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For an upcoming party, I need about 96 cupcakes. I'm not a huge fan of baking, however this is all on a budget, so if I need to bake I will.
Cost of purchasing 96 cupcakes in store at a large chain is about $40.
I don't have any of the pans or liners. So between buying all ingredients and supplies, do you think it would be cheaper to make them or buy from the store?
You can buy the pans for $5 each. You need two pans, more than that won't cook evenly in a regular oven. The liners are usually $2 for 50 liners. Cake mixes are about a dollar each and they made them smaller recently, so you need 5. A dozen eggs, $2. A bottle of veg. oil, $3. 8 lbs powdered sugar, $10 (unless you have a Sams membership, theirs is cheaper). Shortening, $3. Butter $3. Vanilla, $3. Food colors, $3. Piping bags $6 (for pack of 12 disposables, size lg). Jumbo star tip (wilton 1D or similar) $3. So it would be about $55 to make your own.
If you used premade frosting and smeared it on with a knife, you could make them for less. But they wouldn't look as pretty as the ones from the store, if that's a consideration.
If you don't have a mixer, you should buy them already made. If you have a mixer and you're going to need to make cupcakes for other occasions, then it makes sense to buy the pans and the decorating bags, food colors and star tip so you have the supplies to make them in the future.
The other consideration is time and storage space. Cupcakes dry out pretty quickly, so it would be best to make them the day of the event, or if you need to make them ahead of time, freeze them unfrosted, thaw the day of the event and frost them then. You will also have to transport them if the party isn't at your house, which means you will need several boxes. I usually buy a large moving box (walmart has them in the stationary aisle) and cut it down to make two sturdy trays. Each holds about 3 dozen cupcakes, maybe a few more.
Buy them, it doesn't make sense to buy the pans/materials if you are never going to bake cupcakes again. Plus, what if have problems with baking and they don't come out well, not worth going through that stress.
For that price you cannot make them, frost them and have them ready for presentation. I would take them out of the containers and use platters to serve.
You can buy the pans for $5 each. You need two pans, more than that won't cook evenly in a regular oven. The liners are usually $2 for 50 liners. Cake mixes are about a dollar each and they made them smaller recently, so you need 5. A dozen eggs, $2. A bottle of veg. oil, $3. 8 lbs powdered sugar, $10 (unless you have a Sams membership, theirs is cheaper). Shortening, $3. Butter $3. Vanilla, $3. Food colors, $3. Piping bags $6 (for pack of 12 disposables, size lg). Jumbo star tip (wilton 1D or similar) $3. So it would be about $55 to make your own.
If you used premade frosting and smeared it on with a knife, you could make them for less. But they wouldn't look as pretty as the ones from the store, if that's a consideration.
If you don't have a mixer, you should buy them already made. If you have a mixer and you're going to need to make cupcakes for other occasions, then it makes sense to buy the pans and the decorating bags, food colors and star tip so you have the supplies to make them in the future.
The other consideration is time and storage space. Cupcakes dry out pretty quickly, so it would be best to make them the day of the event, or if you need to make them ahead of time, freeze them unfrosted, thaw the day of the event and frost them then. You will also have to transport them if the party isn't at your house, which means you will need several boxes. I usually buy a large moving box (walmart has them in the stationary aisle) and cut it down to make two sturdy trays. Each holds about 3 dozen cupcakes, maybe a few more.
I can get the pans for $1 each at the dollar store. A package of 50 cupcake paper cups for $1 each at the dollar store. Cake mixes - the supermarket has a sale on devil's food cake mix for $1 each so I'd get 5 of those. Dozen eggs - 1.49 for large at the supermarket. Bottle of oil - $1.29 at the supermarket.
For frosting - 1 package Baker's unsweetened chocolate squares - $4 for 8 1-ounce squares, you only need 4 of them for a 100-cupcake batch of frosting.
2 cups sugar - maybe 75 cents - and if I don't have that already in the house, it means I need to buy sugar anyway so I wouldn't even count that toward this project.
1 box of corn starch - I think you can get a box of Argo for $2.
Two sticks of butter - $1.79
Vanilla 2 tablespoons total - another one of those "if you don't have a bottle in the house already, you need to buy some so let's not even bother counting this toward the project" things.
No food colors. No piping bags. Let's go crazy though and pick up a jar of colored sprinkles for $2.99
No need for a mixer - we'll assume you possess a wooden spoon in your house somewhere that is suitable for mixing ingredients in a bowl. We'll also assume you possess a mixing bowl, and a measuring cup that marks volume from 1/4 to 1 cup, and a set of measuring spoons.
Total cost: under $30
You can transport them on sturdy Dixie plates double-stacked in a box you get free from Costco/BJ's/Sam's. You can cover them with waxed paper, and then covered again with tin foil. They'll stay moist for around 4 days.
Borrow the pans/utensils from a neighbor/friend. Give them some cupcakes in return :-) Get all the ingredients you can from the bulk containers. Buy good wholesome ingredients excluding things like trans fat and artificial dyes. Save the people you serve from the ingredients in most grocery store bakeries and be a hit with the superior flavor and health you'll achieve.
I can get the pans for $1 each at the dollar store. A package of 50 cupcake paper cups for $1 each at the dollar store. Cake mixes - the supermarket has a sale on devil's food cake mix for $1 each so I'd get 5 of those. Dozen eggs - 1.49 for large at the supermarket. Bottle of oil - $1.29 at the supermarket.
For frosting - 1 package Baker's unsweetened chocolate squares - $4 for 8 1-ounce squares, you only need 4 of them for a 100-cupcake batch of frosting.
2 cups sugar - maybe 75 cents - and if I don't have that already in the house, it means I need to buy sugar anyway so I wouldn't even count that toward this project.
1 box of corn starch - I think you can get a box of Argo for $2.
Two sticks of butter - $1.79
Vanilla 2 tablespoons total - another one of those "if you don't have a bottle in the house already, you need to buy some so let's not even bother counting this toward the project" things.
No food colors. No piping bags. Let's go crazy though and pick up a jar of colored sprinkles for $2.99
No need for a mixer - we'll assume you possess a wooden spoon in your house somewhere that is suitable for mixing ingredients in a bowl. We'll also assume you possess a mixing bowl, and a measuring cup that marks volume from 1/4 to 1 cup, and a set of measuring spoons.
Total cost: under $30
You can transport them on sturdy Dixie plates double-stacked in a box you get free from Costco/BJ's/Sam's. You can cover them with waxed paper, and then covered again with tin foil. They'll stay moist for around 4 days.
Prices might vary somewhat by area. I bake in volume fairly often and have to be able to calculate my cost on an order. I also have to plan for the things like sugar and vanilla that seem like they only take a little bit and might not be worth counting, but do add up on larger orders. I've made cakes that took a couple hundred dollars worth of ingredients...on that kind of order you learn to account for the sugar, vanilla, oil, baking spray, etc. because you don't want to end up not charging enough which amounts to working for free.
I think we were picturing a different sort of final product though...the cupcakes I make usually have a 2" swirl of frosting on top and can't be double-stacked. That's also why I need 8 lbs of 10x sugar to frost 96 cupcakes. You can make the swirls a little smaller (leave a ring of cake showing between the cupcake wrapper and where the icing starts) and maybe get by with 6lbs of sugar, but then the cupcakes will dry out faster. I can't make buttercream without a mixer either...you must have arms like Popeye if you can do it
If you decide to go with purchasing them, have you checked with a local bakery? They may be more economical, flexible and taste better. Just a thought.
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