I have a bridal consult/taste testing next Saturday. Can you bake the cakes in advance and store them so they still taste good when the couple tastes them?

What about fillings? Can you make them in advance and how do you store them?

Last question...I am traveling to their home with the cake and fillings. What should I put the food on for presentation without spending a lot of money?

I baked once for every 9 tastings.

- baked one 8" square cake (one of each flavor that I sampled).
- cut it in 9 pieces (cut 3 rows by 3 columns). Pieces will be approx 2x2.5"
- Put the whole thing in a freezer (gallon size) ziplok.
- On sampling day, pull out one (each) of the cut pieces of cake; put in another ziplok bag to thaw (takes about 10-15 mins).
- I served my sample cakes "naked" with icings and fillings on the side so they could mix-n-match. Its a great marketing tool to show them how choc cake with choc filling tastes good ...... but choc cake with choc-rasp filling really POPS!

I wouldn't worry "too" much about what to put the food on. Its a sampling. you're traveling. they are not expecting crystal and china. My samplings in my shop were served on clear plastic plates with plastic forks. I think you need to be organized ...... avoid fumbling bumbling around during unpacking and set up; be sure you have everything and you know where it is. Smooth and professional all the way!

good luck with it!

Oh and I meant to add .....

I kept the sample cakes in the freezer for weeks. Once in awhile I'd run out of a flavor and had to bake a quick one that morning. LUV'D it when a bride would ask if I froze my cakes and I challenged her to pick the one that was "baked fresh" that morning. They had 3 cakes in front of them .... they always picked hte wrong one ..... TWICE!