Rules about Cakes?

awolfe2

My FI and I are planning on doing one very small cake for cutting, but serving all the guests sheet cake. My mom has (nicely) asked that she get a piece of the actual wedding cake. Are there any rules about who gets a piece of the actual wedding cake? We're on a budget and having a large tiered cake isn't important to us. Can it just be big enough for us and our parents or us and our grandparents and then everyone else gets sheet cake? or are there rules that the wedding party and siblings should get a piece of the actual cake too?

twilight.rose

There aren't really "rules" about this.

Generally, sheet cakes are not displayed if they're being used, and once the cake is cut, you can't tell which piece came from which cake.

If it's that important to your mom to have a piece of your small cake, I would suggest informing your waitstaff ahead of time. Then, they will know to take a piece from that cake to your mother after it is cut and they're dispersing it to the guests.

mysticl

I think that the main "rule" is that the sheet cake be the same cake as the "wedding" cake.  In other words the same recipe made by the same baker. 

unplainjane

i don't think there are rules. once it's cut all the slices will look the same anyway. i don't really get why she wants a slice from the main cake. anyways if that's her request that you're nice enough to grant i'm sure the waitstaff can make sure she get s slice from the main cake. maybe have them serve the main cake out yourselves, the wp and parents.

JenO24

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/special-topic-wedding-boards_food-cakes_rules-cakes?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Special Topic Wedding BoardsForum:23Discussion:ce021586-f620-476e-bdd9-ba8d7eeb7c47Post:fd132f8f-abe9-4848-9c32-cda92ff89937">Re: Rules about Cakes?</a>:
[QUOTE]I think that the main "rule" is that the sheet cake be the same cake as the "wedding" cake.  In other words the same recipe made by the same baker. 
Posted by mysticl[/QUOTE]

Exactly!
Just make sure you let the server(s) know who is to get actual wedding cake so your mom doesnt get the sheet cake, if its that important to her :D

[Deleted User]

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/special-topic-wedding-boards_food-cakes_rules-cakes?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Special Topic Wedding BoardsForum:23Discussion:ce021586-f620-476e-bdd9-ba8d7eeb7c47Post:e41963d6-45c5-494b-99f6-029ba79b8a24">Re: Rules about Cakes?</a>:
[QUOTE]Generally, sheet cakes are not displayed if they're being used, and once the cake is cut, you can't tell which piece came from which cake.
Posted by twilight.rose[/QUOTE]

Unless the main cake is a circle cake and the sheet cake is a rectangle or square. 

cai0311

Even if the cake is a different shape as srobson2011 pointed out, once cut the pieces will look the same.
 
What you need to find out from you baker is if it is sheet cakes or kitchen cakes provided.  There is a difference.  Sheet cakes are 2" high and in most cases do not have a filling (that is per bakery).  Kitchen cakes are exactly the same as the wedding cake (standard is 4" with 4 layers of cake and 3 layers of filling).  If sheet cakes are provided, your guests will notice a difference between the two cakes.  If kitchen cakes are provided, no one will know the difference.

hz80408

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/special-topic-wedding-boards_food-cakes_rules-cakes?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Special Topic Wedding BoardsForum:23Discussion:ce021586-f620-476e-bdd9-ba8d7eeb7c47Post:b35062c5-9dab-4d17-bc9e-176c12c2acf0">Re: Rules about Cakes?</a>:
[QUOTE]In Response to Re: Rules about Cakes? : Unless the main cake is a circle cake and the sheet cake is a rectangle or square. 
Posted by srobson2011[/QUOTE]

Not necessarily true.  We're having a small tired round cake and also serving rectangular sheet cake.  My baker assured me cute pieces will all look the same.

MesmrEwe

The rule is "ALL of your guests get treated EQUAL!!!"  You don't serve Prime Rib at the head table and hamburgers to your guests, 'cause they're both beef!  I would recommend serving your display cake at the brunch the following day instead of your guests at the wedding if you're going to be serving sheets to your guests.  Unfortunately, this includes Mom because in your case, the "actual wedding cake" in fact IS sheet cake.. 

One other option is instead of flat, unfilled sheet cake, talk to your baker about making "Kitchen Cakes" which are the same wedding slice portion as the main cake would be only they're not decorated at all.  The decoration time is where the biggest part of the cake cost is, so if you take that element out you'll have some negotiation room on the price per slice.  In many cases, if you do the portion:price ratio on sheet vs. filled cake, you end up being cheaper to have the filled cake for what you get for the money.  In the case of one of DH's cousins, they paid $3.25/slice for unfilled sheets vs. $3.50 for twice the portion with fillings on the main cake and for $25 would have saved himself a lot of embarrassment from some getting served filled cake with a 1"x2"x5" others getting served a 1 1/2"x1 1/2"x1 1/2" portion of cake...

mica178

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/special-topic-wedding-boards_food-cakes_rules-cakes?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Special Topic Wedding BoardsForum:23Discussion:ce021586-f620-476e-bdd9-ba8d7eeb7c47Post:72dfec0a-7402-4166-8717-1f3ba3d1cd5e">Re: Rules about Cakes?</a>:
[QUOTE]The rule is "ALL of your guests get treated EQUAL!!!"  You don't serve Prime Rib at the head table and hamburgers to your guests, 'cause they're both beef!  I would recommend serving your display cake at the brunch the following day instead of your guests at the wedding if you're going to be serving sheets to your guests.  Unfortunately, this includes Mom because in your case, the "actual wedding cake" in fact IS sheet cake..  One other option is instead of flat, unfilled sheet cake, talk to your baker about making "Kitchen Cakes" which are the same wedding slice portion as the main cake would be only they're not decorated at all.  The decoration time is where the biggest part of the cake cost is, so if you take that element out you'll have some negotiation room on the price per slice.  In many cases, if you do the portion:price ratio on sheet vs. filled cake, you end up being cheaper to have the filled cake for what you get for the money.  In the case of one of DH's cousins, they paid $3.25/slice for unfilled sheets vs. $3.50 for twice the portion with fillings on the main cake and for $25 would have saved himself a lot of embarrassment from some getting served filled cake with a 1"x2"x5" others getting served a 1 1/2"x1 1/2"x1 1/2" portion of cake...
Posted by MesmrEwe[/QUOTE]

OP, is the sheet cake you're serving an unfilled sheet or is it a kitchen cake?  I'm not a fan of serving your guests a different cake from what you cut (unless you're doing cupcakes for guests).  Kitchen cakes are more economical than a huge multi-tiered cake, and they all look and taste the same as the "show" cake in the reception room.