Hi Everyone,

I have a bride coming in next Saturday for a tasting. She has chosen 4 different cake flavors she would like to try. My question is, what is the best way to do this? When I was getting married and had my tasting, the baker somehow baked all of my flavors into one cake, they were split of course, but in between the layers she put the fillings we wanted to try. I thought this was a good idea so I tried it on a bride back in October. It was a disaster!!!

I've read on here that some people bake cupcakes, that seems like it would be easier, but do you cut down the recipe to just make a few cupcakes or do you serve all 24 (of each flavor?)Or should I make 4 regular size cakes??

Any help is appreciated, thank you!

-Amy

The only wedding cakes I have done have been for friends and family but I am wanting to start doing more outside work. I am very curious about this as well......

This might help until you get more answers:

http://www.cakecentral.com/cake-decorating-ftopict-14134.html

I make mini-cupcakes of each flavor, and squirt a little of each filling they want to try in the center with a star tip.

So, for instance, if they wanted to try white cake, lemon cake, lemon filling and raspberry filling, I would serve them:

1 unfilled white cupcake with frosting
1 unfilled lemon cupcake with frosting
1 white with raspberry filling and frosting
1 white with lemon filling and frosting
1 lemon with raspberry filling and frosting
1 lemon with lemon filling and frosting

They are just about 2 bites each -- the perfect size for a tasting. And they look so cute when you use a large tip to swirl a dollop of frosting on the top! I have a 100% booking rate with the cupcakes (I have also tried the "whole cake" method...a disaster.)

I also give them a 12-pack of regular-sized cupcakes to take with them when they go. They love it!

Is she paying for the tasting?

No, she isn't paying for the tasting, I usually offer free consultations. KellyM, do you use one whole recipe for the mini cupcakes? (A recipe that would typically make one 9 in cake, or do you cut it down?)

Yes, I usually make a full recipe. With my extra batter I make whatever size cake I have enough for, and freeze it for later. You'll never regret having an extra cake in the freezer!

I don't charge for my tastings.

I just bake an 8" of what they want to try and cut it into little bite-sized squares. Fill them with the filling they choose, and top them with a few dots of icing or little scribbles. Then I poke a toothpick in them so they don't fall and set them in a cupcake liner. They look really cute on a nice cake plate and I get compliments on how they look all the time.

I do NOT do wedding cakes, but do offer tastings for some of my larger orders. I suggest up to three cake flavors, and then a particular filling/frosting to go with those flavors. Then, whenever I am baking, I try to use any additional batter and put into cupcakes or a 4" pan, and then freeze them really well. When it comes time for the tastings, I put out the plain cakes, and each of the fillings, and give the client multiple spreaders so they can 'build' their own cake - mix and match to find one they like. Then I have some fondant in a little ball for them to taste as well. Works out really well and the client feels special.

I usually tell a bride they can taste 2 flavors of cake and my icing for 2 people for $15. I refund that price if they book with me. (taken off the final payment)

I have baked a single layer 6in and cut it into wedges then iced with dots or stars, and I've baked cupcakes and iced the same way. I put them on a plate with 2 forks and set it down between them. I've booked everybody but one of my tastings so far. Not that I've done tons of tastings.....

I may consider doing more flavors in the future. I'm still pretty new at this, so I limited it to 2 choices not knowing how many tastings I would be doing, and not wanting to have so much cake in the freezer for too long. Also, most of my people don't finish what I give them, even though I only give them 1 cupcake of each flavor to share. I usually have to give them a Glad container to bring it home.

Plus, it's like one bride said....if these 2 are good, I'm sure the others will be.

Do you all open a fresh container of the lemon, raspberry etc. flavors for just a few little cupcakes? If so how do you keep from having to throw out the rest? Is it freezable? Thanks for all the input.

I use sleeve fillings, which don't require refrigeration. But once I open them I tie them off and refrigerate them. I haven't had to throw any out yet.

I give two free tastes to a bride in two flavors. For example, if she wants lemon and white cake, I bake a 6 x 2 lemon and a 6 x 2 white cake. Slather some frosting on it and that's that. After that I start charging $5 per flavor. A 6 inch cake is a large taster but it's enough for her and her mom or whomever to both have a good slice and decide from there. Hope that helps some!!

I bake the cakes for my tastings in loaf pans. I don't make them especially for the tasting though. I use batter left from an order which I bake and then freeze if I have to. I split the thick long cakes down the middle and fill with whatever they want. Take a white sour cream cake...split it....fill one third with raspberry, one third with b/c, and one third with lemon (or whatever). Then I ice it. When I slice the cake to go on the black plate it looks very nice. I can also give 3 different brides 3 different tastes without any hassle. I also, normally, hold tastings once a month so I don't have straggling brides out there. I set the dates and give them times to choose from...I don't let them run the show. It's too hard that way!

