I am still pretty new to caking and have had a few taste testings. I am curious as to what some of you cakers do for your taste testing as far as cake goes. Do you bake a small 4", 5" or 6" cake and take the whole thing or do you make a small cake and use just a piece of it for the taste testing? Or maybe something else you do. I would love to know what other cakers do.

Currently, I have made a single layer (torted) 6" cake in the flavor of their choice. I end up giving the rest of the cake to them just in case they have other family members that would like to taste as well when they get home. I do charge $25 for my taste testings and it is not a part of the cake price if they choose for me to make their cake. I don't decorate them but are just either plain buttercream or plain fondant. Am I on the right track or not?

I would love love love any input!

Thanks so much!!

I do to-go tastings, and when I have extra batter, I bake 6" cake, cut into quarters and freeze the quarters wrapped tightly in celophane. I let the client choose 4 flavors and 3 fillings, and charge $25. If their order is over $100, the $25 goes towards their deposit. If it's under $100, I keep the $25. And obviously, if they don't order, I was paid for my materials and my time. I put the $25 towards the deposit, because, I THOUGHT that for the most part, bakeries offer free tastings (although after reading a few threads here on CC, I am probably wrong about that). So if they book with me, the tasting was essentially free

We only do to-go tastings now -- we charge $30 for up to 2 flavors and 2 frostings/fillings ($10 each additional cake/frosting/filling flavor). We bake a 6" round for each flavor and use a cookie cutter to make bit-size pieces, then we package the frostings/fillings in separate small deli containers. That way the customers can mix and match the cake flavors with the frosting and filling flavors.

Hello!! This is the way I do it...I bake mini cakes (4 inch) with the extra batter I have and store them in the freezer for tastings. I cut the 4 inch cake in little pieces...usually about 5 pieces or so and just pull those out whenever I have tastings. I prepare about 3-4 sample cakes and fill those little pieces with filling and smear some icing on top. I place those little samples on a white platter...it makes for a nice presentation. I also prepare a platter with various fillings and butter creams so they can mix and match those if they like. It's really super easy once you have your samples frozen and ready!! I got the white platters at home goods...their used for appetizers I think. This whole process takes me about 20 min.

Hope this helps

Love these ideas! What do you do if they want fondant? Every cake I have made so far...no one has had it before so that is what everyone wants to try...so far anyway.

I had my fee go towards the price of the first cake I did but I wasn't using my left over batter either. I was making them to order and found it was a lot of work. So now I just charge the one fee for my time. But may reconsider if I freeze my leftover flavors!

Thank you all so much for your time!!

I think "take out taste testing" is tacky, like you don't want to be bothered to spend time with your potential client. Your not giving anything away free your charging them a fee for the material and your time weather they order a cake from you or not your making money either flat out charge them fot the taste test or to say it goes towards the cake if they order from you the client is paying for it.
If your customers have questions are they suppose to email you or phone text with the question so your not wasting your time having to talk to them.
Like a Mc Donalds drive through can I have your order... Get your bag to go / or deli container and get out.. If you like your to go order then give me a call and I'll give you the time of day because I'm going to make more money off of you.
Not for me to tacky.. But I guess if it works for others you do what you do.

I don't do taste testing to go...I use that time to consult with the customer. We usually end up changing things because we are using our time bouncing ideas around. But I am curious Candice56 as to what you do? Would you mind sharing?

Thank you!

I make whatever size cakes I have enough leftover batter for (even if it's just a few mini cupcakes) and freeze everything. I also always have fillings and frosting in my cooler in piping bags, so I pull out cake pieces and all the components, and let them mix and match to find their perfect flavor combo.

I do the to-go taste testing using cupcakes. Then a few fillings and icings in separate little containers. So far I haven't charged anything but think I'll start based on comments here. Great input.

i typically do my tastings on sundays (afternoons into nights), which means i have batter, fillings, and frosting already made from the cakes that week (or at least frozen from a previous batch). over email, i let the bride choose 3 cake flavors and 3 filling flavors (i provide the BC since that's what i'll most likely be covering the cake with anyways). i make mini cupcakes of her cake flavors and i pipe the fillings into the appropriate cupcakes, top with a swirl of icing and voila! i use the china i got from my wedding and i have lime flavored water and ice cold milk they taste while i fill out the basics of the contract and small talk. the mini cupcakes are great b/c they are easy and fast to make, they're fresh, and i can do a few different samples without the bride (and whoever else) filling up to fast. i don't charge for them b/c honestly it doesn't take me much time and i already have everything made. plus, not a lot of people in my area charge for them. oh, and if people want to try fondant (which i may use for decoration on a wedding cake), then i have a little circel cutout of it on their plate and they can "top" their cupcake with it HTH!

When I have extra batter I bake a cake and cut it into large bit size pieces. The pieces are put in a zip lock baggie and then in a large freezer baggie. I pull the cake pieces out 30 minutes before the consultation. I do not let the bride pick the cake flavors/fillings - she gets what I have in my freezer.

I get little plastic cups (jello shot cups) and put a piece of cake in each one. There is a piece of cake for each person coming (up to 3 people are allowed to come). Fillings are also put in the cups but there is just one of each. They share the fillings. I also have a cup with fondant for the couple to try.

They usually get to try 6 flavors of cake and 6 or 7 fillings depending on what I have on hand that week.

I to think "to go" tastings are tacky. If the bride wants that because of schedule reasons - or whatever - fine. But I think the consultation is an oppertunity to sell yourself as well as your product. Your personality can be what makes you stand out from other bakers.

Someone asked about fondant, and I didn't see that addressed.

I don't put fondant on tasting cakes. Because several people have said to me "Oh, I don't like the taste of fondant," I provide them a sample of the fondant I do use, and most of the time, they really like it.

I have been fluctuating on my tasting, but I think I'm settling on a 4" cake of each flavor for people with icing and filling. I really want them to get the sense of what they'd be eating so there wouldn't be surprises.

NancysCakesandBeyond,

I appreciate so much that you asked this question! I have been trying for the longest time to figure out how tastings were supplied and presented. Baking a whole cake for 1 tasting wasn't feasible. It seemed like you'd waste a lot of cake. This whole thread was VERY helpful. Thanks again!

nancyscakesandbeyond I do face to face client so I feel we are on the same page and I don't feel rushed.

I like the idea of the mini cupcakes or the samples of filling on a platter for them to mix and match.I have a customer who is wanting me to make samples plain and samples with fillings and it honestly sounded daunting having to make all this cake and then seperate for fillings...i am also tired of all these "plain" ass flavors(excuse my french)..is it a bad/rude/tacky idea to ask the customer for the flavors they want to a taste testing?am i making myself look bad by this and not just coming up with random yummy awesome inventive flavors for them to try???i am just so tired of being asked, can you make a white,yellow,marble and chocolate cake...and i am so lost as to how i should price it,but this thread gave me some ideas..especially the $10 for each extra flavor..thanx so much on the advice

I charge $35 that goes toward the total if they choose to book with me.  Flavors are bakers choice although I try to accommodate special requests.  I bake extras when I'm working on an order and freeze in single servings.  Same with all my frostings.  The lemon curd has to be made fresh, as I think freezing gives it a weird texture.