As the holidays approach, people begin to think about what is best served at the table. One of the most frequent and traditional attributes of the menu is the cake. Cooking it at home is not only exciting, but also beneficial in terms of our he alth. With modest incomes, 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. Desserts are usually ordered from private traders 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 no he alth contraindications. The cost of dessert depends on various factors. This article answers the question of how to calculate the cost of a cake correctly.
Purchased andcustom cakes
All cakes, like cakes, can be divided into store-bought and homemade. We buy the first ones in the store, and the second ones we make ourselves at home or order from professional confectioners. Standard store-bought cakes are often made up of cheap ingredients, including vegetable fats, margarine, egg powder, flavorings, 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 components can be lower. Another plus is a long shelf life, while homemade dessert has no more than three days.
Amateur cakes can also be made from cheap ingredients, but good professional confectioners prefer to use natural ones. Accordingly, a confectionery product from a private trader is more expensive. Taste is also higher. And there will be less harm to he alth from eating such a cake. Also, the individuality of the design can affect the price, especially if it is complex and intricate. Some of them look like 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, cakes made to order will cost more. But this is an average.
Expenses of a private confectioner for the production of a cake
To answer the question of how to calculate the cost of a custom-made cake, you need to figure out what components this cost consists of. At the price of manufacturing an individualDessert is affected by many different factors. In addition to the cost of the ingredients of the product themselves, the final cost will also be affected by such items as utility costs, transportation costs, costs associated with the wear and tear of confectionery equipment, labor costs associated with the fact that the confectioner spends his time and energy, as well as doing creative work, which, of course, costs more than routine.
Product costs for making the product are (on average) about 60% of the cost of the cake. Moreover, if only high-quality ingredients are taken, then 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 risen in price the most. This means that the above figure may be outdated.
Additional costs
Utility costs are due to the fact that the process of making confectionery products is quite energy intensive. Cakes require a lot of space in the refrigerator to rest and also use a lot of gas or electricity to bake them and make the ingredients. 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. It may also include courses and advertising fees.
Steps of making a cake
Making a custom cake takes a lot of time and effort. In addition, the confectioner must earn something on this. The associated price increase will be between 50% and 100%. The figure depends on the type of cake and the specific pastry chef. Sometimes it happens that they work at a loss. Most often, this happens to beginners and those who do not pay enough price calculations.
Making a good cake consists of the following basic steps:
- Grocery shopping.
- Making biscuits.
- Preparation of impregnation.
- Collecting the cake and keeping it in the refrigerator.
- Production of a cream designed to give the product a beautiful and appetizing look.
- Preparing a whole cake and keeping it in the refrigerator.
- Cooking decor elements.
This can take 2-3 days or more. If the cake is simple, without creative decor, then its manufacture will require 8-10 hours of time. Of course, this is also a lot.
Cake Cost Components
Directly, the price of the product consists of three main components:
- Cost of toppings.
- Cost of covering the cake.
- The cost of decorative elements that are created exclusively for this cake.
There are also so-called Naked Cakes where no coating is used. The cost of the filling is determined by its weight and the products from which it was made. Filling in different cakesdifferent, as well as coverage. Cream, chocolate velor, sugar paste, caramel and others can be used as a coating.
Decorative elements, most often, also consist of an edible mass. It can be chocolate, caramel, sugar substance, cookies, etc. Natural ingredients can also be used as decoration: berries, strawberries, pieces of fruit. The cost of decor depends both on the products from which it is made, and the artistic level of the composition.
Calculate the price of a cake
In order to find out the price of the cake, you must first determine what weight is needed. If up to 15 people participate in the feast, then 2-3 kg may be enough. It is usually assumed that 100–150 grams of a confectionery product is consumed per serving. Large cakes can be multi-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 a cake with mastic costs from 1000 rubles, decorating and leveling with cream - from 500 rubles, decorating with butter cream - from 600 rubles, making figurines - from 300 apiece, flowers - from 250 rubles. per piece.
The cost of the main mass of the cake is from 900 rubles, for 1 kg at "Napoleon" up to 1600 rubles. for 1 kg at the Pavlova cake. "Yoghurt" will cost 1000 rubles. for 1 kg, "Bird's milk" - 1200 rubles. for 1 kg. and so on.
Conclusion
Thus, we answered the question: how to calculate the cost of a cake for a home pastry chef. Concerningreference data, since prices change all the time, it makes no sense to list them in this article. But the above will help to calculate both the cost of a cake for sale, and answer the question of whether it is worth doing at all.
