The wedding cake I have coming up is a gift, and the bride was thinking a 4 tiered cake. She explained that there would be a dessert bar too. I'm thinking that this will be too much cake, with the other desserts there too. I was wondering how to figure how much cake to have on hand, when other desserts will be there. Is there a formula for this, thanks

The caterer in me needs to know: How many servings is your 4-tiered cake? How many people are expected to show up? How many did she invite? Is there dinner, also, or just sweets? What kind of stuff is on the dessert table?

On top of the other questions that have been asked I witnessed this at weddings and other events. They have enough servings of cake for everyone plus the desserts. People would rather eat the desserts in most cases because they are more bite size and they were there. Where as with the wedding cake they had to wait for it to be cut. Those who want the wedding cake are usually getting full off the dessert bar also so once the cake is cut they took it home. Not always the case but every event/wedding I've been to/worked that has a dessert bar the couple could have ordered less servings of cake.

The 4 tiered wedding cake and a two tiered grooms cake comes to 180 servings. They will be serving food, not sure about the desserts, just that she said relatives will be bringing desserts. She invited 250 people, she doesn't have a final count yet, but i'm thinking if there are desserts there,I agree, people won't want to eat cake. I see this when I go to weddings, people leave before the cake is cut, or they are too full from the dinner. I want to scale the cake down to a 3 tiered cake, and the grooms cake, which would bring the servings down to 150. The road i'm delivering on is trecherous, and I think it would be easier to transport. Debi, I know you have discussed the percentage of people that would eat cake, but can't remember what the number was, but when other desserts are involved, is it the same calculation. thanks

250 invited x Debi's 60% Rule = 150 expected guests.

"People leave before the cake is cut" ..... grrrrrr!!! This really ticks me off! WHY do people wait and wait and wait to cut the cake hours after dinner? Here's my blog on this topic (scroll down): http://cateritsimple.blogspot.com/search/label/cake-cutting If they don't want cake wasted, then they need to serve the dang cake when their guests are still THERE!!!! How RUDE to wait until many guests have to leave and THEN serve their dessert! (yeah... I'm on a roll, here! I consider this *THE* rudest thing a bride/groom can do!)

The family is bringing the desserts? Oh brother! Nothing ruins the look of a nice formal wedding than a bunch of bake-sale looking desserts that Aunt Mabel and Cousin Gertrude made. I had one wedding where the family decided to have a cookie table. They made tons of cookies. Open to the guests the entire night. They didn't cut the cake until 7:00 (about 2 hours after dinner). I served most of the cake. The cookies just sat there, uneaten. THe logic would be that they would be full of dinner and cookies, but no ..... I think it was that they guests figure they can get Aunt Mabel's cookies anytime, but they can only get wedding cake at a WEDDING!

If the desserts were from a professional caterer, a little top-notch, a cut-above, and not things that folks can get anytime, anywhere, then I would venture to guess the guests may fill up on those and the cake can be reduced. But if I'm at a wedding and I have a choice of wedding cake or bake sale desserts? Get outta my way, I'm heading for the cake table!

(But I'm a self-professed food-snob on stuff like this, so take this post with a grain of salt! )

I know what you mean Debi, I have served many of my cakes at these parties. I start noticing people leaving, and I start saying, can I cut the cake, please. I feel funny doing this, but it makes me nervous. I go to all the trouble, and people aren't even going to get to try the cake. I know what you mean about the desserts that will be coming, have no idea what they will be, guess I need some more information. I'm definitely going to use your method of cutting the cake, mine looks a mess by the time I get to the end of the cake, the last few pieces look terrible, I usually toss them. Also Debi, do you have a method of cutting a fondant covered cake, kind of worried about it. Do you use the same kind of knife, does one work better than another. Thanks so much for your advice, I really appreciate it.

If family members are making the desserts it may go over well, it may not. Depends on how good of bakers they are and if the family eats the items often. If they see them at every function and family get together those desserts probably will just sit on the table.

Cutting a fondant cake would be the same as cutting a buttercream one. With all cake cutting I bring a side towl to wipe the knife blade off when it gets gunked up with cake. That way the pieces still look nice when they get cut and not like someone took a hacksaw to it. I use the same knife for cutting all cakes, not a different one for different icings.

I also have had to beg a bridal couple to cut the cake for 2 hours. They wanted to wait till the greeted every single person at their reception tables. Never mind the huge ice storm that hit and everyone scrambling like roaches to get home before the roads got even worse. So many people waited to have the cake and left without it. Never again. Since then if I stay to cut the cake it get's served within the hour of the food being served.

I've actually walked out onto the dance floor, tapped a bride on the shoulder and told her, "Darlin' over half of your guests have left. You have GOT to cut your cake NOW!"

For cutting a fondant cake, use a non-serated knife. You'll get beautiful cut pieces of cake!

The venue may not even allow the homemade desserts.

Thanks everyone, its an outdoor wedding, rustic, so no concerns about what will be allowed. I'm going to try to do cc. member Rylan birds nest cake, her theme is moss and birds, nests, so I think it will be fun.I have never completely covered a cake in fondant, no one ever wants it, but this one i'll be doing that. Husband is making a cake pedistal using a tree round, so hopefully it will look nice. Nice to know it cuts the same as buttercream, thanks again.

If you want people to eat the fondant use Albert Usters Massa. It's wonderful. I've converted many a nay sayer of fondant with it. Plus, it's super easy to use and color.