Questions to ask when interviewing cake bakers

vhalbeck

Hi Everyone,

I'm rather clueless about what I should be looking for in a bakery for a wedding cake.  Are there specific questions I should ask, or things to look out for? Good/Bad.

Anything you can offer based on your experience would be very helpful! I'm scared the cake is going to be terrible!!

kaesha

Well, be sure you do a tasting. That way you'll know what the cake tastes like, so it shouldn't be awful.

ivyrose13

Find out what flavors of cake the baker provides, frosting types (buttercream, fondant, etc.), cake fillings, all the yummy stuff. 

Then you want to find out the numbers; how much does the baker charge per slice, does the baker have a delivery/set-up fee, do you need to rent/purchase a cake stand, do you need to pay for additional decorations (sugar flowers, etc.) Basically, what exactly is included with the price. 

I would also want to know where the cake was being made, and ensure that it will be refrigerated or in an air conditioned space prior to delivery so that the frosting/fondant does not melt. Also, find out if the cake will be delivered to you reception venue or if you will need to pick it up. 

That should be about it. HTH.

hz80408

Like pp said:

-Frosting types available & costs (the majority of bakers charge more for fondant, if you're interested in that

-Delivery of cake: are they able to deliver and what are the fees?

-Cake stand:  will they provide or let you rent?

-Payment:  what is the deposit and when in the remainder due?

-Timing:  what day is the cake made?  will it be frozen at all?  when will it be frosted?

-Pricing:  if a tiered cake is what you want, but it's out of your budget, could they make a smaller tiered cake and also provide sheet cakes?

If you have pictures, bring them!  My bakers were able to give a more accurate price estimate seeing my cake pictures and knowing how much time they'd need to put in.

If you dont' have pics-try to decide on general look: shape, if you have your heart set on a certain number of tiers?

bridalgal50

FYI: -freezing a unbaked cake layer is not a bad thing!
       -most cakes are frosted the Thursday or Friday before a Saturday wedding.
       -most bakers deliver at least 2 hours prior to the start of the reception. However, if a baker must deliver more than 2 hours prior, be sure to choose a flavor that does not require refrigeration. 
       -Constructed correctly, a tiered cake can sit for a long time-just make sure the table isn't wobbly or on the dance floor!

Ask:
-available flavors
-extra cost for more than one flavor?
-per serving cost for buttercream vs fondant
-extra cost for sugar flowers, bows, intricate designs, etc.
-must you buy or rent(or pay a deposit) plates/pillars/cake stands
-when does the cake get delivered?
-is there a deliver fee?
-when must I have all the cake parts returned by?
-payment schedule and date they need a final guest count
-who provides the fresh flowers - baker or my florist? And who is responsible for placing them on the cake?
-does the baker provide a box for the top anniversary tier?
-for a buttercream cake: what does the baker use between the tiers to keep frosting from sticking to the plate/board?  Some use coconut, which can be an allergy issue!
-may you call the week of your wedding to confirm everything you have ordered ?

vhalbeck

Thanks everyone! This is great!

mysticl

How far in advance you can increase/decrease the number of servings. 

I Want Cake

Ask who will be delivering your cake: the designer or someone else?  If anything happens to your cake in transit, you'll need to know how they'll deal with repairs.  If a designer is delivering it, they should have the stuff to fix it on site.  If not, they may have to take it back to the shop, which they may not have time for.  Part of the reason we selected the baker we did is because she does everything herself from start to delivery.