Wedding cakes and desserts

Mark Miller13 said:So, about that buttercream stuff—a close friend of mine just got married recently, and everyone was handed these little mini cakes made with it (well, they weren't purely buttercream, there was some sponge cake inside, the frosting was mostly just on top 🤣). Everything looked absolutely stunning because she was so incredibly grateful for the decorations, but man, it was just so sweet it was basically inedible. People were literally digging through it and just eating the middle, leaving the frosting behind like some kind of sugary shell. I don't know if it was just that specific baker or what, but for me, it was 👎

I honestly think that happened because those were tiny little cupcakes where the fondant ended up being the main event, so it totally overwhelmed the palate, whereas on a standard large wedding cake, it doesn't dominate the flavor profile nearly as much, and even if someone isn't a huge fan of it, they don't have to dig through a mountain of sugar to get to the good stuff.🤣

Justin Nguyen6 said:Look, I’m a bit lost here. You guys are all talking about ordering desserts by the pound, which is totally different from how we do things back in the Midwest. We usually just order by the piece. For a crowd of 200, I was thinking maybe 3 or 4 squares per person—so about 800 pieces total (that’s what the local bakery told me). Now I’m stuck on how many dry pastries to grab since they sell those by weight. Around here, prices are running between $30 and $20 per pound, so I was leaning towards getting about $667 worth. Does anyone actually know their sweets? Because I clearly don't... 😕
plus, if we hit that amount of pieces, we get a free cake... though we have to order at least 600 pieces to qualify for the freebie. 😍

Okay, now I'm just quoting myself, but seriously, can someone help me out with the math on how much dessert to buy?! I have no clue how many dry pastries to grab...

Joshua Clark, have you ever made those suitcase cakes? And what would you charge for one? I saw that Nicholas Moore61 ordered some for $167, but that was only for 30 people, so I have no idea how big they actually are.😬

Jacob Jackson7 said:I was honestly in total shock yesterday. They looked so ugly, like some kind of cheap toys you'd find in Siberia!🙏
So I figured it’s just that whole tacky, rural vibe—just like those ridiculous sprinklers, for crying out loud!😲

Honestly, all those plastic figurines are a total disaster to me. Super tacky. But I actually dig the ones in the photos where the cake looks like a little suitcase; those are pretty sharp. Personally, I wasn't planning on doing anything fancy with the cake anyway, just chocolate and strawberries.😉

Joshua Clark, you are seriously the best. I’m so happy that cake brought a smile to your face, because it definitely did the same for me! I was actually reading your post out loud to my husband, explaining how you're planning to experiment with those chocolate sticks, and he listens so intently before chiming in with, "Well, why wouldn't she just make her a cake?" Honestly! If we lived in Chicago, I’d probably be asking you for tips already, but since we aren't, I can't exactly justify a four-hour road trip—who knows if the cake would even survive the drive! Anyway, huge congratulations to you; you've managed to get quite the reaction out of my better half 😍
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Look, honestly, I’m used to it by now—I just have this way of catching a guy's eye☕

Just kidding 😬

But seriously, I was thinking hard about those chocolates and remembered I actually have a "connection" up in Alaska who gave me the lowdown on all their spicy details—so, I guess you could say I'm going "hunting" 🤣

Nah, if he ever actually found some, he’d definitely swipe it—there's no way he'd sell it.
I mean, my cousin used to work there as an inspector, so she's eaten those types of chocolate chips they use for ice cream and stuff... I really need to ask her if she can snag a whole bag of them for me.

My suitcases are basically just small carry-ons, maybe 10x12 inches, one big one with a tiny one tucked on top... my wife showed me how they fit in the fridge just to make sure I knew what I was doing.

Nicholas Moore61 said:My suitcases are basically just small carry-ons, maybe 10x12 inches, one big one with a tiny one tucked on top... my wife showed me how they fit in the fridge just to make sure I knew what I was doing.

In that case, mine would definitely need to be bigger. And maybe spread out over at least three floors if I'm trying to fit 200 people...😕>

She showed three suitcases in the catalog (I don't have the carry-on, and that one is at least 14x20)... you could just grab three full sets instead.

