Batter Up Cake Company

I found an article today that I thought was very informative and well written in regards to the traditional cutting of your wedding cake. The article was found on WeddingCakeCreations.com

Weddings are heavy with tradition and symbolism and cutting the wedding cake is certainly among the most significant acts that the married couple will do at the reception hall. It is a moment that symbolizes so many things including the couple’s fertility, the first act performed together and the beginning of their new life. It is a sentimental moment that is also very festive and merry. In order to make sure that the cutting of the wedding cake goes off without a hitch, here are a few tips for you to follow:

Dos:

1. Make sure that the timing is appropriate. If you are hosting a brunch or tea, cut the cake just after the guests have gone through the receiving line. If you are throwing a lunch or supper reception then cut the cake after supper and just before the desserts are served.
2. Make sure to get everyone’s attention by either having your MC announce the event or by replaying the first dance song. Then have someone from the bridal party – typically the best man make a toast to the couple.
3. Cut the cake with the groom’s right hand gently holding the bride’s right hand – and make sure to slice through the bottom layer!
4. Feed one another from the slice you cut. Typically the groom will first feed the bride and then the bride will feed the groom.
5. Make sure that the bride serves the groom’s parents a piece of cake and that the groom serves the bride’s parents a piece of cake.
6. Designate a friend or someone from the catering staff to cut and serve the rest of the cake to your guests.
7. Make sure that the photographer and videographer are aware of the event before cutting the wedding cake.
8. Try to use a special silver cake knife – either an heirloom or one that you purchase especially for the occasion.

Don’ts:

* Although some people like to smash cake into each other’s faces, it is not a very elegant or dignified thing to do. Not only will it ruin the bride’s makeup (which in many cases was applied professionally) but as this is the first act that the couple performs as husband and wife, it does not bode well for a future of wedded bliss – besides, everything you do will be captured on film and video for generations to come.

If there is a sweet table being served at a wedding, it is generally opened with the cutting of the cake. After this tasty ceremony it is time to hit the dance floor and truly enjoy this day on which you begin your new lives together!

Whether your cake or cookies are for a smaller party such as a birthday or for a large event such as a wedding there are a few basics you need to think about in planning your cake.

1. What size would you like – Take into consideration how many people will be attending and would you like extra for your guests who may want an extra serving.
2. What is your budget? Will you require a simpler cake or extravagant.
3. What shape would you like? We are able to provide the following shaped cakes: Round, Square, Oval, Hexagon, Petal, Heart, Character Shaped, and Sheet Cakes. If there is something you would like that isn’t listed please tell us and we will make every effort to make it work for you!
4. What flavor cake and type of icing would you like? Remember to take the weather into consideration. Make sure to read below about outdoor parties & events. Multiple flavors are available.
5. When is your event? For smaller events 48 hours notice should be plenty, check with us regarding our availability. Larger events please contact us no less than 1 month prior. We want to be able to provide you with the best, planning your cake last minute will not give us the opportunity to do so. . Cake designers book up quickly, often many months in advance. So do not hesitate in contacting us during the early stages of your planning process.
6. How formal is your event? Casual, Themed, Formal?

Did you know that most grocery store/chain store bakery cakes come in the backdoor frozen as one of a dozen or more in a box?

Did you know that many, if not all, grocery store cake decorators are required to completely ice and decorate a cake in a matter of minutes whereas the individual cake decorator may take literally hours on a single cake? Grocery store/chain store decorated cakes are all about quantity production. You’ll never have a personal meeting with your decorator, and they may not care whether or not you’re even happy with the cake.

We, on the other hand, shop especially for your order and bake it just for you. We do everything we can to make it exactly the way you want it because this is your perfect day and we are sharing our artwork with you.

It takes time. The time we spend on a cake isn’t just the baking and icing time. Hours are spent researching and designing a unique creation, or hunting down the perfect picture of a bear for your daughter’s first birthday. The time spent experimenting with boards and supports to make sure your cake doesn’t collapse.

