🎂 Behind the Price Tag: What Goes Into Pricing Your Bespoke Cake?

Understanding the Value Behind Custom-Made Cakes

If you’ve ever wondered why bespoke cakes cost what they do, you are not alone. One of the most common questions I receive is:

“How much is a custom cake?”

It’s a fair question—and one that deserves a thoughtful answer.

As someone who has spent over a decade baking and decorating cakes for birthdays, weddings, baby showers, corporate events, and more, I can assure you: bespoke cakes are so much more than flour, sugar, and icing. Each one is a handcrafted labour of love that reflects your story, theme, and celebration.

So, here’s what goes into creating and pricing your bespoke cake:

1. 🎨 Design & Personalisation

Every bespoke cake begins with you—your vision, your theme, and your celebration.

From minimalist buttercream cakes to sculpted novelty creations or tiered wedding centrepieces, each cake is designed from scratch.

This involves:

• A consultation or exchange to understand your needs

• Sketching and mood boards (especially for themed or detailed designs)

• Personalised toppers, messages, and colour palettes

This creative time is part of the service you’re investing in—you are not just buying cake, you are commissioning a personalised design.

2. 🧈 Premium Ingredients

At LolasBakes, we don't compromise on quality.

Our cakes are baked to order using:

• Free-range eggs

• Real butter

• Madagascan vanilla

• Belgian Chocolate

• Fresh fruit conserves and fillings

This ensures your cake not only looks stunning but also tastes rich, fresh, and indulgent. Using quality ingredients impacts both the flavour and structural integrity of a custom cake.

3. 📏 Size, Servings & Structure

Cakes are priced partly based on how many people you need to serve and how the cake needs to be constructed.

For example:

• A 6" cake may serve 10– 16

• A two-tier cake may serve 40–60

• Larger, taller or carved cake may require extra layers, supports, or boards

The size, height, shape, and complexity of the cake all influence the final quote. Bigger cakes mean more ingredients, more time, and more technical skill to safely build and decorate.

4. ⏱ Decorating Time & Artistic Skill

This is where the real magic happens—and where most people are surprised!

Even a simple single-tier cake can take 4–6 hours, while more elaborate designs can take 15–20+ hours from start to finish.

Tasks include:

• Baking, cooling, and layering

• Crumb-coating or ganaching for a smooth finish

• Applying fondant or buttercream

• Sculpting, modelling, painting, or hand-piping

• Making sugar flowers or themed decorations

• Drying time between stages for stability

With 12+ years of experience, I bring professional polish and artistic flair to each cake—skills developed through years of training and practice.

5. 💼 Business Costs & Packaging

Behind the scenes, there are also operating costs to ensure every order runs smoothly and professionally.

These include:

• Cake boards, boxes, ribbons, and display supports

• Packaging and transport materials

• Insurance, licenses, and kitchen compliance

• Time spent on admin, consultations, design changes

• Delivery and setup (especially for weddings and events)

These factors are built into your cake quote—not marked up—but designed to keep our service safe, smooth, and stress-free for you.

🎉 In Summary - pricing your bespoke cake

Ordering a bespoke cake is about more than dessert—you’re commissioning edible art.

Each quote reflects:

• The design you envision

• The number of servings you need

• The complexity of your chosen style

• The time, materials, and care required to bring it all together

We aim to offer fair, transparent pricing that reflects the passion, quality, and creativity we put into every single cake. (See base pricing on our website).

So next time you ask, “How much is a custom cake?”—you’ll know you’re not just paying for cake, but for a carefully crafted centrepiece made just for your special moment.

📞 Need a Quote?

Feel free to get in touch with your ideas, theme, and preferred date. I would love to help bring your cake vision to life.

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Marbled cake with hand made fondant flowers.