A wedding cake is more than just the dessert served after the ceremony–it’s a centerpiece and a delicious treat. A good wedding cake can make your wedding unforgettable, but a less-than-perfect cake can be a sour note on your ceremony. The best way to ensure your cake is perfect for your special day is with a wedding cake tasting. 

The Mad Hatter’s Cafe and Bakeshop has supplied cakes for weddings big and small. We’ve worked with clients of all budgets, tastes, and preferences, helping them find the perfect cake for their special day. In this article, we’ll use this industry knowledge to explain everything you need to know about wedding cake tastings.

A wedding cake tasting is an event where the bride, groom, and wedding planner sample the different options for wedding cakes. The event is scheduled well in advance with the wedding’s caterer or dedicated baker. The baker will present several cake options for tasting. The clients choose the cake that best matches their ceremony, meal, and personal preferences. Bakers typically charge a fee for this service due to the amount of work, materials, and time that go into a tasting. 

What Is a Wedding Cake Tasting?

The Simple Elegance of the Wedding Cake Tasting Box

A wedding cake tasting box is a to-go version of a traditional sit-down tasting event. Instead of meeting with the caterer in person, the couple gets a large box containing the cake combinations they can take home. Both options have benefits and downsides. In-person tastings allow you to meet directly with the baker, ask questions, and collaborate on creating the ideal cake.  However, tasting boxes are more convenient since you can take the box home and try the flavors at your leisure. 

Why are Wedding Cake Tastings Important?

Wedding cake tastings are important because they help you hammer out all the little things that can go wrong when picking a cake. The cake’s look, flavor, dietary restrictions, fillings, size, garnishes, and price are determined at a tasting. 

What Should You Do to Prepare for Wedding Cake Tasting?

Before attending a wedding cake tasting, there are some simple steps you need to take to get the most out of the event. We recommend you: 

Hit the Books

Fifteen minutes of research can save you hours of misery–this applies to all parts of wedding planning, but especially to cake selection. All bakeries are different, with unique styles, flavors, and levels of quality. We recommend thoroughly researching potential bakers and caterers beforehand. Look closely at their portfolio, customer reviews, and selection before scheduling an appointment. The last thing you want is to book a tasting, attend, pay the fee, and then be completely underwhelmed by or not aligned with the baker’s selection. 

Consider the other Food at Your Wedding

A wedding cake should both complement and bookend your ceremony’s meal. Even if you haven’t finalized your menu, we recommend generalizing what you want before scheduling a cake tasting. Are your entrees rich and filling? Then something light and refreshing might be best. Are you mainly serving small canapés and hors d’oeuvres? Then maybe something richer and more decadent would fit. 

Know Your Budget

Always remember your budget when planning a wedding tasting. Usually, couples dedicate between 4% and 8% of their wedding budget to their cake. Communicating your budget to the baker lets them give you the best and most realistic options.  

Don’t Go On an Empty Stomach

Everything tastes better on an empty stomach. Essentially, your taste buds will recognize sweet tastes more prominently than bitter flavors. So, if you go to a cake tasting while hungry, everything you eat will taste better, and you won’t get an accurate picture of your cake’s flavor. You’ll also want a palate cleanser before and during tasting. We recommend drinking a light coffee or a glass of water before and between cake tastings. 

Have a List of Dislikes and Dietary Restrictions

Before you arrive at your tasting, have a detailed list of dislikes and all dietary restrictions for your cakes. When scheduling, most bakers will request this list and tailor the tasting to exclude these items, saving you time and money.

Keep Your Company Concise 

While it may be tempting to invite an entourage to your cake tasting, it’s not recommended. Ideally, the only people who should be there are the bride, groom, wedding planner (if applicable), and the bakery staff. A smaller tasting group helps keep everything focused and lets the baker do their job. Having too many cooks in the kitchen can ruin the baking and planning of a wedding cake.

Listen to Advice and be Open to New Flavors

Every couple is different when it comes to wedding cake tastings. Some come in with no pre-made plans, while others know exactly what they want, all the way down to the garnishes. Neither approach is wrong, but it’s always a good idea to listen to professionals and keep an open mind. Your baker will have years of experience selecting, customizing, and creating wedding cakes. It’s a waste of money not to take advantage of their experience! 

Additionally, we recommend trying new flavors and combinations. Even if you ultimately go with a more traditional cake, tastings are a risk-free opportunity to experiment. It never hurts to dip your toes into a new world of flavor!

Bring Some Inspiration With You

It’s always a good idea to provide some inspirational material to your baker before the tasting. If the baker knows what kind of cake you’re interested in, they can better tailor the options of your tasting.

Stay in Touch Post-tasting

When everything is said and done, you’ll want to keep the line of communication open with your baker. If the menu changes or a new dietary restriction pops up, you’ll want to let them know immediately. For example, if you discover someone has a tree nut allergy, the baker will need time to adjust the cake recipe. One email can save you stress and pressure in the final hours leading up to the wedding. 

Enjoy Yourself

Not every part of the wedding planning process is fun—picking out accents and decor can get tedious after a while. But a cake tasting can be something light-hearted and relaxing that you should look forward to! Who doesn’t enjoy sitting back, eating lots of cake, and customizing a major element of your special day? We like to think of tastings as a special treat for a job well done. After all, why not enjoy some cake after planning an entire wedding?

Let us Help You With Your Wedding Cake Tasting

If you have a wedding in the Durham area on the horizon, the Mad Hatter’s Cafe and Bakeshop can help. We have a lovely selection of scratch-made, pre-designed wedding cakes for ceremonies of all sizes and budgets. Or, we can create a custom-made confection for your special day. Our wedding cake tasting only costs $40.00, and we’re happy to help you workshop something amazing! If you have any questions or want to schedule a tasting, contact us at [email protected].