Sorry, 33% profit margin. I get them backwards when I’m thinking to quickly. I always work with profit margin, but rarely say it out loud. $10 in profit is 33% of the sale (or, alternatively, restaurants will often go by ‘food cost’ which, in this case, is 66%). Either way, it’s the standard grocery percentage.
Ok. I am going to need you to go back there in the next day or so and take a picture for us.
No, my estimate was a little big now that I looked at a tape measure. I’m going to reissue my estimate as 15" wide by 12".
Single layer slab sheet cake with no filling, chocolate frosting and red goop. I’m 100% certain one could make the same cake for under $5. For Kripes sake, the twin layer birthday cakes with roses and plastic cars on them were only $17! WTF?
How sure are you it wasn’t a gluten free cake? (Or dairy free or some other special cake.)
It does seem odd that the single layer would be more expensive than a double layer; that’s unusual.
If it wasn’t a higher quality cake, it’s entirely possibly it was just a mistake. Either the $17 cake should have been $30 or the $30 cake should have been $17 (or rather $9.99 instead of $29.99)…or the $17 cake was on sale because it was about to go past it’s shelf life.
They are $14.99 at my local supermarket.
Yeah, that I don’t understand. I double checked today at my local Jewel, and the cheapest 1/2 sheet (12"x18") was $32, and 1/4 sheet (9"x12") was $22. That’s with no writing or personalization or anything on it. (ETA: And about 2" thick.)
ETA2: The birthday cakes (I believe about 9" diameter, around 4" high) were in the $17 range.
Actually, sorry, I think it’s actually an 8" round cake.
Profit is a holy word.
Gosh-durnit, folks, would y’all look at this? These here are some real live English people who actually like to eat fruitcake!
Good gravy, I’m glad I went to Mariano’s for my wedding cake. By which I mean my two off the rack pretty cakes with no preorder or indication that they were for a wedding in any way whatsoever, that I stacked on top of each other when I got them to the wedding site.
Total cost: $29. One 10 inch round double layer ($19) and one 6 inch round double layer ($10).
And Mariano’s cakes taste so much better than Jewel’s. 
I don’t really like cake, but after reading this thread I want a slice of slightly stale yellow cake with chocolate frosting, and a cup of coffee.
A half sheet. That will feed about 30 people. It’s a pretty big cake. Price is about right.
Were these twin layer cakes 8" round cakes? Those are much smaller cakes. Feeding 10 or so.
We paid around $35 for our son’s last birthday cake at a bakery where they pay the kids running the register about $15/hr.
And, produce is very cheap (at least at grocery stores). I go grocery shopping about once a week and use the self checkout. I scan all the produce first and regularly watch how I fill up the entire bagging area and several bags (w/various fruits, vegetables, fresh herbs) and sometimes don’t break $20. Then I cringe as I add the various pre-made and packaged foods and my total soon passes $200.
This was a small square cake[s] (about 10 in the cooler)
I find it telling that any of you would defend the over pricing of fucking cakes , but open threads pissing and moaning about the profit oil companies are making.
Moderator Note
You’re going off on a tangent here. Let’s stay on the subject of cakes.
Colibri
General Questions Moderator
For what it’s worth, I’m with you. Grocery store cake is too expensive for the quality you get.
Aso FWIW, in the milieu in which I grew up, serving “bought cake” was distinctly frowned upon. The product was regarded as second-rate, not something fit to be served to guests or worth eating yourself. Even something like a wedding cake you would make yourself (and not from “cake mix” but from basic ingredients) and then send out to have professionally iced.
Generally. Costco actually makes pretty decent cakes, but I don’t know whether you want to call it a “grocery store.” Jewel I don’t bother with. The last time I’ve had it – and it’s been years ago – it just tastes like generic cake to me. I’m not a sweets person, but for a special occasion, I go to one of the local bakers. I may pay about twice or more what I would at the grocery, but at least it’s cake I know I’ll actually enjoy.
And if profit is so shocking, look at all the other products in a grocery store that have even higher profit margins. I mean, I could bake a loaf of “artisanal” bread for $0.50-$0.75 that they sell for $5, and mine is (to my tastes) better. Or look at the chopped vegetables. You’re paying something like a 4x premium at least for the privilege of having the vegetables chopped for you. How crazy is that!? (In my opinion, not crazy at all. If you’re willing to pay for the convenience go for it. Otherwise, you can buy the cabbage and chop it yourself. Same with the cake? Got a problem with the price? Bake it yourself. You’re paying for a combination of convenience and skill. How much for each depends on where you’re buying a cake. This is like Econ 101 here.)
Are you under the impression you’re explaining something I didn’t already know?