Whether it's a celebration, special event, meal, after school treat or dessert, everyone looks forward to something sweet. Offering special desserts for two from your decorating department can be a signature marketing tool and make your bakery a destination for customers looking for a treat for a small gathering or event. Here is a sweet selection to offer customers.

A 4-in. or 5-in. torte is the perfect size for two. For a chocolate lover's delight, split two layers of chocolate cake in half. Sandwich the layers together with fudge icing. To spread the icing easily, heat it in a microwave for a few seconds. Top the stacked torte with another layer of fudge icing, and allow it to drip down the sides of the cake. Add half pecan meats to the top while the icing is still warm. Drizzle warm caramel icing and warm fudge icing on top of the pecans and garnish with a stemmed maraschino cherry.

Small desserts also work well for special dinners. For an elegant flower cake, base ice a single layer 4-in. or 5-in. cake. Heat pink fondant icing to pouring consistency, and pour it into a parchment or disposable plastic pastry bag. Cut off the end of the bag to the size of a No. 6 or No. 8 writing tip. Use a jiggling motion to pipe the warm icing along the edge of the cake top, and let it drip down the side. With star tip No. 17, pipe shell borders around the bottom of the cake and inside the dripped icing on top of the cake. Using green icing and writing tip No. 3, pipe vines on the center of the cake top. With flower tip No. 104 and a flower nail, pipe three flowers to place on the vine. Start by piping a flat base on the nail. Next, pipe five petals in a clockwise pattern on top of the base. Use scissors to remove the blossom from the nail, and place it on the cake top. Add stamens in the center with writing tip No. 3. Finish the bouquet by piping green leaves with tip No. 352.

Another option for a dessert for two is a large, 12-in. cookie that can be decorated for any occasion. For an all white 50th anniversary, pipe a triple “e,” reverse triple “e” border with star tip No. 199. Add some curlicues at the top of the cookie, and pipe two bouquets of roses. Enhance the white, piped decorations with gold bells and gold leaves.

Another take on the desserts for two is a cake for the ultimate twosome — twins. Divide a quarter sheet cake in half by decorating each half using different color schemes and designs, such as a blue balloon side for a boy and a purple flower half for a girl. Use tip No. 10 to pipe multi-colored balloons on one side and flowers on the other. Pipe top and bottom shell borders with star tip No. 22. Add leaves to the flowers with tip No. 352, and use writing tip No. 4 for the strings on the balloons as well as the inscriptions.

Packaging options abound

To help make merchandising dessert for two easy, a variety of packaging options are available. Options include a two-pack cupcake/muffin container, a 4-in. or 5-in. square container, a double compartment hinged container and several sizes of domes for small cakes.

The two-pack cupcake container allows plenty of room for decorated cupcakes, such as rose cupcakes. Dip the cupcakes in warm fondant icing. After the icing is firm, use flower tip No. 104 to pipe a large rose on top of the cake. Place a candle in the middle of the bloom, so it can be used for a birthday celebration.

The double square container is ideal for brownies or slices of single layer cake. Cut cakes or brownies to fit the size of the container. Top the brownies with German chocolate icing and drizzle with fudge icing. Garnish each brownie with half of a maraschino cherry.

If customers only want to share a single brownie or cake slice, the 4-in. square container is perfect. The turtle brownie shown is iced with chocolate fudge icing in a shell pattern using tip No. 105. Add drizzles of chocolate and caramel icing, chopped nuts and a stemmed maraschino cherry for garnish.

Even if you don't want to invest in specialized packaging, you can still merchandise your products to get the most out of the desserts for two trend. After preparing a two or more layer cake, cut it into slices, and package the slices upright in a 7-in. cake base and dome. Add a shell border around the base of each slice with tip No. 22 to hold them in place. You can even pipe a message on the cake board.

Setting aside a section in your cake case titled “Desserts for 2” will inspire customers to purchase smaller desserts for special occasions or when they don't wish to purchase a full-size cake or dessert. Couples without children, empty nesters, single adults or even health conscious consumers are the target audience for these items. They also appeal to customers wanting to sample a product they have not tried previously. Don't miss out on potential sales simply because a customer only wants a “bite.”