Hello,

I need some advise.

I have a customer that wants a fountain in a 3-tiered cake. This is for 100-125 people. She wants the fountain on the bottom tier and then 2 seperated tiers on top of the fountain. I have been looking throught the pics and I see most of the fountains are on the bottom...any reason for this or is it because that's what's popular?

Do you have any helpful tips that you have gained throught your expierence? This is my 2nd wedding cake and lil nervous..

Thanks so for taking the time..

Jessica

I cut my cake-decorating teeth on fountain cakes in the early 80's when I was getting started. Here are a couple of pics where the fountain is between tiers of cake, instead of on the bottom:

http://www.cakecentral.com/modules.php?name=gallery&file=displayimage&pid=155123
http://www.cakecentral.com/modules.php?name=gallery&file=displayimage&pid=113333

The primary reason the fountain is under the cake is due to size. That fountain stand has an 18" plate system. You "can" get by with using a 16" plate system, but it's a tight fit. But what you'd have is a 14" cake on the bottom, topped by a 16" plate and that would look .... bluntly ... pretty stupid.

Her choices are:
(1) 18" dummy cake on the bottom, to hold and support the fountain (way less stress on you, too!)
(2) Plan on having LOTS of leftover cake
(3) Fountain on the bottom, like most of them are.

P.S. It's perfectly ok to tell a bride, "You can't have that cake design with only that many servings." Then you can offer options (smaller cake, dummy cakes, leftover cake). I get too many brides who want a 5 tier cake for 75 people. It's just not going to happen and I bluntly tell them so.

Had one who wanted my double wedding cake connected by stairs using 2 fountains in the design. I told her she cannot have a double wedding cake over foutnains for only 100 people. She opted for the styrofoam option to create the cake of her dreams.

ok, that is understandable.

So being experienced as I know you are, for 125 people including the top tier what sizes would you use? 14,10 & 6

14" - 78
10" - 38
6" - 12 equals 128 wedding servings based on wilton.

How true so you find them to be?

My last cake I did, bride over estimated how many people, so then I started to cut bigger.

Thanks again

If they are serving the top tier, I think you'll be fine. If they are not serving the top tier, I'd just swap out the 10" for a 12". Also find out how many she invited. Debi's 60% Rule says only 60% of those invited will actually show up. So if she's expecting 125, she should have invited about 200.

HEre's how I cut my wedding cakes, http://cateritsimple.com/_wsn/page19.html , and I get about 10% more pieces than what the wilton chart shows. I cut them in the 1x2x4 size (and usually get quite a few people asking me to cut them a smaller piece).

And 9 times out of 10, they never have as many guests as they think they will.

I know exactly what you're going through...My first wedding cake for sale was a fountain cake and of course would feed 3 times as many people as was needed. The whole thing was doomed from the beginning including the marriage but that's a whole other story!!

I see several issues here:
1) The fountain is intended for the 18" plate and pillar set and usually used as the base... the actual cake sits on top. HIGHLY recommend using a Dummy cake as the base because once the fountain is started...it has a tendency to splatter water and if the water is colored... could be a problem!

2) If you need to use Dummy cakes to create the "dream look", you have to charge them at least the same (or more) for that layer as though that layer were real cake. Styro is expensive AND you still have all the labor of decorating it just as though it were real cake.

3)Cake Slices: usually 1"x2"x4"...Pretty standard slices. When the couple orders the cake ...you must specify to them that the cake will feed X number of people using that serving size. If someone else cuts the cake and doesn't cut correctly... you're not responsible. You'll never have a cake that will feed exactly the number of guests... I usually figure on a 10% NO SHOW. Better to have too much cake than not enough...they can always feed the remaining cake to guests the next day at the gift opening festivities! Another thing to remember....IF each layer of cake is a different flavor... some guests will have more than one piece because they'll find out that they missed out on another flavor. God Forbid someone miss out!

Hope this info is helpful...Good luck!

thanks guys,

I'm sure I'll have more questions as the days come forward.

She wants the cake under the fountain even after warnings. We don't have cake dummys here and I haven't found anyone to bring me any.

Cubcakes,

I am orginally from Seattle, where abouts are you? I went to Ballard and lived all over the north end.

Take care,

Jessica

well guys, I just wanted to follow through and post my pic of the cake.

Thank goodness I couldn't find a pan big enough to make the cake under the fountain.

Then I heard she only used the bottom tier to feed the party. Guess she had alot less than expected.


I was happy with the out come, for a simple cake, it was manageable for your first wedding cake..

Thank again for you help and confidence.

Beautiful cake!! You did a really great job!!

An on the topic of headcount, may I just say......



TOLD YA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

yeah, I went back and forth about the count. You never know in Latin countries if the whole neighborhood will decide to come uninvited. I can say I was defiantly surprised only the bottom tier was ate.

I didn't tell you what I did do though...I was going back and forth about using a 10" or a 12" for the middle tier. I opted of the 10", baked, decorated, done. I was going over things to make sure I had everything in the box and well, shoot my plate was a 10". So, I had to make the 12 the night before the wedding...lol

Live and learn!~