7 Things You Need To Know: Cake Tasting

Remember Shelly from Pastry Shells who took the time to chat with us about decorated cookies? She was kind enough to join us again to talk about Wedding Cakes!

When I schedule my cake tastings, I always send a list of the items I need.  This includes the number of people attending the tasting, a form to fill out with all the information I will need, the cake flavors you would like to try, and the cake tasting fee which goes directly towards the cost of your cake.  When you arrive, make sure to have pictures of the cakes you like.  It’s totally okay if you aren’t sure and have a bunch of different ones, that helps make a unique cake just for you!  Even better, try and send a few pictures of cakes you like before the tasting so the decorator can have a chance to think of ideas.  Other than that, come hungry!

Red Velvet with Cream Cheese Frosting is definitely a favorite here in the South.  There is a toss up for second place and it depends on the time of year.  For Spring/Summer, Vanilla Cake with Fresh Strawberry Filling, Cream Cheese Buttercream Filling, and Vanilla Buttercream Frosting are a big hit.  For Fall/Winter, Chocolate Cake with Homemade Caramel Filling and Vanilla Buttercream Filling and Frosting are our top flavors.

Should we get something generic everyone will like? Or should we get what we like the best?
My personal opinion is everyone should get what THE COUPLE likes.  Your guests are there to celebrate you!  Plus, they get free food, drinks, and dessert so, how can they complain?  At Pastry Shells, I offer each tier and sheet cake to be a separate flavor at no additional cost.  If that is the case with your baker, I would at least make sure there is something with Chocolate (Red Velvet is in the category) and something without Chocolate OR I would do an option with nuts and one without nuts.  That way, you serve just about every palette.

Be honest with what cake flavor you like.  Not a single one of my customers make the flavor decision on their own.  They want to make sure they can at least please themselves and someone else (their significant other, typically).  Also, if you think of a question that is technical (i.e. what is fondant?) or logistical (i.e. do you put flowers on the cake?), SPEAK UP!  The bride might have the same question but completely forget to ask it.

Groom’s cakes are completely optional but do provide some benefits.  The majority of the wedding is based on the Bride’s ideas so the Groom’s cake can be solely about the Groom, no matter what they like!  They don’t have to match anything else in the wedding because they are typically a stand-alone addition.  Another great reason to get a Groom’s cake is to offer an additional flavor for your guests!

Let the baker know, nicely, that you aren’t too fond of the items you chose and see if they offer additional flavors that fit your palette.  Make sure to let them know what you don’t like about the tasting (i.e. it’s too sweet, it’s too dry).  For example, my Vanilla Cake is a butter based cake which makes it denser and closer to a pound cake texture, whereas, my Chocolate Cake is an oil based cake and is a little lighter and has more moisture.  A lot of people don’t realize which cakes are used from the Vanilla Cake base or the Chocolate Cake base so they can’t put a finger on what they dislike about the tasting.  Also, don’t be afraid to shop around.  If you don’t like the tasting AT ALL, find another baker that you like!

The moment you go into your reception space is when you will see your cake!  All the vendors are working behind the scenes to get everything complete while the ceremony is going on.  I always apply the topper or flowers to the cake once I’m at the venue so I can pull inspiration from the rest of the wedding to make sure all the florals match.  When the reception comes along everything is perfect and your cake is complete!