Quinceañera Cakes: How You Can Cut Costs, Then Cut The Cake

There are plenty of ways to save money on quinceañera cakes. You want to be aware that most of the time, bakers will charge you per slice, which can average at about $3-$6 per person, depending on the factors.These delicious desserts can end up running you anywhere from $100 to $1000, in total. If you are trying to cut costs, here are some easy tricks to do so!

This is one of the oldest tricks in the book. Many people choose to display a small cake for cutting, and keep sheet cakes in the back for serving. Your baker will likely charge you more for each tier you add because they are difficult to balance and each need to be decorated. Sheet cakes still taste amazing and have the frosting and flavors you want, but will help you lower your quinceañera cake costs by not having a huge, tiered dessert on display.

Typically, quinceañera cake prices are determined by the size and number of servings. If you know a lot of people won’t eat cake, try making yours a size or so smaller. You can also try serving smaller slices, if you think it might not be enough for guests. They can always go up for seconds if there’s enough left over!

A simple way to cut your quinceañera cake cost is to go with a cheaper flavor. When you go to the tasting, your baker will probably try to make you fall in love with a flavor like the “mocha almond chocolate with fresh raspberry filling”, but you must resist! These flavors take a lot more work to achieve and are therefore often more expensive. Plus, the more complex your flavor, the more likely it is that all your guests won’t be pleased. This isn’t to say you can’t have a fun flavor, just try to keep it simple. Go with a classic flavor to please your wallet and your guests!

A huge way to save money on your quinceañera cake is to bake it yourself. See if one of your padrinos/madrinas can help! It’ll truly save you tons! Plus, you can then have the freedom to decorate it however you want. There are tons of recipes online to find the perfect one for your quince. One of our biggest tips to is practice baking and decorating months before the big party so you can make sure you’ve got it down exactly how you want it! Bake for family and friend gatherings beforehand to get your practice in!

Keeping in the spirit of simple; ask your baker to decorate with buttercream instead of fondant. Yes, fondant is amazing for making intricate designs, but it is also very time-consuming for your baker. Opt for buttercream frosting and keep to a more simple design. You’d be surprised what kind of designs can still be achieved with buttercream. Plus, it tastes better.

We’ve all seen the popular trend of displaying a cupcake tree and, more recently, donut walls at events as well. These are cute and functional. Dessert tables are fun because you can make them as varied as you’d like! You can do something like donuts or cupcake displays or a combination of both! We’ve even seen people set up tables full of various desserts, like pies, muffins, candies and tarts!

Don’t have your favors picked out yet? You can use your cake as a favor! This is another tip that doesn’t necessarily cut your actual quince cake costs, but can help you decrease your budget overall. We love this idea because, too often, we receive party favors that we can’t really enjoy. After a long night of dancing and celebrating, what would be better than heading home with a delicious dessert! People are often too full to completely enjoy it at the reception anyway! Another reason why we love this idea is because it is sometimes difficult to make room for everything in the reception schedule, so you can cut out time for dessert by just sending it home with your guests!

A traditional but inexpensive (and delicious) option is the Tres Leches! This ‘wet-cake’ is a mixture of evaporated milk, condensed milk, and heavy cream that sets in overnight to create the wet effect! It’s a sweet, delicious option if you don’t want to spend hundreds of dollars on a typical tiered cake! Loved by many, you can find them fairly easily! They’re a staple in Mexican bakeries and since they’ve been around for quite some time, you might even have a tia that knows how to make it or knows someone who does! There may be guests who don’t love the tres leches, so you can set out relatively cheap sheet cakes as well to make sure they have an option they do like! You can also make Ensalada de Frutas (fruit salad in condensed milk) or Gelatina (jello concoction), which pair perfectly with tres leches!

When looking at different bakers ask about the accessories they use -- typical 15 bridges, stands, etc. These quinceanera cake accessories can add up pretty quickly, so make sure you take that cost into consideration before deciding on a baker, and even see if you can shop around for a better price and just get them on your own!

Look for local bakers or culinary schools instead of a professional bakery. This will help you save money because they may not have the same training, but can still put together an awesome dessert. You may be able to ask if a student or group of students would be interested in making your quinceañera cake for a better price than a local bakery, as it could be a great way to help them build out their portfolio!

Ready to order your cake? Keep track of all your details with our Cake Checklist!

Mi Padrino is excited to have been acquired by Queenly