I have a bride and mom coming this weekend for a tasting for "anything but white cake", but they may want to try 3 different icings, which I have no problem with.

I'm thinking--should I just make cupcakes and have the icings on the side for them to try? I usually do iced 4 x 4", but haven't done multiple icings.

How do you guys handle this in the most tidy, professional way? I don't want it to look like a My Little Kitchen play date...lol

me again...

What if I just make cupcakes and have the icings in decorator bags with a large star tip, so I can swirl an icing on each of several cupcakes in each flavor for them? Maybe a small bowl of each with a spoon for them to try the icing before I put it on the cupcake? Or I could just pre-ice the cupcakes, one in each flavor? hmm!

I'm just picturing lots of gooey knives and extra bowls on the table and thinking, I'd rather keep it very clean and simple.

I think the only way to keep it really clean is to do all the combos ahead of time and maybe put something in it so you know which is which....or a label for the cupcake wrapper or something...

When I do this (and it's such a pain, but oh well!) I set out naked cupcakes and little dishes of fillings and icings. Then the client spoons whatever they want to try onto their own plate, and mixes and matches different bites 'til their heart's content.

Deanna

Make it easy on yourself and pre ice cupcakes in the flavors you are offering and serve that way the bride gets an idea of what the icing tastes like with the cake.

I would do mini cupcakes already set up. Maybe put them on a white plate and label directly on the plate or with toothpick "flags" just so it is more neat and organized.

If you decide to let them do it themselves, put each flavor in a ramekin with a clean spoon or knife to keep crumbs at bay and to keep flavors seperate.

When I do tastings (idea picked up from a local baker), I put everything on a large cake plate (a nice one, not cardboard). I put naked slices from a six inch cake (in different flavors), ice cream scoops of different buttercreams, and melon/cookie scoops of different fillings all on the cake plate. This way the taster can make whatever combinations they want. Unfortunately this can result in a lot of extra cake but my co-workers at my "day-job" and family are happy to help with the extras.

HTH

I saw Sylvia Weinstock on the Food Channel one day and she had what looked like circles of cake (used a biscuit cutter and cut pieces from a cake?) with little cups of icing and fillings. The mom and bride took a fork and selected some filling, some icing then stabbed a piece of cake.

Along with what indydebi was saying....I also saw Sylvia Weinstock and her tastings are so professional. She placed little 2-3" discs of cake (from a sheet cake apparently baked in a jelly roll pan) on a nice platter, and beside the cakes she used melon ballers and placed nice/neat scoops of fillings and icings! I'm going to do mine that way next time!

I do what ToMuchCake does.

I just cook up a sheet cake and cut out squares of cake from that and put them, naked, on a pretty serving dish. Then in my matching bowls I put the different fillings and icings they were interested in. I dont like doing pre-made cakes that have already been filled and iced because so far Ive never had anyone choose the cake the way I would have done it. Plus it gives the person making the order more control over the flavor of their cake.