I charge $5.00 per person for a tasting, 3 choices. Cupcake size portion. If they sign a contract it gets deducted from the cost.

Time and materials need to be covered, when they go out for the menu tasting they are still paying full price for all their choices during the trial dinner.

If they can't afford to pay for a tasting or try to haggle a free one I just let them pass as they are usually too high maintenance later as well.

www.kincaellan.com

Here is how I do my tastings. I bake every cake flavor I offer over a two day period. then I cut each cake into pieces. each bride gets four small bites size pieces of each flavor. I individually wrap each 4 piece sample in saran wrap. then I store all the wrapped pieces in a large zip lock bag and freeze them. when I have a tasting, I pull out a sample pack and put in the frig. and it defrost. I do this the day before. before meeting with the bride, I take the sample pieces out of saran wrap and put on pretty serving dishes. the cake is very moist and delisious. no kidding!!!
I also make all my fillings in one day and put a little in zip lock bags and then put all the zip lock bags in a gallon size zip lock bag and freeze them as well. I do all creme fillings and mousse fillings. I take them out when I take the cakes out, and put in the frig. it defrost beautiful!! and taste so good and fresh.
when I have a bridal tasting, I just pull out a sample pack of cake and fillings and it works really great for me!!!!
although, I love the cupcake idea....when I use up all my sample packs I just made I am going to switch to that. too cute!!

If you wrap everything so that NO air can get to it, it will taste amazingly fresh and moist. believe me, I was skeptable at first too.

when I first did bridal tastings, I would make like 3 different cake flavors and then 3 different fillings....for each bride. that was a huge waist of money. I couldn't do that.

my consultation to bookings % seems to be about 70% the ones that I didn't get the job wanted to find a cheaper cake decorator....like grandma. oh well. I am happy with my 70% ratio. I do not charge for my sampling...I hope to get the wedding cake booked and I make money to pay for my samplings.

plus, I was looking at my cost for doing it this way, It was super cheap...about $2.50 per bride when I divided all the cost with the 18 sample packs that I made in advance. that includes the fillings also.

hope this helps

melody

I do something similar to Melodyscakes. I bake an 8" square of each flavor and cut them into 64 pieces, just bitesize. I can fit 5 pieces in a snack size ziploc bag and get 12 sample packs from each cake (the leftover 4 pieces are my samples ). These go into containers in my freezer until needed. When I have a tasting, I take out a baggie of each flavor and thaw it. I present a sample of each flavor on a platter topped with buttercream for the bride (and guests) to taste along with a small bottle of water. I usually do this after we've worked out details of the decoration so that I can go work on a contract while they taste without me in the room. I rarely have anyone want fillings, but I do have some on hand if needed. Any leftover samples and a small parchment bag of icing go into a box for the bride to take with her.

I dont' offer a lot of different flavors for a tasting. Actually, I've never had a bride tell me "I want to taste this or that flavor". Our company philosophy is "we keep it simple for you" so I'm not inclined to do more work for a free sampling than I do for a paid wedding.

My favorite story is the bride who scheduled all of her cake tastings the same day. I was her 7th and last tasting. She had been tasting all the fancy-dancy flavors all day long and I thought, "Oh wow....her taste buds are going to be numb!" I served her white cake with white BC. She emailed me the next day and told me that they picked my cake before they got from my front door to their car. For all the different flavors she had tasted that day, she selected mine .... a simple white wedding cake that just tasted good (if I may say so myself! )

I bake a white 6" square and cut it in half, giving me two 3x6 pieces. I tort those. Fill one with raspberry filling and the other with white buttercream. Cover both with white BC. If I'm out of raspberry, I use chocolate fudge. If I'm feeling really generous or if I'd had some leftover batter, I'll offer a red velvet in addition to the white cake.

I cut slices about 1" wide to serve for the tasting. Any leftover cake, I put in a ziplock bag and send home with them ".....for anyone else who may be helping you with your cake decisions!" (They LUV taking leftover cake home!)

I can make the 6" squares up ahead of time and freeze them. They take less than a day to thaw, so I can ice them for the tastings.

I have the hand-made mints on hand, plus the punch that I provide for the reception. If they are shopping for a buffet, I also feed them lunch ..... such as Chicken Rosemary in wine sauce, BBQ Meatballs, Baked Ziti with sausage and marinara sauce, etc.

I don't charge for my samplings and I have a 98% booking rate. I dont' ask them to book it then and there. I email them the proposals the next day, based on our conversations, ask them to look them over and confirm via email if we are selected as their caterer/baker. The down payment is due shortly afterward.

This gives them time to think about it with no pressure. I encourage them to comparison shop before making their final decision. I believe giving them this time to think about it is why I have an almost zero cancellation rate.