How To Assemble a Stacked Wedding Cake

I've receive many requests for direction on how to stack a buttercream cake without "ruining" the icing on the lower tiers. Here are some step-by-step photos on how I stack a cake.










Start with a base cake, already doweled and ready to receive the upper tier......










I pick up the upper tier, supporting it with my hand and the icing spatula .....














I bring the upper tier over to the bottom tier.....











I lower the front of the upper tier into place on the lower tier. The reason I lower the front of the cake is so I can keep the spatula at the back of the cake, so if there are any errors, those will be in the back where the photographer won't see them!!! (and they are more easily fixable.)








I remove my hand from under the cake while there is still room. The cake is now being supported by the spatula. This works well for larger tiers, too.






Using the spatula, I lower the upper tier in place. I leave the spatula in place until I check the position of the tier, making sure it is centered properly. If it needs moved, LIFT the tier with the spatula. Do not scoot or push the tier without lifting it as this can cause the dowels to shift and become unstable.

I use a slight, almost imperceptible lift as I pull the spatula out from under the upper tier.

I'm not concerned with this slight marring of the icing that happened at the last second when pulling the spatula out. It will be covered with the border.

The final cake has a nice border to hide any mistakes made during stacking, then adorned with Buckeye candies.

This was a cost saving idea we came up with for the bride, who had wanted a groom's cake with Buckeye candies but she had a tight budget. We just combined the idea onto her wedding cake!

My Cake Disaster Story is Published

I am honored that a story about one of my cake disasters was printed in the January 25th, 2011 email newsletter of "BakingBuyer.com". They recently put out a call for disasters stories and I shared mine.

If you're in the baking business or just interested in baking, I highly recommend signing up for the e-newsletter from Baking Buyer. There are always interesting stories and information in the newsletter! http://www.bakingbuyer.com/

Thanks to Joanie Spencer for using the story!!!

The Story:

A few months ago, we called for cake disaster stories—those anectdotes that, while at the time weren't so funny, you look back on and laugh. We've received many great stories, and most of them have happy endings, thanks to bakers' ingenuity. Here's a memory from Debi Brim, a 30-year wedding cake veteran, on how a little imagination went a long way.

If you would like to share your cake disaster story, send it to us for consideration.

"A bride saw my City Skyline cake...and ordered one for her wedding. The groom was a fireman so she wanted flames coming out of the buildings with a plan to set a small toy firetruck by the cake. The cake turned out great; the red-yellow-orange buttercream icing flames were a great accent on the chocolate building sillouettes.

I had two deliveries that day. At the first delivery, which was a quick in-and-out delivery, I carefully parked the van to make sure the skyline made of chocolate would not be affected by the sun coming in the window. However, the first delivery, which was to take about 3 minutes, ended up taking 10-12 minutes due to some extra decor the bride wanted on the table. In that short time, the sun had moved ever so slightly, and one corner of my city skyline was melted. I raced back to the shop with no idea of how to salvage this. I cut off the melted parts of the buildings with my exacto knife. Then inspiration hit me. I added more icing-flames to the damaged buildings and headed out to deliver.

When I arrived at the venue, the staff marveled at the cake. I quickly drew their attention to the damaged buildings and told them, "Since the groom is a fireman, I took my lighter that I use to light candles and melted some of the buildings so they'd look like they collapsed in the fire. What do you think? Does it look real?" Well, they thought I was a GENIUS!!!

Saved by an inspirational moment during a point of panic!"

Pricing: Add It Up!

I realize I seem to do a lot of articles on pricing and pricing issues, but in the (wedding) cake business, its a point of frustration for baker and client alike. I recently heard a story from a fellow baker that is a wonderful lesson and I'm happy that she agreed to let me share it here.

As I've written before, it is not uncommon for a baker to charge for a consultation or tasting. (http://cateritsimple.blogspot.com/search/label/consultation ) The baker incurs some expense in supplying various cakes, fillings and icings for the consulation, plus the "lost opportunity costs". Some bakers charge this fee, some don't. Some apply it to the order if the cake is ordered, some don't. It is one of the items I encourage brides to ask about as they make appointments.

In another article, I shared how my brides have told me that my higher-than-the-competition per-serving price can end up being cheaper than the "cheaper" place. (http://cateritsimple.blogspot.com/2009/10/lowest-price-isnt-always-cheapest.html )

As a bride does her comparison shopping (which I strongly encourage), she needs to take careful note of the various fees/charges that may apply and add them up.

Here's the story I want to share:

A client canceled a consultation appointment when she found out there was a $10 charge for the consultation, giving a reason that the competing bakery did free consultations. This competing baker's pricing was also higher per-serving than the first baker.

