Help!!!! What Do I Do?

Decorating By FaithsPlace Updated 29 Apr 2009 , 2:46am by EatSomeCake

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FaithsPlace Posted 24 Apr 2009 , 6:23pm
post #1 of 15

Hi, I am just starting to make wedding cakes and I have a bride coming to taste some samples and has requested me to make 11 different cakes! To me that seems nuts but, I want to know what you all think? What typically takes place for a bride to come in and taste sampling, what do you all do?

HELP !!!

xxxx,
Stephanie

14 replies
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aundron Posted 24 Apr 2009 , 6:27pm
post #2 of 15

11 different cakes??? icon_eek.gificon_confused.gif That seems a bit much!! Ummm, when I do a tasting, they are allowed 3 cake flavors and 2 icing flavors.

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kansaswolf Posted 24 Apr 2009 , 6:27pm
post #3 of 15

Oh heavens no... Maybe THREE cakes... Maybe. I know some people make one or two flavors of cake (cupcakes), and two or three fillings so they can mix and match. No WAY should you be making 11 cakes, unless she's going to pay for all that! Even then, I'd be a little skittish...

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Stephi1 Posted 24 Apr 2009 , 6:28pm
post #4 of 15

There is no way. I would make a couple of different cake/filling combos. She has to have some idea what she is looking for. You can't just make a zillion different things!!!

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Tita9499 Posted 24 Apr 2009 , 6:28pm
post #5 of 15

LOL! I think you tell her she needs to narrow down her request or charge her your base price for 11 6" rounds and freeze the remaining cakes from the leftover batter (if you have any). That's crazy!

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mkolmar Posted 24 Apr 2009 , 6:31pm
post #6 of 15

NO WAY! She's nuts!
The most I have and will do is 3 flavors. A tasting is to see if they like your baking, not to try everything you offer and pig out.

Tell her to only pick out 2 or 3 she wants to really try.

If she says what does the orange cake tastes like, just tell her like an orange. There is no need to go out of your way like she's asking you to.

If she seems upset by this let her go because she'll be a pain to deal with down the road.

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PinkZiab Posted 24 Apr 2009 , 6:48pm
post #7 of 15

Most designers do it in one of two ways: Either have a standard sampling plate that they offer with their most popular flavors or they allow the party to choose 2-4 flavors they would like to taste (and if they would like additional flavors, they can pay for the additional samples). She's nuts plain and simple and I would inform her that it does NOT work that way!

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solascakes Posted 24 Apr 2009 , 6:58pm
post #8 of 15

11, does she want a cake feast disguised as a tasting.I'm scared of her already,she sounds like trouble.

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aggiechef Posted 24 Apr 2009 , 7:01pm
post #9 of 15

I'm amazed that she doesn't already know what kind of cake that she wants. Sounds fishy to me.

I agree with others, if she's a PITA about the tasting, then she'll be a PITA throughout the whole process.

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CakeDiosa Posted 24 Apr 2009 , 7:07pm
post #10 of 15

I'm with solascakes "she sounds like trouble"....

Hmmm....either she truly doesn't know that it doesn't work that way or she does know but thinks that she can get you, the home baker, to work it that way for her. Either way. Don't do it. I've learned that while you are making a cake of their choosing how you go about it is not their decision to make.

If she does seem like she is asking in a way that suggests she might be a pain then take AALLLLLL of the advice here on CC and avoid it.

Quite honestly, I just cancelled an order because I have a gut feeling the person ordering is going to be trouble. Nothing that I could really articulate but I've read enough horror stories here that start with "I had a bad feeling in the beginning about doing this cake...." to feel quite comfortable trusting my gut. I felt quite relieved in doing so.

Do the same.... you'll feel better about it in the end.

Good luck!
(sorry soooo long! I'm wordy..... icon_biggrin.gif )

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becky27 Posted 24 Apr 2009 , 7:08pm
post #11 of 15

steph are you an actual bakery??? because i am not and if someone refers me.....i tell them right off the bat...i am not a bakery and i just don't have extra cake laying around....it takes money to do tastings....so if you want to pay for tasting i will be happy to do so...but they usually just pick out flavors they want and i never had to do a tasting ever!!!

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jenbug_8806 Posted 24 Apr 2009 , 7:14pm
post #12 of 15

WOW! 11 is a lot! I will make up to 5 different flavor combos for my tastings.

If someone wanted me to make that many, I would have them pay for them.

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tonicake Posted 24 Apr 2009 , 7:17pm
post #13 of 15

I am doing my 5th tasting this month-tonight. So far - no problems. I offer chocolate, white and a flavor of their choice (cup cake) with two different flavors of b/c. I have even had small samples of fondants for them to taste with that, but it was only a small taste.

It doesn't take much to know what they want. Either they like your baking or they don't. If she wants the 11 flavors, I definitely would charge for 11 - 6" cakes, then send the left over 6" cakes home with her and hope she enjoys. (I just put icings on a plate so they can mix and match.)

Good luck with that. I hope it all works out.

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FaithsPlace Posted 29 Apr 2009 , 2:23am
post #14 of 15

Hi ladies, thank you so much for the help ! She has decided to pay for the extra, lol...

She is coming this Saturday so, I hope she is ok to deal with.

Thanks again !!
xxx

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EatSomeCake Posted 29 Apr 2009 , 2:46am
post #15 of 15

I let the bride choose 5 cakes with 5 filling combinations like a mix n match of her choice or she can choose up to 5 of my specialty cakes or she can do a little of both but still not equaling more than five total. I ice all my cakes in Italian BC which I tell her so she does not have to choose an icing unless she has something else in mind like fondant, ganache, etc. I include a small ball of white fondant to try as well. If she wants to try more there is a $50.00 tasting fee that is applied toward the cake if she goes with me.

Please let us know how the tasting goes...good luck!

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