A cake that is very simple in design is not necessarily easier to make. A cake that is iced smooth, with no decorations other than a small border and flowers, is deceptively difficult. For one thing, to get that look of quiet simplicity, the buttercream or fondant must be smooth as glass and the edges even and crisp or perfectly rounded with no sign of a seam. There’s no room for error, as any bubble or crease will show!

It’s customized. We worry about the details, so you don’t have to. We take care of the shopping, the mess, baking, decorating, cleaning, mixing the correct colors. We stay up late (sometimes until the wee hours of the morning) decorating the cake… then clean up the mess. We fix all the unforeseen problems. We do all of this, so we can have your perfect cake ready and waiting when the person comes to pick it up.

We all take great pride in our work and we care about what the customer thinks. So we will do our very best to make the cake for your special occasion, well… special!

Thanks for taking the time to read this. And remember, next time you attend a birthday party or a baby shower or a wedding (or plan one of these yourself) it’s definitely more than “just a cake.”

Most bakeries and cake designers will require you to make a substantial deposit at the time of the consultation so that your wedding date will be reserved for you. We will discuss with you what deposit will be required at the time of your order to confirm and reserve your date and time. If a deposit has not been made your date will not be held for you.

Why are deposits non-refundable with so many vendors?

That’s a fair question. Photographers and reception sites can logically only book one wedding per day. Cake creators, caterers and many florists can only book a certain number of weddings per day, and some of these limit it to one per day. When a bride books that date, the vendor closes that date to any other bride/booking. This means we may turn down business from future inquiries for that date.

Should something happen and you change your mind, move your date, or want to use another vendor, and you cancel your booking–especially close to the date–it creates a financial hardship for the vendor. As you know, not too many brides book their caterer, photographer, etc., as late as three or four weeks before the event. This means the vendor has no opportunity to rebook that date. The vendor has already turned down business that could have been booked except for the fact that he/she closed that date just for you. We still have to pay the rent. The non-refundable deposit covers the lost opportunities and the costs incurred by the vendor based on your commitment.

Keep in mind, that many wedding cake consultations and reservations are made as far as a year or more in advance. If you need to change the date of your wedding your contract may need to be readjusted to cover any additional costs that may be incurred due to material and/or delivery distance. If you need to cancel your wedding cake order your deposit is non-refundable. Any orders canceled within 14 days of the wedding date will result in a total forfeiture of payment made.

One of the most often asked questions is who cuts the cake? Be sure in your overall wedding/event planning process that you have designated someone to cut and serve your cake for you. Some of your options are that you can discuss with your caterer for this service to be provided. We can also discuss providing this service at the time of your consultation, or we can even make the appropriate arrangements to provide this service for you.

Please do not assume that we will be cutting the cake.

We would ask that when it is a consultation for a wedding those people who attend the consultation be the Bride and Groom. We are trying to provide you with the attention you deserve. As the old saying goes: too many cooks in the kitchen spoil the broth.

We can accommodate a tasting/consultation of up to four people. There is a $30 fee for these consultations due to the state of the economy being what it is. This fee will be deducted from the cost of your cake when you place your deposit along with your signed contract.

This isn’t so much a FAQ as much as it’s something to keep in mind.

When planning an event no matter how small or large it is, 99.9% of the time everything goes as planned. If you happen to fall in the .10%, we will do everything we can to make the necessary adjustments, corrections, phone calls etc. to fix whatever it is that may have gone wrong. With large events there are a lot of people who are working to make this day wonderful for you. Because of this, something could go wrong. Do not let it ruin your special event!! If it is not life-threatening, it will only serve as a funny memory to that you will be able to share with family and friends. (It may not be funny at the moment, but rest assured, it will be funny someday).

