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Another serving size question Goto page 1, 2  Next      CakeCentral.com Forum Index » General Author Message Elaine2581 Junior Member Joined: Aug 17, 2008 Posts: 44 Location: Conyers,GA, USA Birthday: Jul 10 Posted: Fri Oct 23, 2009 1:01 pm  I've been asked to bake a wedding cake and grooms cake and it will be my first. The bride says she is expecting 150 guests at the reception but she wants a butternut cake to serve 125 and a red velvet grooms cake to serve 50. I'm afraid everyone will want the red velvet since I'd never heard of butternut. I will also be one of the guests so I do want to be sure that there is enough cake. I will not be in charge of serving the cake - the people at the venue will do that. Do I just make what they requested and hope for the best or should I try to talk her into more cake? Would love to have advice from you experienced decorators. Thanks so much. brincess_b Forum Addict Joined: Oct 19, 2008 Posts: 1890 Location: scotland Posted: Fri Oct 23, 2009 1:37 pm  you can maybe say that it might be wise to make a layer of the wedding cake vanilla, not everyone will like butternut cake - whatever that is (actually, im imagining it being kind of carrot cakey, looking at recipes?). at the end of the day, if she likes it, and they pay, you cant really argue! although i do think the couple should cater to their guests and not be entirely self centered, you can bet id have an all chocolate wedding cake! (if i didnt have a man who loves vanilla!) xx LaBellaFlor Forum Fanatic Joined: Jan 16, 2009 Posts: 3246 Location: The Eye of the World Birthday: Jul 15 Posted: Fri Oct 23, 2009 2:22 pm  Yeah, I hear butternut cake & I think butternut squash! Of course zuchinni bread taste good, so maybe it's something along them lines. But I agree with Brincess_B. I think couples should also take their guest taste into consideration. tomswife Junior Member Joined: Oct 23, 2007 Posts: 28 Posted: Fri Oct 23, 2009 2:59 pm  I would have her really describe what she is expecting cake and icing wise, that way there is no confusion - does she have the recipe? Has she had it at a certain restaurant? And I bet that the servers know how to gauge a serving, but I would tell them ahead your expectations, and don't forget you don't eat the top of the cake so don't count that in servings - she may not know that either... Good luck! indydebi Forum Matriarch Joined: Jul 07, 2006 Posts: 23604 Location: Indianapolis IN Birthday: Jan 19 Posted: Fri Oct 23, 2009 2:59 pm  If I get a couple who wants the entire cake to be a flavor other than white, I will ask them if they have any traditionalists in their families who might enjoy some white cake? I then tell them, "My son in law says if he goes to a wedding and there is no white cake with white icing, then he's taking his present and leaving!" I frequently do cakes in which there is not an even distribution of cake flavors. When they run out of one flavor, then they're out and there's not much you can do about it. If guests ask about it, I tell them (since I'm the one cutting the cake) "Yeah, that was a popular flavor and it went fast!" But I'm with everyone else: What the hell is "butternut" cake? I looked up some recipes and they all have "butternut flavoring" which doesn't tell me squat! Elaine2581 Junior Member Joined: Aug 17, 2008 Posts: 44 Location: Conyers,GA, USA Birthday: Jul 10 Posted: Sat Oct 24, 2009 1:18 pm  Thanks to those of you who replied. I do appreciate the advice. The bride did give me a recipe though she warned me that hers never turned out well. I searched the internet and found two that I plan to try in advance, one from a mix and one from scratch. She also provided me with one bottle of flavoring. She wouldn't tell me where she got it but once I had it in my hand, I was able to order another bottle. I bought a vanilla, butter and nut flavoring at the grocery store and made a cake with that and it was delicious. However, both of the flavorings do turn the batter and frosting yellow, which is okay with her but not for guests who only want White!!! I am still wondering about my original question, though. A two layer 13x9x4 is supposed to make 50 wedding servings but that just seems so small to put out for 150 guests. Welcome more advice. brincess_b Forum Addict Joined: Oct 19, 2008 Posts: 1890 Location: scotland Posted: Sun Oct 25, 2009 5:36 am  uk google results suggest its a cake with actual butternut squash - like carrot cake, us results are purely about this flavouring. the diference between countries amused me im curious though - is butternut flavouring a nut flavour, or squash flavour? as long as you have enough cake servings or everyone, and the bride is