I'm going to do a small sheetcake for a birthday party for a 4 year old. Do you score the buttercream for proper servings BEFORE decorating? Or do you just decorate and send instructions as to how to cut with the cake?

My plan is to do a baseball diamond on the top of the cake - transferring pattern using piping gel - and add 1/2 Wilton miniball on it decorated like a baseball.

I'd do it only if they requested it to be done.

No.

The closest I come is I add a "secret" mark that is incorporated into the border (like a dot of icing or something) to show the host(ess) where to cut. And I've only done that twice.

I only score if it is on request. Depending on the design I either lightly score and then decorate as normal, or I score and then put a rose bud or simple design on each square.

I prefer to do it like Debbie, I put a dot on the border and let the person cutting know that they are supposed to use these as a guide to cut. No one never knows it's not part of the design.

Thanks to all - the "dot" idea is GREAT. Since this is sort of my first non-family cake, I want to make sure it feeds the number of people I have promised.