Recipe Scaling & Costing Tool
Scale your recipes and calculate costs in one go. Perfect for catering, large orders, or adjusting batch sizes while keeping track of profitability.
1. Recipe Details
2. Ingredients & Costs
Scaled Recipe
2.00xFinancials
Professional Recipe Costing for Home Bakers
Turning a baking hobby into a business starts with the numbers. If you don't know exactly what it costs to make a single cupcake, you can't price it for profit. This double-duty tool helps you scale recipes up for large catering orders (like a wedding) AND calculates the exact food cost per serving. It's the essential spreadsheet replacement for serious bakers.
Scaling for Large Events
Scaling recipes isn't just multiplication. Here are professional tips for scaling up:
- Leavening doesn't scale linearly: When 4x-ing a recipe, you often need slightly less baking powder than 4x the amount. Start with 10-15% less leavening.
- Pan Surface Area: If changing pan sizes (e.g., 6-inch to 10-inch cake), calculate the area of the circle (πr²), not just the width. A 10-inch cake needs almost 3x more batter than a 6-inch!
- Mixing Time: Large batches take longer to mix. Rely on visual cues (like "light and fluffy") rather than strict timer settings.
Pricing for Profit
What is a good profit margin?▼
For a home bakery, aim for a 70% Gross Margin. This means your ingredient cost (COGS) should be only 30% of the sale price. If ingredients cost $10, sell the cake for at least $33.
How do I calculate overhead?▼
Overhead includes utilities, insurance, marketing, and wear-and-tear. A simple way is to add a flat rate per hour of baking (e.g., $1.50/hr) to your labor cost.
Should I charge for delivery?▼
Absolutely. Charge at least the IRS mileage rate (approx $0.67/mile) plus your hourly driving rate. Delivery is labor!