happy to have the sizes suggested, then i wouldnt worry about it. of course, make sure its all in the contract! the grooms cake is generally supposed to be smaller anyway. besides, everyone knows when the cake is cut and laid out, you have to run for the pick of the slices! xx JenniferMI Forum Fanatic Joined: Nov 12, 2006 Posts: 2130 Location: Manistee, Michigan Birthday: Dec 22 Posted: Sun Oct 25, 2009 6:30 am  I think you have to trust your serving sizes.... I think if you make enough for everyone, you will be fine, regardless of flavor. When one is gone, they will eat the other Jen mcaulir Frequent Member Joined: Mar 29, 2009 Posts: 217 Location: Dalby, Australia Posted: Sun Oct 25, 2009 10:19 am  Really? She wants an unusual flavour, but won't tell you where to get the flavouring? Weird. As for more cake, if that's what she wants and pays for, that's what she gets. She's under no obligation to provide a 'traditional' flavour, and if guests don't like it, they don't have to eat it. mcaulir Frequent Member Joined: Mar 29, 2009 Posts: 217 Location: Dalby, Australia Posted: Sun Oct 25, 2009 2:39 pm  Really? She wants an unusual flavour, but won't tell you where to get the flavouring? Weird. As for more cake, if that's what she wants and pays for, that's what she gets. She's under no obligation to provide a 'traditional' flavour, and if guests don't like it, they don't have to eat it. Elaine2581 Junior Member Joined: Aug 17, 2008 Posts: 44 Location: Conyers,GA, USA Birthday: Jul 10 Posted: Mon Oct 26, 2009 4:37 am  Thanks again for the responses. I appreciate your time and help. The bride has provided one bottle of flavoring and it is actually called "Butter and Nut". It smells good but is hard to describe. It is not made from Butternut Squash. She said she used to have it for birthday cakes as she was growing up. I bought a bottle over the internet from a county store in NC and paid more for the shipping than the bottle of flavoring itself. Thanks again. I love this website for its helps and ideas. cakesbycathy Forum Addict Joined: Aug 16, 2005 Posts: 921 Location: Cleveland, OH Posted: Mon Oct 26, 2009 4:57 am  Personally, I would not be comfortable serving a cake from a recipe that I had never made before and wasn't something I had already spent a long time perfecting as my own. I know that you're going to do some test runs first, but still. Is she paying you extra to do this? If it were me, well, I am not in a position to spend extra money to experiment on creating this flavor because the bride doesn't like what I offer and wants me to make her a flavor that she admits she can't get right. I guess what I'm saying is that it doesn't make sense for me (financially and otherwise) to use someone else's recipes. What happens if you bake it and she doesn't like the taste because it's not how she thought it would turn out? Is she going to want a refund? Is there anything in your contract to cover this? Who knows, maybe you'll create the most amazing cake flavor ever, but for me I would tell her what's on my cake menu is what I offer. bbmom Forum Addict Joined: Feb 04, 2009 Posts: 500 Location: small town Posted: Mon Oct 26, 2009 5:34 am  I would make the amount the customer pays for. I would note on the contract that she ordered less than she needed though. denetteb Regular Member Joined: Feb 28, 2008 Posts: 175 Location: Duluth, MN Posted: Mon Oct 26, 2009 5:50 am  Butternut flavor doesn't sound quite as weird if you think of butter pecan, quite a tasty ice cream flavor. Deb_ Forum Fanatic Joined: Aug 16, 2008 Posts: 4645 Posted: Mon Oct 26, 2009 6:03 am  Elaine2581 wrote: Thanks again for the responses. I appreciate your time and help. The bride has provided one bottle of flavoring and it is actually called "Butter and Nut". It smells good but is hard to describe. It is not made from Butternut Squash. She said she used to have it for birthday cakes as she was growing up. I bought a bottle over the internet from a county store in NC and paid more for the shipping than the bottle of flavoring itself. Thanks again. I love this website for its helps and ideas. Lorann oils makes a butternut oil flavoring. I use it in my buttercream on my banana chocolate chip cake and it's delicious. I get it at thebakerskitchen.com. Display posts from previous:   All Posts1 Day7 Days2 Weeks1 Month3 Months6 Months1 Year  Oldest FirstNewest First     CakeCentral.com Forum Index » General Goto page 1, 2  Next You cannot post new topics in this forum You cannot reply to topics in this forum You cannot edit your posts in this forum You cannot delete your posts in this forum You cannot vote in polls in this forum You can attach files in this forum You can download files in this forum Translation: