Birthday Cakes at Clubs - how to serve it, save it - who should provide it?

Who should provide a birthday cake at clubs?

Affluent clubs, or those keen to attract members, serve birthday cakes for members' birthdays. The club funds the cake, organises the birthday message on top, organises the cake cutting knife, and proper china plates, or paper plates, or serviettes, cuts enough slices for everyone. Leftovers will be given to the birthday boy or girl, and/or taken by the president or shared amongst the committee or those present to take home. If the birthday boy of girl cannot attend (ill, working at an evening job, kept late at work, overseas, forgot) they are sent a picture of the cake, possibly with all those present waving or raising a wineglass in a toast. and a congratulations message from the president.

At other clubs the birthday boy or girl is expected to supply a cake, because at most other meetings, especially in a large club with forty or more members, they have been offered a piece of cake by other members.

At other clubs it is entirely haphazard. Those in the catering business may chose to bring in a cake for themselves, or a friend, to demonstrate their cake making skills and hope to get orders (leaving their business cards next to the cake). If another member has organised the cake, either the birthday girl or boy, or president, or VPE, or Toastmaster of the evening or the General Evaluator will commend the cake maker or organiser and propose a round of applause.

Maybe you don't want to go to the expense of ordering a cake costing £8 for every club, if you belong to four or more clubs. (In Singapore Ernest Chen belongs to six or more. In the UK Tony Winyard belongs to four. Coralie Francis belongs to two. I belong to two.)

However, if you have a large cake for your birthday for the family, and still have leftovers, you might want to bring them into your club.

Leftover Cake
At a recent meeting I brought in leftover birthday cake saved from the weekend. My family recently read that the way to save a cake to keep it fresh is to cut a vertical slice with two parallel lines instead of triangular cake slices, so you can push together two halves. Depending on the decoration on top, and whether you cut out an oblong vertically or horizontally, you might also be able to preserve the original decoration or wording intact. I had brought a plastic knife to cut the cake but our venue has proper knives, as well as rockery. You just need the time and energy to wash up afterwards.