http://www.iowarentacake.com/index.html

A decorator from my area has two websites, 1 devote just to faux rental cakes and another for real cakes.

Since I stay and cut the wedding cakes I do, there is no whisking off to the back to cut the cake. You would not believe the dumbstruck looks I get while I am taking apart and cutting the cake. All in about the same time as Indy. When the brides or MOB ask what I need to be able to cut the cake, I just tell them another table close by to put the pieces on and if someone wants to help keep the plates coming, I can be done even quicker! I truly do not understand the fake cake mentality in normal circumstances!

I have made one partially "fake" wedding cake, the only tier that was actually cake was the top. The bride and groom wanted sheet cakes of different flavors and frosted with different flavors of buttercream. Ex: one was chocolate cake with mocha buttercream, chocolate cake with peanut butter buttercream, etc...

In New England the wedding cakes are always "whisked to the back" to be cut, usually right after the bride and groom feed each other their piece. I'm wondering if it may be because the cake table is usually set up on the dance floor, and right after the bride & groom cut the cake they have their first dance. Kind of hard to dance around the cake table!

Around here they're whisked off to the back. I don't think I've ever seen a cake cut in front of guests. So I guess it is a regional thing.

I'm glad this question has got everyone talking. I've enjoyed reading everyone's responses and learning about our cake cutting differences. Thanks for taking time to reply. Yet another reason why I love CC!

I don't really understand the idea that cake = dessert. Every wedding I'v ever been to, dessert is a course of the meal: pie, apple crumble, pavlova, cheesecake etc, and cake is served with tea and coffee afterwards or put in little bags to be taken home.

If cake is erved as dessert her, it's usually a mudcake, and is served in a bowl with cream or icecream.

Now, at least I understand all the times I've read about the decorator staying and cutting the cake at weddings. I couldn't figure out for the life of me why the staff couldn't figure that one out, and why the decorator needed to hang out to go into the kitchen to cut the cake.

It never once occurred to me that it was being cut in front of everyone. No thanks, I would less prefer to have people watching me disassemble and cut a cake then to have them watch me decorate it in the first place.

The only time I've made a faux cake for a wedding was when the venue served cheesecake - which was what the bride and groom preferred, but they still wanted to keep the "cake cutting" portion of the reception part of their event, so the top was real and the rest was fake. They loved it and they served their guests their favorite dessert.

Ohio chiming in! If the families are catering the reception, the cake is generally cut in front of the guests. The cake is also usually made by either a family member or a home baker. Our cake supply stores here keep a home cake maker list and will give out the names and numbers to anyone who asks.

If the event is professionally catered, the cake is whisked off to the back to be cut and plated.

i have never seen a faux cake here in oklahoma! please any other ccers in ok, correct me if i am mistaken! i just dont understand the reasoning, kinda like indy says the ole bait and switch! i would be soooo dissapointed if i saw this beautiful cake on the table and was served sheet cakes!!!

oh and as far as every wedding i have been to, the cake is always cut at the table after the cutting pictures, ect. right there, where everyone can see it being butchered.....

It is tons more stressful for me to assemble the cake in front of the guests than it is to "butcher it"! Like Annabakescakes mentioned, I think the guests like to see the cake they are going to eat cut up in front of them. Guests come up and talk to me and ask questions and get the piece they want, freshly cut not dried out from being cut too early.

I charge a cake cutting fee and point out to my brides that I know how to take apart and cut the cake to assure them they get the servings they require and paid for.

And all the equipment is my problem not theirs and no deposit fees to pay or mess with. This is just how I like to handle wedding cakes and have not run into a single complaint!

In every wedding I have been to (NJ/NY area) cakes are always cut in the kitchen, not out in front of the guests.
I also have a clause in my contract that no other bakery type of dessert can be served. An ice cream bar, yes, other cakes or cookies, no. I don't want people thinking that the mass produced cookie or cake was made by me. (Of course, since I just drop the cake at the venue and leave, I have no way of knowing if that part of my contract is followed)

It is amazing to me how much this one little thing is different from region to region. More so how much we all prefer what, essentially, we are all used to.

I really understand the value to the cake decorator in being able to get more business from it. What if you have several weddings all on the same day? You can't be at all, so you need to pay someone to be there at those.

The part I don't get, is I really don't care to see the cake being cut up. I get there is an enjoyable part of this for some people, but on something large scale, I just don't want to spend that much of the time watching it.

Here, someone mentioned the cake being on the dance floor, and yes, that is frequently the case. So that wouldn't work well, both from the perspective of liability for any icing or cake that gets on the floor and people could slip.

It also keeps people from being able to get up and dance right away, which is what you want at the wedding. You get up and dance, and a few minutes later, your cake has been served. So, in this type of a region, it doesn't matter if the cake if fake or not, the guests don't know.

I was told a story recently by a local vendor. A couple was getting married at their hall. The cake had been delivered and was fine, but within a short period of time the cake was leaning, more and more, then about to topple over.

The owner of the place happened to have a fake cake in the back, quickly ran and got it, and replaced it with the falling cake. (Fortunately, it was similar in design) When the couple arrived she pulled the groom into another room and showed him "their" cake, and explained what she did with the fake. He was very thankful.

When it came time for cutting the cake, the owner quietly slipped a piece from the real cake behind the fake, and simply told the bride they were just cutting that. The bride was confused, but thought that it must be something new to just cut another piece of cake and keep the wedding cake intact. (Remember lots of things are going on). They did cut and serve the real cake to the guests.

The bride never gave it another thought until they were boarding the plane for their honeymoon, and finally asked her new hubby just why it was they couldn't cut their wedding cake. He told her the whole story. She said she had no idea the cake in front of them was not real, and she wa thankful for the save. The owner of the place later gave them the fake to keep as a rememberance.

Anna, by equipment, I meant the normal things that you would charge a deposit for like cake stands, special supports etc. The bride provides the plates and napkins - I do take along a set of serving utensils with matching ribbon in case the bride has forgotten this for the cutting ceremony.

I have a tote bag that I carry a repair kit, roll of paper towels for wiping the knife clean every few cuts, a a large spatula to take apart the cake with, a sharp knife, plastic gloves, a paper bag to put trash in (in case there is not one on site for me to use), a small pair of scissors and I do take along a couple of boxes to put any leftover cake in.

I encourage my brides to cut the cake as soon as possible after arriving at the reception so I can cut the cake while guests are eating the meal. I can cut the cake and clean up the mess, box up any leftovers and be done in under 30 minutes.

I only do cakes for friends and family and their referrals so I did only 10 wedding cakes last year and on the one Saturday that I did have 2, they were spaced for enough apart to make it work.

I charge a flat rate of $30 for cutting. With a CakeSafe, I do not have to assemble on site anymore and can get to the reception with in 30 minutes of the bridal party. I know other people think that this goofy, but I just like doing things this way.

I just know that in a lot of venues the cutting fee includes dishes and washing and silverware, that is how they get away with charging so much. I wouldn't bother with what other people think, if you enjoy it, and get compensated enough for your time, and the brides appreciate it and want it, then that is what matters. I like to cut my own buttercream cakes, fondant is frustrating, and cheesecake is the pits!

So my question to those that rent cakes is: How do the bride and groom cut the cake? My wheels are spinning as well, no rental cakes in my area. But I am still confused as to how they do the cake cutting?

My couples place the knife on the faux cake to take the first photo then cut into a small cake, cupcake or slice of cake that is placed behind the faux cake for the second photo. This is what they feed to each other. No one realizes what they have jsut done and are suprised to find out the cake was faux.