupcake (and other delicious food) recipes that you've worked on and posted on here, you deserve all of your readership! and congrats on your first paid order! I would have said about $30-$40 for the box, esp. since it included the frangelicos. around here (seattle), the cheapest bakery cupcakes you can find come at $2 a pop
hi......I really love your blog and all the cupcakes....looks so yummmyyyy and tempting.....oyah i am new in blogging if you like please visit my blog at http://littlechefpatisserie.blogspot.com if i may know.....how you put your logo ontop your blog?? did you design them your self?? i want to put my own design and put it as my blog tempalte but i dunno how...please help....thank you so much....GBU
Wow, your cupcakes look so great! I was just wondering if you could ever make a youtube video on decorating your cupcakes. I am never ever able to get such perfect swirls. It would be much appreciated and congrats!
CONGRATULATIONS! Lovely job! But I concur, you need to raise your prices, lady! $2 per would not be too steep. I mean come on, I see them at $2.75 each at cupcakeries (like Mel said before me!), so figuring in a volume discount $2 seems more than fair. But then again I live in Seattle so I guess it depends on the going rates in your area.
Just found your blog and it's my dream come true!! I am more than obsessed with cupcakes and I cannot wait to try out some of yours!!
Congrats on selling your cupcakes :)
Sues
www.wearenotmartha.com
also @ www.betterthancupcakes.tumblr.com
Great job on your first order. I'd say 1.50-2.00 is reasonable!
actually my mom takes left over cupcakes to her work too. but i just make mine because i want to, no special reason. ive gotten a lot better with how i decorate them too.
and just yesterday someone finally said theyd like to buy cupcakes from me.
i was more than overjoyed.
i had no idea what to charge either.
im started off at 1.25 each.
mine arent really that special, ingredient wise.
just start low and work it up.
youll learn what people are willing to pay and if they think its worth it
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