Just wondering when i do a cake for someone and have to add dowel rods i get a little nervous i tell them several times about them being in the cakes, do you all do this and if you do a wedding cake do you have them to sign something stating that they know there in the cakes and your not responsible for accidents, just wondering the more i bake cakes and have the rods in them the more i get nervious.
Thanks for everthing

Of course, why not and I also tell them what pieces should be pulled off because of the gumpaste being so hard and I tell them the easiest way to cut it. And no to the release as long as they have my contract.

HTH

i just did a cake this weekend that had 4 dowels in the bottom layer and a cake board in between layers. i told the customer that they were all there, so they wouldn't try to cut the two cakes together and wonder what was up (then ultimately ruin it). she seemed to know what i was talking about, so it was no problem. i have yet to do a wedding cake, but i would say if you add it to your contract, they are signing it anyway.

good luck!

Yes, I usually tell people about the dowels but more for 3D cakes than wedding cakes. I figure people usually expect them in wedding cakes. I like to give people a heads up on the 3D cakes though b/c it's not obvious as to WHERE all the dowels are.

Courtney

Ditto. Whenever and wherever I use a dowel, I tell the customer. I see no reason why not to. I'd rather them be expecting it than to be surprised.

I have a "Drop Off Customer Signature Form"- signed by the "designated person" at the banquet hall or party.

It has a diagram where the dowels are and how to cut and slice the cake
This ensures:

That the cake serves as many as the contract promises (they can't say we only got 75 slices etc)

and the cake was in perfect condition at delivery and our responsibilty ends there (if friend or waiter causes damage it is not our responsibility.)

Even at small functions this is a good idea.

Since I'm the one who usually cuts my own wedding cakes, it rarely comes up.

However.... I do have D&R cakes once in a while (Drop-n-Run). In that case, I will tell the facility contact person if I have done the dowel-rod-down-the-center thing so they know how to take it apart. Otherwise, they are well aware of how a wedding cake is constructed.

I also tell them what equipment needs returned and that I have provided a white trash bag for the equipment and that i will come back and pick it up on Monday; I put the bag under the cake table and it has my name/number written on it with black magic marker.

If everything is disposable or not worth the gas to come back and get it (not making a special trip for ten or fifteen bucks worth of pillars and masonite boards), I let them know they can keep it or trash it but I don't want it back. (The country club the past weekend said, "YAY!!!!!!!! No REturnables!!!!!!!!" )

But logically, when they go to cut your cake and they remove the top tier, they will see the wooden dowels in the bottom tier.

Indy Deb-

Do you have a cake cutting charge?
How long do you stay at the reception or do you or someone come back for the cutting?

what's there to hide about dowels ? it's part of cake construction.

They need to know so they can remove them b4 cutting, although it is something that can be seen easily when cutting .