How do you handle supplying fresh cake for wedding cake tastings? I don't do many wedding cake consultations because wedding cakes account for a very small part of my business but every few months I get requests for consultations and tastings. Do you freeze left over cupcakes from an order and pull out and frost just in time for the tasting or do you bake a small batch, say 1 dozen, just for the tasting? Do you charge for this? Deduct from their wedding cake cost if they choose you? I would like to be able to offer this when the time arrives but I don't know if to leave assorted cupcake flavours in my freezer boxed for months. What advice and recommendations do you have?

I found the best way is to do mini cupcakes. I freeze the batter and bake just what I need. I only offer tastings for weddings and for cakes over 200 servings. I supply the client with 3 or 4 mini cupcakes of 3 flavors packed in 2 oz cups, and 2 flavors of frosting. That way they can mix and match. I don't charge for tastings but a lot of people do.

Interesting. I have never frozen batter. Always thought it would affect the quality and any raising agents. I do like your advice to make mini cupcakes with 3 cupcake flavours and two frostings. Thank you. Why is it important to many on CC including yourself to entertain wedding cake clients with over 200 servings? Most ppl in my home country don't specify no. of servings. They just come with a design for x no. of tiers. A 200 servings wedding cake is typically a 4 tier cake?

I freeze leftover batter , and sometimes if someone wants to try a particular flavour , I will bake a four inch cake out of the batch of batter and freeze the rest.

People have to give me at least a week's notice of coming to a tasting as most of my cakes need to mature for four or five days at least to taste their best. I mainly bake mudcakes though. I will offer fruitcake for a tasting if I happen to have one , I usually bake a few small ones to have on hand for this reason.

When I have extra batter,,I just cook it and then make mini cutouts with small round cutter and place in cupcake wrappers. I will only freeze my cake up to a month the most and then just do it then, after thawing..

Thank you all for the good advice. These all seem to be the best approach to this.

I do something different. After baking a wedding cake I cut rounds out of the bubble I cut off the top to level it. Then I place it into a 4-1/2 oz. clear plastic container with a clear lid - mark the flavor on the lid and freeze it. I hold about 50 taste tests a year and participate in 4 wedding shows per year so what I don't use for taste tests, goes on a pretty tiered stand at wedding shows. Each cup contains cake, filling and a pretty swirl of icing or drizzle of brandy. Then all they need is a plastic fork - and I keep a trash bag near my booth for disposal of cups and forks. I really love this because I've found that most shows are frequented by the bride and her family and girlfriends, but the bride wants her groom to taste the cake samples and will ask for a lid to a few cups to take home with her. Perfect. I no longer waste the cake bubble, cups are easy to handle and no sticky fingers and they're portable.