What It Really Costs to Make a Wedding Cake Professionally
Understanding the True Cost of Your Bespoke Wedding Cake
Creating a bespoke, one-of-a-kind wedding cake is a deeply personal and intricate process. I’m Luisa, and in this post, I’ll take you behind the scenes of running a professional, fully insured wedding cake business, breaking down every aspect that goes into making your dream cake a reality — so you can understand what it really costs to make a wedding cake professionally.
Why Comparing Wedding Cakes Isn’t So Simple
It can be hard to truly grasp the cost of a bespoke wedding cake. Comparing a custom-made cake to something store-bought or a cake Auntie Sally made at last week’s bake sale doesn’t tell the full story. Every business has different overheads and expenses. Running a professional wedding cake business comes with costs and responsibilities that casual home bakers or mass-production bakeries don’t face.
The Biggest Factor in Wedding Cake Costing: Time
The number one driver of cost is time. From our first consultation to research, design, baking, decorating, and delivery — every step takes hours of dedicated work. This time reflects the skill, knowledge, and passion that go into crafting your unique cake.
Bespoke Cakes Tailored Just for You
Each wedding is a once-in-a-lifetime event, and your cake should reflect your personality and style. My bespoke cakes are created to your personal specifications, with every detail thoughtfully considered. This level of personalisation requires expertise and time, much like commissioning a custom piece of furniture or tailored clothing. As such, pricing reflects the craftsmanship involved.
The Consultation Process
After you fill out my enquiry form, I offer a free, no-obligation phone consultation (15-30 minutes) to understand what matters most to you in your wedding cake. Whether you have a clear vision or need guidance, this conversation helps me tailor the cake perfectly to your needs.
If we have enough information, I’ll follow up with a detailed summary and initial quote. From there, I may do further research to refine your cake design, sharing ideas and examples via email. While consultations and quotes are complimentary, they can take up to six hours total per cake, spanning from the initial call to cake design, research, email support, supplier orders, and vendor coordination.
The Hidden Costs of Running a Wedding Cake Business
Beyond baking, running a small professional business involves significant administrative work—20-40% of my time is spent on tasks like:
- Managing emails and consultations
- Ordering supplies
- Marketing and social media
- Networking with vendors and venues
- Staying compliant with food safety and allergen regulations
These tasks, while unseen by clients, are crucial and therefore add to the overall cost of each cake I make.
Ingredients and Materials: Only a small part of what it costs to make a wedding cake professionally
High-end wedding cakes require premium, sustainable ingredients. For example, a three-tier cake with 100 servings typically needs over £85 worth of quality ingredients, plus around £20 for high-quality custom packaging, boards and supports. Finishing touches like white chocolate ganache and fondant add another £45 or so.
Altogether, ingredients for a modest three-tier cake can exceed £150 when using the best quality ingredients and sustainably sourced packaging, but this is only one piece of the puzzle.
Labour and Time Investment
Making a three-tier wedding cake typically takes about four days of work, after the design, research and admin, including baking, decorating, and delivery. Each wedding cake that I make is a labour of love and I take care in each detail from baking each flavour to stacking each tier and adding each decorative element.
Hands-on time is roughly 15 hours for each wedding cake desing. I pay myself a fair wage of £18 per hour for my skilled hands-on cake design work, amounting to £270, plus about 40% additional time for admin and coordination, bringing labour costs to around £378. And this is not including delivery and set up, which is included in all wedding cake quotes.
Keep in mind, this doesn’t include taxes, National Insurance, pensions, or seasonal fluctuations in bookings. I break down these costs in more detail below:
Breaking Down the Costs
Indirect Business Expenses
Running a professional wedding cake business means covering many overheads, including:
| Category | Annual | Per Cake |
|---|---|---|
| Public liability & business insurance | £300 | £6 |
| Website hosting, design & maintenance | £300 | £6 |
| Accounting & bookkeeping software | £200 | £4 |
| Equipment depreciation & replacement | £500 | £10 |
| Subscriptions (e.g. Canva, SEO tools) | £240 | £5 |
| Food safety certification & training | £150 | £3 |
| Legal / compliance (licenses, allergen docs) | £250 | £5 |
| Branding, photography, design assets | £400 | £8 |
| Rent / studio space | £1,000 | £20 |
| Utilities (electricity, water, comms) | £600 | £12 |
Total Indirect Costs Per Cake: £79
Variable Running Costs – Per Cake
These fluctuate per order and are directly linked to producing each cake, depending on the complexity and materials involved. Hence why each cake is individually priced as per the design.
| Category | Typical Per Cake Cost |
|---|---|
| Ingredients (organic, high-quality) | £75–£150 |
| Decorative extras (sugar flowers, textures, colours, metallics, fondant, fresh florals) | £10–£75 |
| Packaging (boxes, boards, wrap) | £10–£15 |
| Delivery & transport (fuel, time, mileage, vehicle insurance) | £10–£50 |
| Admin & project management (emails, vendor coordination, quotes) | Time-based: factored in labour, or £30–£45 of time if separated |
Typical Variable Running Cost Range: £105–£335
A Realistic Example: Pricing a Three-Tier Cake for 100 Guests (low end based on a basic design):
- Ingredients & materials: £150 +
- Labour (baking & decorating): £270
- Design, research and admin: £108
- Indirect costs allocation – overheads: £79
- Variable running costs: £105
- Profit & tax: £75 (a small reinvestment into the business to ensure we survive year on year)
- Total cost to make: approx. £787
My 3-tier cakes, which serve 110 guests, start from £710 with a buttercream or ganache finish.
Design extras vary depending on what you’d love to include, and I’ll always provide a clear quote based on your final vision.
Why Underestimating Costs Hurts the Industry
Many wedding cake makers undervalue the time and skill involved, leading to burnout and business closures. Charging fairly for craftsmanship and running costs is essential for sustainability, not only financially, but creatively and emotionally.
Sustainability: Beyond Ingredients
Here, sustainability means running a viable business year after year—paying fair wages, covering costs, and continuing to create beautiful cakes without compromise. This also extends to environmental responsibility, like sourcing ingredients thoughtfully and offsetting carbon emissions.
Photo Credit: Stephanie and Nicole
Working Within Your Budget
No matter your wedding size or budget, I’m happy to discuss options. For smaller, intimate weddings, elegant yet cost-effective cakes are possible. For larger celebrations, keep in mind that bigger or more complex cakes require more time and materials.
Please note: I have a £500 minimum spend on wedding cakes on most peak Summer Saturdays.
My [Pricing Guide] and [Size & Serving Guide] offer practical advice on planning your cake and tailoring it to your budget.
Photo Credit: Sarah Martins Photography
Final Thoughts
Your wedding cake price reflects a careful balance of artistry, craftsmanship, time, materials, and running a professional business. Like any bespoke service, it requires expertise and dedication — and it’s worth investing in a cake that’s as memorable as your special day.
If you’d like to learn more about how I create wedding cakes or want help budgeting for yours, please get in touch. I’m here to guide you every step of the way.
Luisa Pringle
Passionate cake artist, committed to making your wedding cake dreams come true.