Hi everyone. I'm brand new here and juuuuust starting out in this business. I have a question about how to preserve cake for wedding clients who want a tasting. Can you give me some ideas? Shall I slice the cake and freeze it in several pieces for future use? Should I make mini cupcakes and freeze them? I, obviously, can't make 6 cake flavors every time someone wants to come over for a tasting. Any thoughts appreciated!!!

I suggest you do tastings all on one day, that way you could make enough, without loosing out on cake.

I have been having the same thoughts for my own purposes. . i think i plan to bake small squares and cut into small portions and freeze once very well wrapped, label and date and make sure i dont keep over say 3 months . . . defrost overnight as needed . . .its not always poss to conduct tastings all on the same day !!!

any other thoughts welcome . . .x

Hi and Welcome to CC, mamassanfranciscocakes.

Decoding CC acronyms:

http://www.cakecentral.com/cake-decorating-ftopict-2926.html

Everything you need to know to make, decorate and assemble tiered/stacked/layer cakes:

http://www.cakecentral.com/cake-decorating-ftopict-605188.html

Above superthread contains popular CC recipes for crusting American buttercreams, several types of fondant and doctored cake mix (WASC and other flavor variations) - and so much more!

Here a multi-linked thread on conducting tastings and bookings:

http://forum.cakecentral.com/cake-decorating-ftopict-58197-.html

Above threads include info on whether to charge for tastings, what and how to serve, how to conduct the tasting or booking (at home or another location), dealing with no shows and more.

Also, here's a contracts thread:

http://forum.cakecentral.com/cake-decorating-ftopict-201571-.html

HTH

Its absolutley possible to do tastings on one day. If they want to see you they will come in. I don't freeze cakes and I don't like to charge, but I don't like to be out any money either. Individual tastings may mean someone not showing or showing up much too late. If they are under the impression that your tastings are exclusive, they tend to show up. Like Jaime said, it had to be some really special circumstances.

No freezing or charging here. Doing them all in one day, maybe like once every three months saves so much time. Think about it. Do you want to be at the beck and call of joe blow off the street who may or may not show up on Saturday? And then you are out all the work, time, whatever else. I schedule mine for 3 couples at a time. Takes about 30 minutes. Next set comes in an hour later. Next couple an hour later. Bing, bang, DONE! If you can't make it to this one, you can make it to the one next time. If one or two couples happen to flak, eh, big deal. Plenty of other people showed! I'm not out anything!

Cost efficient, frees up your weekends, and keeps this cake business fun!

i hold my hands up to you professionals and admit that is a fab idea and makes perfect sense ! thanks for your input and help xx

I bake once for every 9 sampling appts.

- I bake an 8" square cake of chocolate, white and usually red velvet, sometimes carrot.
- Cut each cake into 9 squares (cut 3 rows by 3 columns). Each square is big enough for 4 people to sample.
- I put them in a freezer ziplock in the freezer.
- For the sampling appt, I pull one of each out of the freezer. (I place them in another ziplok for the thawing process.)
- They thaw in about 20 minutes, so I pull them out of the freezer about an hour before the appt.
- Once thawed, it takes less than 10 minute to prep for the appt. I always have icing and fillings on hand.

So I don't invest a lot of time into prepping for the appts.

Since I work with a lot of out of town brides and military couples, I dont' see how I could do one sampling every three months. Kudos to those who are able to do that!

My samplings are the whole she-bang .... no making a second appt to come bakc and talk about what they want. Working with deployment schedules and balancing when people are going to be in town, I feel I'd lose a lot if I only did samplings once a month or once a quarter. It's not just a sampling ... it's the booking appt. I gotta book more often than once a quarter.

I do limit them to certain days of the week. None on Monday (clean up day and if I'm lucky, my day off). None of Friday (down to the wire day for the weekend's events).

Yep, what works for each. I don't keep hours, and when I do have a tasting, it's an elegant affair. I usually end up booking people before they actually choose their flavors too. Kinda cool, love that internet!

I have been thinking about this a lot lately. I do my tastings once a month at a local winery. I make enough for everyone that comes thru the winery and I advertise it on my website. I usually make 5 different cakes torted with two different fillings per cake. I display my dummy cakes and slice these individually for each person that wants a tasting.

The winery doesn't charge me to use the facility and they love it that I provide samples for all. I have someone help me serve so that I am free to talk to people. The brides that have come up to meet me love the atmosphere and so do the grooms. I provide each potential bride and groom with a certificate for a free wine tasting. I have also gotten alot of new customers this way too!

I also provide tastings for people that can't make it but am beginning to re-think that position. I am seriously thinking of providing an 6" cake to each bride that can't make the tasting. It will be one flavor and fillings and I will put fondant on it. If they like that flavor and want to taste more they will have to come to the tasting. At least this way, I am not making all those flavors and fillings. I hate all those individual tastings.

I am not at this level, yet, but someone I know is a very busy cake artist (and artist she is).

What she does is makes several cakes (like IndyDebi, a few different flavours), torts and fills them only with white BC, no top icing, no fondant. Then she cuts them into small squares (about 1| X 2|), wraps them and freezes them in a large container. Then when she has a tasting, she just pops them out of the freezer, onto some nice petit four papers then onto a nice serving platter. They thaw in about 10 minutes. She said she doesn't use top icing or fondant because "they are there to taste my cake, not my fondant". (Not sure if she gives samples of her fruit for torting.) If you get too fancy, you're wasting your time and money. And she NEVER gives 'cakes to go'. You get your sample then and there - and no "Can I bring my XXX back. I want to see if she/he likes it." One tasting - bride, groom (and MOB/FOB if mom and dad are paying). No bridesmaids, MOH - they don't need to help you decide.

You either sign with her or not - no going away to "think about it". It's a home business, not a mall where they give away tons of samples and don't expect too many shoppers in return.

Sounds tough, but she's extremely busy, and is always picked as "Reader's Choice" for wedding cakes in our city paper.

I LOVE her attitude. It is a home business and I don't have time to dilly dally either.

i too make small 6" sq cakes and freeze them precut into 8 sections. when i have a tasting i remove a piece. trim off the top, cut in half and put in the filling and icing. its ready to go in less then 10 min. I place the small slice on a flattened cupcake paper then onto a nice platter. I also print out in fancy menu style what the cake samples are with the price per serving listed too. This looks very nice and i think the brides appreciate that. I cant stand hidden prices, like going to the jewelers and you dont know how much the ring is they are showing you. everything is upfront. I still do this one on one but may consider trying the once a month thing if i get busy enough.

I've learned to be as resourceful as possible. When I have an order for a small cake 7" or 8", I reserve some batter and bake in a small loaf pan. I freeze the loaf cake, and when I have a tasting, I thaw a portion, trim and shape with a cookie cutter and present on a platter. This way, I always have a selection of cake flavors to taste on hand.

Hope this helps!