Has Anyone Ever Done This For Cake Testing????
Decorating By D77 Updated 18 Jul 2007 , 1:12am by ThatsHowTcakesRolls
I have some one who is wanting to taste different cakes and different fillings and said they saw on one of the cake shows that instead of making a 6" cake and torting it and everything they just bake a cake cut into chucks and had cups of filling and icing and dip the cake chunks into them or spooned them on. What do you think is better?
I forgot about cake balls
If I went for a cake tasting, I wouldn't want to try to scoop out what would look like leftover cake scraps and try to envision the wedding cake taste. Appearance does lend itself to influence part of the taste. I would want to feel like you went to SOME effort to try to impress me, the customer.
OTher thread(s) on samplings:
http://forum.cakecentral.com/cake-decorating-ftopict-343753-six.html+inch+square
I offer different cake flavors at my tastings, so I cut them up into "chunks" but they are placed nicely on a small serving tray and I have matching small bowls to put the fillings in. the brides all tell me they love my set up.
melody
I saw somewhere once where they had slices of a couple different flavors. In bowls they had different frostings and fillings. That way the client cah take little bits of what interests them and then they can choose from there.
I thought this was a clever Idea. That way you don't have to come up with the combos. And it's simple.
CCC
I do my tasting with the minature ball pans. whenevr I have left over batter I just make them and freeze them. They are a bit bigger than a cupcake, but smaller than a 6inch. I ice them in BC and place them on a nice serving tray. I then make the fillings and put them into piping bags. I do thin slices of the cakes and put a nice squeeze of the filling beside the cake for the tasting. I used to fill them. This way a couple can try cream cheese mousse with choc. cake, cherry choc. cake, yellow cake etc...It is so nice to mix and match them....And there are no leftovers. It works very well for me...
At my cake testing, for my wedding...they gave us a full slice of a 2 layer cake. It wasn't the flavor or filling we wanted and then they gave us chunks of the flavors we wanted to try as well as the buttercreams in little cups.
I thought it was fine. I really couldn't imagine someone to think you are goingto bake a whole ckae for a testing. This way they have a larger variety as well.
The baker said that they bake a "sample" ckae once a week for the slices. Have the buttercreams on hand and bake the other flavor in batch and freeze (for cubing).
I want a prospective client to not only taste the flavor and texture of my cakes, but to get a visual of something that is appealing to the eye. I always make a 6" cake and ask ahead in regards to fillings and flavors, also color scheme and flowers that may be used in the wedding. I bake and decorate according to those questions and their answers. I do not charge for a consultation or the cake, and I send the leftover cake home with them. But I do charge enough for the actual wedding cake to compensate for that expense and time.
So no, the chunk thing doesn't appeal to me at all.
I bake my leftover batter in 6" rounds, cut it in quarters and freeze it. When I do a tasting, I can easily pull 4 different flavors, torte, fill, and ice just the top. They are put together on one 8" board almost touching, so its about the same volume as a 6" cake.
Sounds to me like Wilton needs to make a "slice of cake" pan. Same size as a slice out of a 6" or 8" round cake, use the pan to make like cupcakes, then tort and fill and frost each seperately.
I would be put off by the chunks of cake. I would know the cake would taste good, but I wouldn't necessarily have an idea how it would look.
I asked my (one) bride to choose two flavor combinations she wanted to try. Then I baked a six inch of each, filled and frosted. This gave them the opportunity to see how smooth the icing was as well. Since I don't have a shop where I can show them dummy cakes or ready made cakes, this gave the bride and her mother the opportunity to see that I at least know the basics and to see how the cake will look when cut.
Kathi
I have the miniature round pans and I use all my left over batter to make these small rounds of different flavors. Then freeze them and have their choice of filling and frostings so I can put 2 small rounds together with filling and ice with what ever icings they choose.
The chunks just dont appeal to me.
Remember, people eat with their eyes FIRST. You're selling the bride not only on your cake but your decorating as well. Seeing photos of your cakes and cake dummies only goes so far in comparison to seeing your cakes live. I'm also not a fan of the chunks because it just doesn't give the visual appeal and it's messier IMNSHO..
It's a little thing called the "law of reciprocity" that helps hook brides in and builds business because they the leftover samples home with them and let their friends try the cake too. OTOH, I also market myself as being more exclusive, they only get the one freebie tasting then if they want something else they have to pay for the sample.
