how much should cake cost?

The more relevant question is "What are you willing to pay?". Cakes come in a wide range of prices, from about $1 per slice, to $10 per slice or more, depending on ingredients, location, decoration, etc! Cupcakes are the same idea. You should set a limit that you don't want to exceed and go from there.

In my area, the cakes are around $2-$3 per slice depending on whether you choose fondant or butter cream/other icings. I would suggest getting prices from a couple of vendors that are near your reception location. They sometimes charge extra to deliver the cake over a distance. It also helps to ask friends or relatives for referrals.

I had a 3 tier cake for 75 people. It had buttercream frosting. Including delivery and set up it was around $200. I don't know if cupcakes would make the price go up or down. I'd check a few different bakeries near you and just see how much they charge.

In my area, cupcakes average $3-4 each. Of course it also depends on the flavors, packaging and decoration. An individidually boxed cupcake will cost more than those boxed together.

Analy is right, it all depends on your ingredients, amount of decoration, etc.

I also think you really need to decide how important your cake is to you and what design and flavor you have in mind, do a tasting and match that to your budget.

Our cake is essential to our theme. For a Vermont wedding, we were told to expect to pay between $3.00 and $10.00 per slice depending on flavor, decorations, etc. $3.00 a slice was the yucky pound cake. We are paying $5.00 a slice for 60 guests for a carrott cake, with nuts and raisins, with whipped cream cheese frosting. The total is $300 $15 in delivery.It is four layers, with the bottom being 12"(to acoomodate my topper) and the top layer being more like an oversized cupcake. I am decorating the cake with fall leaves, acorns etc. I hate fondant. They are merely doing the dots. I am saving about $100 for the decor of the cake. I also bought my own cake stand...8" high and a 14" wide cake area. I am painting the stand gold.

I priced a few different bakeries in my area and found nothing to feed my 160 people for less than $600...and that was totally plain. With 75 though it should be cheaper but the bakers I priced charged more per person if the cake was smaller...Depends on your area, good luck!

Well the bakery that I'm getting my cake from ranges from 4-7 dollars per slice and can go up to about $12/slice, depending on the cake design and flower work.

If it makes you feel better, I'm spending $450 for a 3 real tier, one fake tier cake that is really only intended to feed 60 people with minimal decoration...

That does make me feel better, thanks Meghan!

My sister owns a cake business and she charges $1.00/person for cupcakes and about $1.25/person for cake. We're doing cupcakes and a small 2-tiered cake for us to cut. If she was going to charge us it would probably be about $200 - $250 for 150 people.

Our cake for 100 people is two tiered (plus a seperate undecorated kitchen or "sheet" cake) with sugar flowers on it will cost us $423. I think considering the baker does everything organic/local all that good stuff and the sugar flowers are amazingly beautiful and realistic it is a good price.

We are having a 4 tiered cake to serve approximately 250 people. The price we are paying is $561.

We chose a local bakery whose cupcakes are really good. She charged $2.50 each and a 2 tier round cake(6 and 8inch) on top. with delivery/set up...total was $622 . we are serving 200 cupcakes and they are huge! 1 per person really will be enough. We can use our monogram design at no addtl cost and are able to chose as many flavors as we want.