Let's do some theoretical math to see how this works out and to illustrate what a bride should look for.

Client is looking for a cake to serve 50 people.

Baker A charges $3/serving plus a $10 Consultation Fee.
50 servings x $3/serving = $150 + $10 consultation fee = $160 total cost.

Baker B charges $3.50/serving and consultations are free.
50 servings x $3.50/serving = $175 total cost.

It is costing the client fifteen dollars more to get the "free" consultation.

It is a given that the bride/client needs to also consider the taste of the cake, the quality of design and execution of the work, and not just the price per serving or not just whether a consult is free or not.

Baker A tells me that she charges the $10 consult fee because many of her clients know what they want and order their wedding cake via email or phone. She does not want to just add in the cost of the consults into the base price because she does not want to charge extra to those who do not need the private consulation appointment. It is how she keeps her expenses covered and her pricing fair to all of her clients.

When planning a wedding, people seem to forget how to "Do The Math" (see this blog article where I discuss that: http://cateritsimple.blogspot.com/search/label/Do%20The%20Math ) and this article is to show why it is important to always, always, always ask questions and keep track of the details.

They add up and can sneak up on you!

Color Basics

Over the past few days, I've managed to get into more than a couple of conversations about color and color combinations. This article is to touch on the basics of color, while understanding that color combinations are infinite and complicated.

In cake world, brides and clients have many color requests to match the theme, the dresses, the cardboard cake plates. These are usually not a problem and the cake designer can blend colors to create the masterpiece for the client.

However, I've come across some questions that hinge on "the basics" and so I thought I'd offer this primer in color combination.

One person asked, "How do I create blue?" Blue cannot be created. There are three primary colors from which all colors are derived. The three primaries are red, yellow and blue. These colors cannot be created. They just "are".

Another situation that comes up is "My black (or grey) looks green (or sometimes purple)?" Theoretically, when the three pure primary colors are mixed, we get black. I say "pure" because there are different grades of color and pure colors are usually only found in laboratory settings. When you and I mix the three primaries, we get something close to black.

But why does it look green? Here's a list of the color combos:

Yellow + Blue = Green
Yellow + Red = Orange
Blue + Red = Purple
Yellow + Blue + Red = Black

So if your black icing looks green, that means you have a lot of yellow and blue and you are short on red. The ratio of color is out of balance. Add a tiny touch of red to balance the colors.

If your black icing looks purple, that means you have a lot of red and blue and you are short on yellow. Add a tiny touch of yellow to balance the colors.

The base color used can also impact the color. If someone wants to tint some chocolate to a red color, remember that since red is a primary color, it cannot be created. Adding red to a brown chocolate makes a brown-red color ... not a pure red.

I make a cookie that has a butter-powdered sugar filling. Making a blue or a red filling is difficult because of the yellow color in the butter. Adding red coloring to yellow butter will give me orange, so I have add a LOT of red to the butter (and usually the best I can get is pink!) Adding blue coloring to yellow butter will give me green, so I have to add a LOT of blue coloring to the butter. Keep the base color in mind when mxing colors.

Color can be complicated but if the baker keeps in mind that all colors come from red, yellow and blue, it can be less stressful.

Knowing what you have (in the color mixture) can let you know what you need (to get the color desired).

Bakers: Help in Pricing a Wedding Cake

A question asked frequently ...... FREQUENTLY...... in the cake world is "How much should I charge for this cake?"

It's not a simple question. Most bakers struggle with coming up with a good pricing structure that works for their business. There are SO many factors to consider: cost of ingredients, overhead, labor costs (most bakers overlook this because they fail to factor in their time as an expense), skill value and more. Even what part of the country a baker is in can be a factor. New York wedding cakes have a higher cost base than, let's say, one I would make here in Indiana simply because I can rent a shop much cheaper in Indiana than what a baker would have to pay in New York, making my overhead much lower than the NY baker.

One of the best articles on this topic is from my friends at Cakeboss Software for Bakers. Here is the link to their article. If you are a new baker who is just setting up a pricing structure for a new business (or an "old" baker who struggles with pricing in general!), I'm sure you'll want to print out this article and hang it next to your desk area for easy reference!!

http://www.cakeboss.com/PricingGuideline.aspx

Food Review: Stacey's "Crunch"

My friend Stacey sent me a sample of her "Crunch" that she makes out of her shop, "Truly Custom Cakery" as a gift and I had to share my wonderous experience with you!

The plain packaging impressed me the second I opened the shipping box. A simple brown box wrapped in a brown & turquoise ribbon had that simple-but-elegant look we all like. Not overdone, simple in it's presentation, yet elegant enough to hint of great things yet to come.

