I get email enquires asking if I make dummy cakes and sheet cakes for the kitchen. Now we all know where this is coming from - those pesky bridal magazines.
If some asks me at a tasting it is easy to explain why this does not work, but to explain to a "cold-call" email why it does not work just sounds like you want to up-sell them. There is a decorator serving my area who does specialize in this, in fact this is what she promotes, so it is available.
What I am trying to find is an online article that disputes this... that I can send a link to the enquirer, people are so much more likely to believe what they read when it looks like a proper article.

b/c the cost of the actual cake is the smallest part of the total cost. a dummy cake takes the sam time and effort and supplies to decorate, plus you have to buy the cake dummy itself. then you STILL have to pay for the cake actually to be eaten, which even if not decorated fully has to pay for the time and effort to make it, plus the cost of the ingredients.

You could do the research yourself and write your own article....

Add up the cost of the dummy cake and enough kitchen cakes (two layer, similar to wedding cake, to feed everyone) and see what you get, as compared to a regular wedding cake without kitchen cakes.

Besides...what's the point of a fake cake anyway? Never figured that one out. If you don't want to eat cake at your wedding....don't buy a cake.

JMO, but the only time a dummy cake is cost effective is when it is used multiple times (rented). It is just like renting a condo on the beach. If I buy the condo it is going to cost me 500K, if I rent it for a week it will cost me 1K.

Maybe make a few dummy display cakes and offer them to the brides as rentals. Iâm sure 99% of the brides wonât opt for the rented cake, but it makes people feel more empowered when they have options to choose from.

While it's not an "article" per se, you are welcome to send them to my FAQ page, where I lay it out for them by the numbers: http://cateritsimple.com/_wsn/page13.html

Debi -

That's a great breakdown on fake cakes. Thanks for sharing that with us.

Theresa

I'll agree with the renting part, however, that's going to be up the the baker if he/she wants to offer that service - AND he/she should only offer that service if there is a clear demand for it in his/her target market.
It's not financially wise to offer more options just so people can feel empowered. That is why restaurants take certain food items off their menu.

I think in this case, let the bride talk HERSELF out of doing the dummy w/ sheets... Gladly quote the bride $$$ for the dummy cake designed for her wedding which includes the dummy cakes, icing, and materials associated with the design. THen quote her rates for sheet vs. kitchen cakes (include portion sizes... the sheet is a smaller portion than the kitchen that has all the fillings added)... AND, quote her for having real cake done for the display and sheets to finish out servings...

You know, you can't fix stupid... Let them figure it out themselves it's going to cost them more to have the dummies and sheets. You could link her to the posts here about why dummies are 2-3x the work as a real cake, but this is sort of our decorators safe-haven LOL...

I read in REAL Weddings a brief blurb stating that dummy cakes are not the way to go to save money most of the time. I don't know if they have it on-line though. If you rent one from a place that specializes in this that can save a little, but you still have to buy cake and it can be up there with the cost of a real cake anyway.

Custom dummies are the same as a regular cake.

Thanks for the input everyone, I guess there is nothing out there. Indydebi thanks for the offer of linking to your site it is a great explanation BUT just above it you have a description of why not to use fondant, which I use almost exclusively!

I don't suggest they shouldn't use fondant. I tell them why I prefer not working with it ... and that we are experimenting with fondant accent decors. I also offer to help them find a decorator who does great fondant work if they really want a fondant cake.

I am so upset!!! There is a local baker that did a newspaper article recently and this is what she tells them:

FAKE-OUTS. With faux tiers, you can achieve the look of a grand-scale cake without the grand-scale price. "The bottom tier can also have a 'pocket cake' placed inside for the traditional cutting and feeding to each other." " Other sheet cakes are made in order to make up all the servings needed."
GROOM CAKES: "Expect these to grow in popularity, as they help feed the crowd and usually cost less."

Ughhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!!!! Why do this??? Great! Shouldnt we be helping the business not putting stupid stuff into peoples heads that just aren't so!! I don't know what to think about this. Ughhh

Ughhh the only problem with that is, there are local decorators that are supporting her article and congratulating her. Ughhhh. I don't know what to do with this. It is so frustrating that one of us would do this to US!!! Why???