What I do... I bake a single layer 6" of WASC and CASC, then fill with one flavor of filling... but two different filling textures.. For example, one filled with more of a fluffy filling, then one with a preserve filling, then possibly one with just a flavored buttercream. Basically I tell them that they can go for the texture they're looking for can be translated into most flavors that I offer. Then, the chocolate is coated in chocolate, the white is coated in traditional ABC with a top coat of fondant.
By sending them home with samples, it also gives them a chance to taste what their cake will taste like after the flavors melt together because I flat out tell them their cake may taste different because it will not be baked the same day as the wedding itself so that there is enough time to do the decoration, but also to give the flavors a chance to marry and cake a chance to relax (you know, how many cakes taste better the 2nd day than the first!)..
Above all else, DO what works best for your business. Most bakers can't afford to keep extra samples on hand, but also, it's expensive to give brides their choice of flavors unless it's a simple request (like lemon cake instead of white cake where it's the same recipe different flavoring)...
I only had one bride (well her mother) ask for samples. I had just started in my home and was by word of mouth only. Not legal or anything. I baked a sheet cake, leveled and torted it, it was going to be only the bride and her mom, so I cut the cake into strips about an inch or so wide. and put a different filling in each strip, then I iced them and cut them into cubes, almost like petits fours, but I used buttercream icing on the tops only so the sides weren't iced, it was like a small piece of sheet cake. I had at least 3 cubes of each flavor, for them to taste.
I have a tasting coming up and I plan on making 16 cupcakes in 2 different cake flavors. With 2 different fillings and 2 different icings. This way they get to sample a bit of everything. I plan on placing some decorations on top of the cupcakes that correlate to their theme and they get to take the leftovers home. I thought about doing petite fours.. but what a PITA right?? LOL
I like your idea a lot though randipanda.. I'll have to give that some thought. So you have 2 single layer cakes to present? Each torted to 3 layers? With 2 different fillings in each for 4 different fillings but all the same basic flavor just different textures? That's what I have in my head from your description anyway.. but I have been known to be odd in my imaginings.. 
I always use left over batter to make cupcakes and then store them in the freezer.... so why not use a cupcake as your sample cake.. you can frost them with a couple of different frostings and have some small bowls of fillings on the side that can be tasted. Alternatively, you could pipe some filling into the cupcake before frosting.
I watch just about every wedding show I can find on TV, and I have got to tell you that almost all of the hoity toity bakers do the chunks thing. They bring out a plate with lots of flavors of cake, and little containers of filling and frosting. This is even what they do for the disney weddings. (I say that on a show too) 
Sometimes there is a whole slice of one flavor and then smaller chunks of various flavors.
HAHAHAHAHA!!!! Indydebi.. that is too funny. I agree.. even hunks of cake would be a better word.. LOL.
I use the small Wilton 3" or 4" (not sure exactly) round pans - they came 3 in a package - I have like 30-40 of them...I always pick some up so they just keep growing!! I bake scratch & mixes so...you can get about 9-12 cakes per every 4-6 cups of batter or you can get about 10 out of a cake mix so I just bake a bunch of flavors at a time and freeze what I don't use for the week. I do a lot of samplings so I usually don't have any left over after the week if I've done my counting properly!! I offer flavor combinations to all brides and even more if they ask. There is always cake left over for them to take home but I'm really not spending a lot of money on these samples at all.
They're either placed on a 1/4 sheet or 12" round board depending on how many samples they have and then I can pack it up for them when they leave. I certainly don't know all the tricks but I have a very high success rate with bookings and in the last year have only have 3 brides not go with me after a sampling. They've all really liked this and it gives them an opportunity to try any sample combination they'd like to try.
My husband thought it was a lot of work at first but with the success rate he sees that it's worth it now - It makes the bride feel special because I took the time to make her exactly what she wanted and it's fresh - just like her wedding cake would be - I never freeze any cakes so it works for me and it seems to work for the bride...so far!! 
I have to agree chunks is the wrong word! I place small slices of a few different cake flavors on a pretty plate. I then take a cookie scooper and scoop a few fillings into a pretty designed mini muffin liner. And I do the same for the icings. I then place little mini tea spoons on the plate for the potential client to use to spread each on the cake slices so they are able to try multiple combinations of cake/icing/filling.
I make cupcakes, using my leftover batter from my cakes. I freeze them. When I have a consult, I thaw, then remove the cupcake paper, cut in half, fill, and place in the silicone cupcake things. I put a swirl of icing and a fondant flower on all of them. They look so cute when they are all done. I make two of each flavor and give them forks. Sometimes, I place a heart shape cookie on the top with their monogram. They love that!!!
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