Two cellaphane bags of her Crunch awaited me as I opened the box. Ripping open the first bag, I popped a cluster of popcorn, carmel, pecans and chocolate into my mouth .... and like butter over flame, I just melted in ecstasy as the salty-sweet sensation flooded my taste buds, each flavor standing on its own as it melded with the others to create a one of a kind flavor combination.

I noticed Stacey had used pecans and almonds, opting for the higher end part of the nut family, and the clusters had the perfect amount of nuts ... enough to enhance the taste and flavor yet not so many that its a pile of nuts with a little chocolate on the side. I also noticed there weren't any unpopped kernels and all of the popcorn was light and fluffy. In talking with Stacey on the phone (because I just HAD to call her right then and there to tell her how great this stuff was!) she explained that she actually hand sorts the popcorn twice so that only the fluffiest popcorn pieces are used! Quality is certainly Job One in her shop!

While one does not need a special reason to order a supply of Crunch, I can see this as the perfect food item for birthday party gift bags, party or wedding favors (great wedding favors!). Order in large quantities and put a large bowl in the center of the guest tables to double as the centerpieces and favors. Its the perfect birthday or Christmas gift for the office, for neighbors and casual friends.

It was fun for me to (sparingly!) share my Crunch. My husband, whose best compliment to anything is "not bad", absolutely loved this. I shared it with a friend and I actually watched her eyes roll back into her head as she said, "oh my god this is the best stuff ever!"

Putting Stacey's Crunch on your "gifts to buy" list will make you the hero of all of your family and friends! Here's a link to her website with the story of how she created it and how to order. Just tell her Debi sent you!!

Website: http://www.trulycustomcakery.com/

Blog: http://staceyssweetshop.blogspot.com/2010/12/story-about-little-crunch.html

Guest Blogger: Chris Jaeger on "Clunker Websites"

My friend Chris Jaeger graciously said yes when I asked if I could share his blog on "Clunker Websites". As many of you know, bad websites really get under my skin. It is not because I am a website snob, or anything like that. What gets to me is the bad marketing that bad websites represent.

Don't put up a bare bones website thinking that brides/clients will call you and THAT'S when you'll "hook 'em" with your sales pitch. Too many brides have told me, "If the information isn't on the website, I click out and move to the next one."

Read Chris's blog and then critique your website. If you are driving a Clunker Website, it might be time for a trade-in!

Chris's Blog from "Marketing to Brides Online": http://www.marketingtobridesonline.com/car-for-sale-used-classic-but-runs-great/

My Shamrock Cake Was Featured ....

I'm very proud to share that my Shamrock Wedding Cake was included in an article on Irish Wedding Traditions. Thanks, Carly, for the compliment!








http://weddings.lovetoknow.com/wedding-cakes/irish-wedding-cake-tradition

"Just Serve a 'Cheap' Sheet Cake" she said

Well, this one pushed my hot button! Brides, please pay attention to this one. Please. I'm about to teach you how to NOT insult your guests at your wedding.

I actually saw an online article entitled "How to Buy Cheap Wedding Cakes". Now I understand in this day of a tough economy that we are all on the lookout on how to save money. And weddings can be expensive. So I know that anyplace where costs can be cut, all of us should endeavor to cut them. I get that.

However, I've never seen an article entitled "How to Buy a Cheap Diamond Engagement Ring" (bride, how would you react if you saw your groom studying up on such an article?) or "How to Buy a Cheap Wedding Gown" (or if mom was reading a series of these?).

But here I find an article (written, by the way, by someone who, based on her bio, is not in the wedding business and definitely not a cake expert) who is encouraging a bride, on her wedding day, to "oh, just go get a cheap cake!"

Wait ... it gets better.

Further down in the article is the tired and uninformed opinion about buying a fake cake (see my article on why THIS is false!). http://cateritsimple.blogspot.com/2009/07/fake-cakes-no-they-are-not-always.html

She says a couple can "cut" the cake of their dreams and "serve a cheap sheet cake to wedding guests."

Serve a "cheap sheet cake."

Doesn't that make you sad? It does me. It makes me sad that someone with some fake and self-imposed authority on wedding cakes is regurgitating the same tired, worn out, untrue advice about cakes and encouraging brides to serve their family, their friends, their guests who have elected to incur some personal expense of their own to come and share in the couples wedding day .... she tells these brides, "oh just serve 'em some cheap sheet cake."

This article of mine is in danger of going on and on because I am just in SHOCK that someone would actually say that to a bride. Am I getting my frustration across? Because the only thing that would appall me more is to hear a bride say, "That's a good idea! I'll spend a fortune on my venue, my dress, my bar bill and my fabulous dinner. Then I'll just slap some "cheap sheet cake" in front of my guests!"

