As a nation, we love everything to do with baking. The eating of delicious baked goods, yes, we like that very much. But besides the eating, baking remains one of our favourite hobbies. It's a way to unwind for some, and for others, it’s a canvas for creativity. We bake for friends and families, we bake for charity, and we bake for those endearingly chaotic school bake sales. And when we're not baking, we delight in watching others bake on TV – judging soggy bottoms from the sofa with all the gusto of a Michelin inspector.

Whilst our business is selling luxury birthday cakes to discerning customers in London and Surrey, it's also a personal passion of mine to make baking feel accessible, joyful and achievable. We've shared my signature recipes – the Hero Sponge, Swiss meringue buttercream, and now Hero Cookies – for everyone to download. I've also published children's baking books, StoryBakes, which now has its own website. And then there's my beloved "Fake Bakes" with my son, X-Ray – where I give myself a strict £10 supermarket budget to transform ready-made bits into a showstopper. A thrift-meets-theatre baking adventure.

The popularity of our Hero Sponge recipes and Fake Bakes is understandable. In a cost-of-living crisis and the somewhat dismal economic backdrop, many of us want to cut costs without abandoning the joy and beauty of a celebratory cake. Whilst splurging on a bespoke luxury cake might not be feasible for every occasion, the desire to mark life’s moments with something beautiful hasn’t dimmed. But… considering inflation… is home-baking still the cheaper option?

I wanted to find out how much it actually costs to bake a birthday cake from scratch today, so I gathered prices from all major supermarkets. The results are… surprising.

For this research, I based the pricing on a 6" simple vanilla Hero sponge cake with Swiss meringue buttercream — the most economical cake to bake. Hero Sponge uses oil and yoghurt instead of butter, and we’re not splashing out on fancy sugars. Prices were gathered on 3rd January 2024 across major supermarkets (excluding Aldi and Lidl due to lack of online pricing). I’ve costed full product packs rather than apportioning per-use costs, to reflect the true cost of a one-off bake.

Costs of Baking a Birthday Cake from Scratch

The average total cost for baking from scratch is £11.73.

The cheapest basket belongs to Asda at £10.68. The most expensive comes from M&S at £12.65. No great shock there. But the rest of the data paints a more curious picture.

I didn’t expect Morrisons to be almost as pricey as Waitrose. Nor did I expect supermarket dominance to shift so dramatically by product — Waitrose beating Asda on eggs, Morrisons yoghurt pricier than Waitrose and M&S, and several supermarkets offering cheaper sugar than Asda. Bargain-hunting requires strategy — and patience.

Factor in fuel, and hopping between shops might defeat the purpose. Yet a £1.57 price swing for a single small cake is not insignificant.

We must also factor in the oven. The approximate cost of running an oven for an hour is 71p*, nudging your total closer to £13.

So what do these costs mean for baking?

Hobby Bakers

If you're starting out as a hobby baker, the first cake involves a real investment. Cake tins, mixing bowls, turntables, piping nozzles — it all adds up. Buying second-hand tools via eBay or Vinted can help. But even once kitted out, the ingredients and electricity alone put each practice bake over £11, meaning this “wholesome hobby” comes with a noticeable price tag.

Baking for Friends and Family

A cake for your child or partner? Absolutely. I’d happily eat beans for a week if needed. But then consider Aunt Sheila. How fond are you truly? Her 60th birthday cake for twenty guests will cost more than you'd think. Add boards, boxes, candles, chocolate — costs ramp up rapidly.

Baking for Charity Bake Sales

This part saddens me most. Bake sales — from school fairs to Macmillan Coffee Mornings — are part of our cultural fabric. Once an affordable way to raise funds, they now risk becoming financially daunting. It may genuinely be cheaper to buy a supermarket tray bake. And while I wouldn’t blame anyone, it does gently unravel the spirit of the bake sale if supermarket bakes become the norm.

Is it Worth Home-Baking Anymore?

Surprisingly, whilst baking from scratch is still cheaper than commissioning a professional cake, it is actually more economical to Fake Bake. No oven, no rising energy cost, and arguably an even prettier finish if you spend your attention on decorating instead of whisking and weighing.

But here’s the thing: the value of baking goes beyond price. A homemade cake tastes infinitely better than a supermarket one — light crumb, real flavour, honest texture. And then there’s the intangible joy: the aroma of vanilla filling your kitchen, the quiet focus of folding egg whites, the pride at unveiling your creation. Studies even show baking supports mental wellbeing. It’s mindfulness, creativity, generosity — all in one bowl.

I’m not sure you can put a price on that, but it is certainly more than £10. Still, it is sobering that what was once a humble, wholesome pastime now costs more than the hourly national living wage (£10.42).

Happy new year!

Reshmi xoxo