Cake pops and cupcakes are both delicious bite-sized desserts, but which one costs more? As a trendy relatively new creation, cake pops tend to command a higher price tag than the classic cupcake. However, with the right strategies and ingredients, it is possible to make cake pops for less. This article explores the costs of ingredients, labor, packaging, and other factors to determine if cake pops are more expensive to make and sell than cupcakes.
Ingredient Costs
The main ingredients in cake pops and cupcakes are generally the same: cake mix or batter, frosting or icing, and decorations. However, cake pops require a few specialty ingredients that add to their cost.
Cake Ingredients
For the cake component, cake pops and cupcakes both use cake mix or homemade cake batter. Assuming homemade recipes are used, the ingredient costs are very similar:
| Cake Pop Cake Ingredients | Cost |
|---|---|
| Flour | $0.15 per serving |
| Sugar | $0.05 per serving |
| Eggs | $0.15 per serving |
| Butter | $0.10 per serving |
| Milk | $0.05 per serving |
| Baking powder/soda | $0.03 per serving |
| Vanilla extract | $0.05 per serving |
| Total: | $0.58 per serving |
| Cupcake Cake Ingredients | Cost |
|---|---|
| Flour | $0.15 per serving |
| Sugar | $0.05 per serving |
| Eggs | $0.15 per serving |
| Butter | $0.10 per serving |
| Milk | $0.05 per serving |
| Baking powder/soda | $0.03 per serving |
| Vanilla extract | $0.05 per serving |
| Total: | $0.58 per serving |
As you can see, the base cake ingredients cost about $0.58 per serving regardless of whether you are making cake balls or cupcakes. Cost difference: Neutral.
Binding Ingredients
Here is where cake pops start to require some specialty ingredients. To bind the crushed cake balls together, most recipes call for ingredients like frosting, cream cheese, condensed milk, or marshmallows. Cupcakes do not require a binder.
| Cake Pop Binding Ingredients | Cost |
|---|---|
| Cream cheese (2oz) | $0.60 |
| Condensed milk (1/4 cup) | $0.15 |
| Marshmallows (10 regular) | $0.25 |
| Buttercream frosting (1/4 cup) | $0.40 |
On average, cake pop binding ingredients add $0.35 in extra costs per serving. Cupcakes require no binding agent. Cost difference: Cake pops more expensive.
Coating
Cake pops are coated in chocolate, candy melts, white chocolate, etc. before decoration. Cupcakes are either frosted or filled with frosting between cake layers.
| Coating Ingredients | Cost |
|---|---|
| Candy melts (2oz) | $0.75 |
| White chocolate (2oz) | $1.00 |
| Dark chocolate (2oz) | $0.80 |
| Milk chocolate (2oz) | $0.60 |
| Average: | $0.79 |
| Cupcake Frosting Ingredients | Cost |
|---|---|
| Butter (2 tbsp) | $0.15 |
| Powdered sugar (1 cup) | $0.15 |
| Milk/cream (1-2 tbsp) | $0.05 |
| Vanilla extract (1/2 tsp) | $0.03 |
| Total: | $0.38 |
Coatings for cake pops cost about $0.79 per serving while frosting for cupcakes costs around $0.38. Cost difference: Cake pops more expensive.
Decorations
Both cake pops and cupcakes can be decorated elaborately with sprinkles, candies, nuts, drizzles, etc. These decorations costs about the same whether going on cake pops or cupcakes.
Cost difference: Neutral
Conclusion on Ingredients
While cake and cupcake batters cost about the same, cake pops require binding agents and coatings that add 80 cents or more to the cost per serving compared to cupcakes. Decorations are a wash. Advantage: Cupcakes
Labor Costs
Making cake pops requires more time and effort than cupcakes, which means higher labor costs if selling them.
Cake Pop Labor
Steps to make cake pops:
- Bake cake and let cool completely
- Crumble cake into fine crumbs
- Mix crumbs with binding agent like frosting or cream cheese
- Roll mixture into balls
- Insert lollipop sticks into each ball
- Melt coating like candy melts or chocolate
- Dip pops into coating to cover
- Decorate with sprinkles, drizzle etc.
- Let coating completely harden before packing/displaying
Cake pop recipes estimate around 40 minutes of active labor for a batch of 24 cake pops. This is 1.67 minutes per cake pop.
Cupcake Labor
Steps to make cupcakes:
- Preheat oven and line cupcake tin with liners
- Mix together dry ingredients
- Mix together wet ingredients
- Fold wet ingredients into dry ingredients
- Scoop batter evenly into lined tin
- Bake for around 20 minutes
- Let cupcakes cool completely
- Make frosting by beating butter and mixing in other ingredients
- Pipe or spread frosting onto each cupcake
- Decorate with sprinkles, candies etc.
Recipes estimate around 30 minutes of active labor for a batch of 24 cupcakes. This is 1.25 minutes per cupcake.
Cake pops require around 25% more labor per serving compared to cupcakes. This increased labor cost must be taken into consideration when pricing cake pops. Advantage: Cupcakes
Packaging Costs
Cake pops require more specialized packaging than cupcakes.
Cake Pop Packaging
| Item | Cost |
|---|---|
| Lollipop sticks (100 count) | $3 |
| Cellophane bags (100 count) | $15 |
| Ribbon (10 yards) | $5 |
| Total: | $23 |
This packaging serves around 120 cake pops, so each pop requires about $0.19 of packaging.
Cupcake Packaging
| Item | Cost |
|---|---|
| Cupcake liners (100 count) | $2 |
| Cupcake boxes (12 count) | $6 |
| Total: | $8 |
This packaging serves 144 cupcakes, so each cupcake needs about $0.06 of packaging.
Cake pops require around triple the packaging cost per serving compared to cupcakes. Advantage: Cupcakes
Pricing
Taking into account the higher ingredient, labor, and packaging costs, cake pops tend to be priced higher than cupcakes at bakeries and gourmet shops.
| Dessert | Typical Price |
|---|---|
| Cake pops | $2 – $3 each |
| Cupcakes | $1 – $2 each |
On average, cake pops tend to be priced about $1 more per piece than cupcakes. The significant price difference reflects the higher production expenses.
Ways to Reduce Cake Pop Costs
For home bakers or businesses looking to make cake pops more affordable, here are some tips:
- Use boxed cake mix instead of from-scratch recipes to save time and ingredients.
- Substitute less expensive chocolate coatings like compound chocolate or chocolate bark coating instead of real chocolate.
- Use mini muffin tins to bake cake balls directly instead of hand rolling.
- Swirl melted chocolate or dip tops only instead of completely coating to use less chocolate.
- Decorate simply with sprinkles rather than expensive candies or drizzles.
- Package in simple bags or boxes rather than expensive cellophane and ribbons.
- Offer cake pop bouquets instead of individually packaging each pop.
Conclusion
Are cake pops more expensive to make than cupcakes? The answer is generally yes. Ingredients, labor, and packaging all cost more for cake pops compared to cupcakes. As a result, cake pops are usually priced around $1 more per piece by bakeries and retailers.
However, there are ways to reduce cake pop costs for home bakers or businesses looking to offer this trendy dessert at a more affordable price point. With smart strategies like using box mixes, minimizing decorations, and simplifying packaging, it is possible to make cake pops for not much more than cupcakes.
Cake pops do require more effort to make than cupcakes. For the additional work, bakers are able to charge a premium for these cute, uniquely portable treats. With some adjustments, cake pops can still be offered at reasonable prices while delighting customers.