Please Help A Wedding Newbie With Tasting Suggestions.
Decorating By kathik Updated 30 Apr 2007 , 9:42pm by indydebi
I have never made a wedding cake, and really wasn't planning to do so, but I received a request from a couple who live in NY but are getting married in NC. They need a kosher wedding cake. (Why they don't get married in NY where there are tons of kosher caterers and bakers I can't fathom!!)
Anyway, I emailed her some photos of my cakes and sent her some price information, but she is coming to town this week and now she wants a tasting! Okay, so what do I do? I can't afford to invest a ton of time and money into this, but I would like to give her a reasonable amount of choices. So how do I do this? Do I make cupcake size cakes or 6" cakes or something else? How many flavors do I have at the tasting? How do I decorate these? I know I want her to taste one with fondant, so do I just use plain fondant (I use satin ice) or should I flavor it? Any other wonderful advice is welcome. I didn't expect this and I am totally clueless! 
Kathi
Everyone does this differently. I'm not busy enough to have cakes available all the time so I offer 2 choices of cake flavor and 2 buttercream flavors for a nonrefundable $15.00 fee which is put towards the cake if they book with me. This covers my time, assures they will be there for their appointment and cost of ingredients especially if they don't book with me.
I make 2 6" single layer cakes, one in each flavor. If they want to try fondant I charge $1.00 extra. If they want to try more than the 2 flavors I charge an exra $5.00 per flavor (or cake).
Jacqui
Well, I've made a variety of cake flavors. I can make most things kosher, but it also needs to be non-dairy.
I've made the following:
chocolate
mocha
almond
yellow
I've filled with buttercream (parve) and buttercream mixed with preserves, as well as whipped ganache.
I've iced with buttercreams and ganache and used fondant.
What are some favorites of your brides?
Kathi
I bake a single layer, 6" square. I cut it in half (I now have two 3x6 cakes). I tort both. Fill one with white icing and the other with red raspberry. Ice both in white BC. Here's the pic: http://www.cakecentral.com/modules.php?name=coppermine&file=displayimage&meta=allby&uname=indydebi&cat=0&pos=25
I don't make 5 or 6 cakes with 4 or 5 fillings. It's a "sampling" .... they get to sample my cake to see if I can bake. If they order a lemon cake, it will taste just as good .... only it will taste like lemon.
Any leftover cake, I send home with them (zip-locks! Fabulous invention!) I don't charge for the sampling .... and most of the time, they are sampling catering, so I also have chicken, meatballs, a hot veggie, pasta or rice, etc., for them to sample. I consider a sales call....advertising.
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