Hi CC people!

I recently booked a catering job. I am to cater just cake for 40-50 people. I have decided to just serve one flavor and since the food caterer is serving italian food, I am making Italian Cream cake.

This group has also offered a "vendor table" to me where I can display my cards and portfolio. My questions to y'all:

Should I make just a sheet cake to serve from the kitchen or make a fully decorated materpiece to display and then serve?

Should I make a dummy cake for my cake table and also offer samples?? My table will be unmanned for most of the event...

Thanks for your help and any other ideas you may have for me!!

I would make a decorated dummy cake and serve sheet cake. That way your decorating ability will be desplayed through out the whole event and you will have more time to decorate the dummie(s) also if you only do sheet cakes. Good luck and tell us how it goes.

Great advice!! Anyone else?

I'd think a dummy cake for display would be the easiest. You can serve sheet cake, it's much easier to cut and make the servings look even. Congratulations on the catering job, and I hope you'll be able to have fun and meet lots of new clients!

As for your portfolio table.. I would make a small spread of things you like to make, like cookies in treat bags that say something like thank you for attending or what have you something that would go with the theme of the night. That way when they leave the reception/party they can grab a "goodie" bag and a business card or what have you. I'd also have some samples on your table of cake balls, cookies, etc. But not to out due the party cake, have a small decorated dummy maybe a small 2 teir cake and as stated above have a huge dummy cake for the party and then serve a few sheet cakes from the kitchen/back room, that way they can see your beautiful decorations and taste your delicious cake at the same time without having to "destroy" your masterpiece Good luck and be sure to post pics of what ya do.

But I would seriously think about offereing some samples with your business cards that way if they don't want the cake or can't stay for the cake cutting part of the party they could still taste your work and get an idea of what kind of baker you are

I think for the display/vendor table Iwould do a dummy and like ohmy suggested other examples of what you do along with your cards.

For the actual cake I would make a stunner and then serve it. I think people are always amazed to see the beauty of a cake and then to see it cut and served it adds to the wow,this really is cake and it's fantastic factor!

Ohmy, is right! I just came back to post about an opening I went to this week for a ladies shoe store that had a packaged decorated cookie that was made to look like a high heel and what it stabalizing it was a pink paper with the shoe stores name and logo printed on it. When people left they were handed the cookie and a great big smile. It left a good impression on me and I really liked the idea.