The Party Trick you Need

Everything in life is a skill, and those skills need to be practiced.

In all my days of baking for and attending parties, I’ve noticed one skill that is wildly untaught, and as a result, all our parties suffer.

If you’ve ever been served a pile of cake crumbs with some icing smeared on the side of the plate, I'm here to help make sure that never happens again. For some reason I’ve made it part of my life’s mission to educate and put a stop to massacred cakes.

Cake Cutting: Let’s talk about it.

This may be my only party trick, but it’s really is a good one to have.

There are lots of ways to cut a cake. Most of them are wrong. Thankfully, I have two right ways for you.

I’ve just released my Cake Cutting & Serving Guide at the end of this post! I promise it’s in your best interest to read it, study it, and practice it (if you can) before attending your next party. If you enjoy being a hero, then this is definitely for you, because nobody ever knows how to properly cut a cake when the time comes. I’ve even attended weddings that the caterers have packed up and left, and there’s no one there to cut the cake!

Method One: Pie Style

This is your typical party slice. It’s great for smaller (4” - 6”) cakes and is the easiest to balance when cutting. I like to make one cut directly through the middle of the cake, then make smaller cuts starting at the middle and pushing down with a clean knife. I only use a cake/pie server to lift it off the cake board. The blades are never sharp enough to give you a clean slice.

Bonus tip: Cut the pieces smaller than you think — they end up being tall and thick cuts, and then there are usually half slices left on everyone’s plate.

Method Two: Checkerboard

The checkerboard is the best bang for your buck when it comes to servings, especially on larger (8”+) cakes. It also leaves you with smaller looking slices, but the height makes up for it and the pieces are even squares. I advise my clients to try this method when they’re trying to feed a lot of guests out of one cake.

You’ll need plates to catch the pieces for this one! I start from one side and work my way to the other. Since you start on one side, the corner pieces are quick to fall over. I cut one row at a time, plate each piece, and then do the same on the next row.

No Matter What…

Please, keep the pie servers away! At least for the cutting. The only tool you need is a sharp, clean, kitchen knife. Wipe it with a paper towel in between each cut to avoid the crumbly mess, especially if your cake is at room temperature. To make it easier, try to keep the cake chilled to give you a more solid base to cut into.

I guess I have a lot to say about cake cutting! The next time you go to serve up a cake, I hope you can pull out these skills and impress all your friends. Don’t forget to post and tag me on Instagram @joriecakes_ so I can see your work!

Cheers,

jorie