I was wondering how you guys instruct your customers to cut and serve cakes. For wedding cakes, I assume that the catering hall will know how to do it. For regular cakes, though- do you warn your customers that there are dowels, cardboard, skewers and all manners of non-edibles inside the cake? Do they realize this or are they skeptical/surprised when you tell them? Do they realize that they have to cut down to the cardboard and stop- and serve that level instead of cutting all the way down? I'm asking because I had a tiered cake with gumpaste flowers on toothpicks and real ribbon (backed with wax paper) on it and apparently, everyone was very perplexed as to how to start cutting and serving!

I always include a "suggested" cutting guide and a list of how many supports are in the cake.

Judy, here is a link to the Wilton page where they show each shape and the graph for cutting.
http://www.wilton.com/cakes/cake-cutting-guides/wedding-cake-cutting-guide.cfm

You could print it out and include the size and shape of the cake purchased. It will show the client how the cake is to be cut and how many serving pieces they will get out of each cake.

Don't assume that all venues will know how to cut a wedding cake. I've been at a few that butchered the cakes. It's always a good idea to leave the cutting graph and dowel inventory information.

Here's the link to my website that shows step by step how to cut a cake ... much better than the dreaded "circle method". I've delivered cakes and found this page laying on the cake table for the cake cutter. Since it's a "straight line method", it's easier for cake civilians, too.

http://cateritsimple.com/_wsn/page10.html

I agree with indydebi. I have looked at her cake cutting guide before and it is sooo much easier to explain.

Thanks, Indydebi! Do you also include a guide to explaining dowel removal and cardboard? Or do you just let the customers know that various inedibles are contained within the cake?