Nicholas Moore61 said:She showed three suitcases in the catalog (I don't have the carry-on, and that one is at least 14x20)... you could just grab three full sets instead.

We’re making the cakes at a bakery in Des Moines. We haven't actually been there yet, so I'm low-key stressing they even know how to pull this off. Honestly, I have my doubts. 😕
That's why I'm keeping a close eye on yours. Just talking about it, we already decided to get chocolate from an outside vendor, with strawberries sprinkled over one side of the cake... but I'll definitely ask them about the little suitcase toppers too 😛 , who knows, maybe they actually have some talent...

So, what flavors did you pick for the filling?

parfait...😍 vanilla and chocolate...

honestly, any decent pastry chef needs to master cool shapes and garnishes. just grab some photos for inspo!! 👍

Nicholas Moore61 said:parfait...😍 vanilla and chocolate...

honestly, any decent pastry chef needs to master cool shapes and garnishes. just grab some photos for inspo!! 👍

That's the plan. Honestly, what's the harm in asking? Thanks for the reply, Nicholas. 😘

Just ask... we're right here... (we're always around... we're always here...😁 )

Check out this simple little cake I made

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Justin Nguyen6 said:Okay, now I'm just quoting myself, but seriously, can someone help me out with the math on how much dessert to buy?! I have no clue how many dry pastries to grab...

Joshua Clark, have you ever made those suitcase cakes? And what would you charge for one? I saw that Nicholas Moore61 ordered some for $167, but that was only for 30 people, so I have no idea how big they actually are.😬

I just caught this... regarding those tray-style dessert squares, I honestly don't have a clue. At every wedding I've attended, they always serve those bite-sized mini treats—and they aren't always "dry" 😬 either—which you usually just buy by the pound. Word is you need about half a pound per person, maybe more if you're plating them individually in little boxes. Of course, if you're serving other desserts too, you won't need nearly that much per guest. But what kind of squares are we talking about? Something like a cream pie, a chocolate fudge, or maybe a lemon bar?

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Nicholas Moore61 said:Check out this simple little cake I made

Simple but looks great. 🙂

So, I grabbed this cake on Saturday that was covered in fondant... basically, it was scaled for about 30 people, so you could definitely tell the fondant layer was a bit thick. But honestly? It wasn't even a big deal. It actually tasted great and wasn't overly sweet. Just figured I'd drop that here in case anyone's wondering.

Ryan Morales said:none

I just caught this... regarding those tray-style dessert squares, I honestly don't have a clue. At every wedding I've attended, they always serve those bite-sized mini treats—and they aren't always "dry" 😬 either—which you usually just buy by the pound. Word is you need about half a pound per person, maybe more if you're plating them individually in little boxes. Of course, if you're serving other desserts too, you won't need nearly that much per guest. But what kind of squares are we talking about? Something like a cream pie, a chocolate fudge, or maybe a lemon bar?

Yeah, that’s what the bakery told me too. They don't really do the super creamy stuff because it's too risky to transport. Around the Midwest, I haven't heard anyone mention buying dessert by the pound, but every time I call a shop to check prices, they all talk about trays of bars or those little finger cookies you buy by weight. It's driving me a bit crazy trying to figure it out. I'll check back with the bakery to see how many of those dry treats I should get alongside the bars. I definitely want to have some leftovers to pack up for people, especially since a lot of guests are traveling from out of town...

says:
Anyone else? 😬

I’ve got an idea, though I’ve been off the grid for a bit so I might be late to the party—hopefully I haven't missed the boat entirely. 🙂

My vision is to have a variety of different cakes, but instead of stacking them into one giant, precarious pyramid, I want them laid out separately. I'm thinking distinct displays for each flavor—maybe one chocolate, one walnut, one parfait, one peach yogurt, one vanilla yogurt, and perhaps a Black Forest...
The real headache for me right now is the logistics: how many individual cakes do I actually need to feed 300 guests, and what are the standard diameters for the kind of baking pans you can just pick up at a local Target or Walmart?
Thanks.