If you are planning an outdoor event in the summer heat remember the following:

1. Flies love sweets.
2. Heat melts most icings and high humidity will also turn gumpaste flowers limp, chocolate curls will melt and fresh flowers will wilt in prolonged exposure to heat.
3. Rain and wind can cause havoc such as collapsing tents and blowing table cloths right off of the tables. You need to have a backup site just in case of unforeseen extreme weather conditions. Of course if the weather cooperates an outdoor wedding is the best. Just be prepared in case mother nature turns on you.
4. Outdoor receptions also have one other pitfall: Unlevel ground. Cake and food tables must be set up on level strong tables. Often the reception tables for seating are put onto solid level surfaces but the food and cake tables are scattered on the outskirts. Take the time to make sure the event staff setting up your reception know to make those tables a priority in getting them sturdy and level. Be prepared, that we will change the location of the cake table if we come across these issues. We take great pride in the cakes we create and want nothing but the best for our customers. We would hate to have you walk in to your reception as your cake is falling due to un-level table and or ground.

How long does a cake stay “in style” and how do you keep up with the current cake trends?”

I don’t keep up with current trends. Why? Because they are merely promotional tactics by the wedding industry to try to sell a bride whatever gizmo they are promoting at that time. What’s “in style”? Whatever kind of cake the bride wants to have! Don’t listen to industry “experts” who are trying to tell you what you SHOULD want … go with your own preferences and get what you DO want. I had a cake decorator tell me that I should remove my square cakes from the website because “….square cakes are not “in”, especially the basket weave design, and brides are not ordering those.” I didn’t have the heart to tell her that I counted up and out of 19 consecutive wedding cakes, 15 were square and about half of those were basket weaves! These are REAL cakes ordered by my brides. So much for “expert” opinions!

Walk-Ins vs. Appointment Only?

Since we are a home-based business, all consultations and tastings are done by appointment only. This way we can guarantee our personal service and 100% attention to you and your special event no matter how small or large. We strive to provide you with excellent service and we find that this is the best way to achieve that. Consultations will generally last about an hour, however there is no rush. We can and will take as much time as you need to discuss your ideas and answer any questions you might have.

Consultations are generally scheduled for Sunday’s, Monday and Tuesday evening’s. Occasionally we will schedule tasting/consultation appointments on Saturday’s when we don’t have any other events scheduled. We will never schedule a tasting/consultation appointment for a Wednesday, Thursday or Friday. We are baking and preparing for Saturday weddings on these days. We devote all of our time to our clients, and you will be given this same attention and dedication for your special day.

We schedule our tasting/consultation appointments two weeks in advance. We do not freeze our cakes, we bake everything fresh. As a result of this, we do not keep a constant supply on hand it is very important to contact us immediately if you are unable to keep your appointment. We provide complimentary standard flavors to our bride and groom for their tasting/consultation appointment. We can accommodate tasting/consultation appointments of up to four attendee’s. For these appointments and appointments where specialty flavors are requested there is a $30 tasting/consultation fee, which will be deducted from the cost of your wedding cake when you book your wedding cake with us.

What to expect at your consultation:

1. Bring your appetite! Most of our appointments are made for afternoon and evening’s. Please make sure not to eat a big breakfast, lunch and or dinner as you need to have room for all of the selections we provide.

2. Bring all information about your big day with you such as the event location, time your reception is scheduled to begin, your florist information as well as how many guests you are inviting and are anticipating on needing to serve.

3. Bring all pictures of any cakes you have seen that have given you inspiration in regards to the design of your cake. Keep in mind that every day fabric, your wedding dress, art, invitations,favorite sayings, special hobbies are all mediums to use as inspiration for the design of your cake.

4. We mix all of our own colors of buttercream and fondant. Bring all swatch samples with you. Please bring a sample of the material of 2in x 2in with you so we have enough working area to be able to match your colors.

During your consultation we will sit and discuss all of the details of your big day. From there we discuss and design your wedding cake. Once we have nailed down all of the details the yummy time begins and we move to the tasting segment of your appointment. At the conclusion of your appointment you will leave with contract in hand so you have all of the information needed to make an informed decision. A drawing/design sketch of your cake will be provided on an updated contract once your deposit is made.