If Prada made cake

So I was up for a snack, something sweet. My mother and I headed to Sant Ambroeus, which has some incredible ice cream, but it was raining so I took a look at the pastries instead. Eyeing the impeccable, impeccably displayed cakes and cookies, I sarcastically told my mother I was going to bid on a piece of cake. Then we asked how much a slice of cake to go would be. $8.50. The woman who told us said it in such a way that it was clear she agreed that this was a bit much.

So is this normal? I know I lived in Chicago for a while, so should I just accept that this is what cake goes for in NYC? Do I need to teach myself to make things like this? This must be the reason so many people are becoming investment bankers these days.