As I take a minute to take a deep breath, let me clarify that a low-cost cake to fit in a budget is not a bad thing. Many highly skilled decorators have many options for brides to enable them to have a wonderfully decorated and great tasting cake at their wedding. That's not what I'm talking about.

I'm talking about serving guests cheap tasting sheet cake: Mass produced, frozen for months in a warehouse, shipped to a big box grocery store bakery, already iced when it arrives, pulled out of the freezer the day before it is due so a decorator can spend 4 minutes putting a border with icing that from a big bucket that is commercially made.

Most people can tell the difference between this grocery store sheet cake and a wedding cake that is custom made just for the bride's special day. That is part of what is irritating me on this. That someone just so nonchalantly suggests a "cheap sheet cake" is good enough and that a bride shouldn't care if her guests actually LIKE the cake or not. That, too, is just sad.

Brides, the key to being able to stay in budget involves careful planning, including control of your headcount (see my "60% Rule" article), good comparison shopping, working with a wedding planner (yes, they DO save you money!), and being realistic about what you can afford.

But please. Please. DON'T slap your guests in the face with an attitude of they are only worth some "cheap sheet cake" for your wedding. Plan accordingly. And treat your guests with the respect they deserve.

Cupcake Stands

First the disclaimer. I do not get paid or reimbursed or compensated in any way for any products that I recommend or endorse. My function and purpose is to share new ideas, products and innovations to help those in the baking and wedding industry. That said .....

I recently came across a wonderful product that I project to be very popular with the increased demand for cupcake weddings and parties.

There is always a question of how to display cupcakes other than just lining them up in a box on a table. Nice. But no "wow" factor. There is also a concern with the baker of renting stands, getting them back, wanting to make sure their sugary art is displayed in the best artistic way, etc.

Enjay Converters Ltd, a company that has been in business for more than 25 years, offers disposable cupcake stands to the commercial baker.

The tiers are approximately 8", 12" and 14", plenty of space to display cupcakes. I can see two or even three of these on a cake or dessert table. With the various colored foils available, (the photo shows three of them) one could almost color code the display: white cupcakes on the white stand, chocolate cupcakes on the silver stand and yellow cupcakes on the gold stand.

As your demand for cupcakes increases, be sure to visit their website at http://www.enjay.com.

Meeting the Client's Expections ... Do We REALLY Want to Do That?

In watching an episode of "The Apprentice" this past week, I heard a great line that should be a part of every business person's philosophy and vocabulary.

First, I am a BIG fan of this show. Every week, I pick up a little Donald Trump insight and expertise pertaining to business, dealing with people, strategy and more. It is one of the great free classrooms of business that I know of. And come on, let's get real .... its Donald Trump expertise, for goodness sakes!

This week, Trump's son, Donnie Trump, visited one of the teams who were planning a large golf outing at one of Trump's golf courses. One of the team members expressed concern about "meeting everyone's expectations."

Donnie said to her, "Oh you never meet everyone's expectations." And then there was a slight pause during which the team members seemed to laugh with agreement. Donnie then continued and said, "You always exceed them here."

Wow, did I sit up and take notice of that line! Yes! We should ALL be thinking that way. Sadly, too many businesses take the same road that everyone else takes. The road to mediocrity.

How many mission and vision statements have we read in which a company proclaims they will "meet or exceed customer expectations"? It is the very reason I'm never impressed by mission statements .... they all tend to say the same mediocre thing.

Will your business can be like everyone else, who lackadaisically believes, "Eh ... meet it, exceed it. Same thing." Or will your business have a mission statement that follows the Trump viewpoint of "We will never meet a customer's expectation. We will always exceed a customer's expectation."


Excellence costs no more than mediocrity ---- Donald Trump

A Lame Excuse for Losing a Sale

On the coattails of my November 4th article, "But I Don't LIKE Sales....!" I am proud to offer this link to an article by Wedding Marketing guru Andy Ebon about pricing and bridal budgets. I must totally agree with him that "brides do not have money allotted for most wedding expenses in a truly thoughtful and rationale way." That is why I believe a wedding vendor should be an expert in their field so they can help guide the bride through the process and why I believe that a business person's sales and marketing skill are key, absolutely KEY, to having a successful business.

Please take a minute to read Andy's article. I'm sure you'll enjoy his wisdom as much as I do!

http://weddingmarketing.net/2010/12/02/price-budget-simple-lame-excuse-losing-sale/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+TheWeddingMarketingBlog+%28The+Wedding+Marketing+Blog%29