I am doing my first wedding cake and due to the number of people invited the bride expressed interest in possibly having sheet cakes in the back to serve the guests so that the tiers don't become ridiculous. I am more than okay with this, but don't know how to price this? The "show" cake will have a real bottom layer for them to cut, and the whole thing will be decorated in fondant. Any suggestions or advice? Thank you!

Let her know that having kitchen cakes probably won't save any money. The cost of the dummies is not much (if any) cheaper than that of actual cake. If any money is saved, it's on the time that it takes to mix, bake, level, and fill cakes. However, making sheet cakes negates any of that cost. I would advise her to stick with tiers and forget the kitchen cakes. More work for you = more money for her.

Yes I agree, fake cakes don't really make much of a saving for the bride and are useful when you want to make the cake appear bigger not smaller.

Your blog name is very eye catching.

In our neck of the woods brown eye is slang for something crude.

If she is thinking the cake would have to be huge, you could suggest satellite cakes instead of the sheet cakes. The presentation would be grand without going really big or tall.

"due to the number of people invited the bride expressed interest in possibly having sheet cakes in the back"

Why then would the cake be fake except for the bottom layer? Or have I misunderstood?

If there were a large number of people, wouldn't you want to use all cake?

She's potentially planning 250-300 guests (based on a 5-6 tier cake) and she's afraid the CAKE will look too big?

For that many guests, she's going to be in a ballroom type of venue and she's afraid the CAKE will be too big?

Is she crazy? That makes absolutely NO sense to me at all.

I saw Sylvia Weinstock explain to a bride, when she found out where the reception was, that she NEEDED a tall cake to look right in that room.

Maybe she invisions a 5 tier cake on top of a fountain or something. A 5-tier cake, stacked, made up of 4" tall tiers is only 20" tall. That's not what I'd call huge.

I think she sounds like a twit.

And, if she wants fewer tiers, make the cakes bigger.

Tell her what I tell all of my brides who ask for this option...

Styrofoam dummy cakes cost just as much as the raw ingredients for a baked cake. The bulk of the cost of your cake is in the decorating and that costs the same no matter what it is on. Then you will be paying for the kitchen cakes which cost about the same amount as a tiered wedding cake. You will end up paying more for a display cake and kitchen cakes than you would if you ordered the appropriate servings of wedding cake.

I give a 10% discount on a fake tier since I don't have to spend the time baking it. I also don't do "sheet cakes"... I provide kitchen cakes which are the same as the wedding cake on the inside... 4" tall... torted and filled. They cost $4/serving. If you have a display cake and kitchen cakes out back it will cost you almost double what a straight up wedding cake would cost.

I love how that works out.

I love how that works out.

I love how that works out.

I love how that works out.