It is widely accepted that there are four components of a plated dessert: The main item, the dessert sauces, the crunch component, and the garnish. A plated dessert should have all of these items, but if it lacks any one of these items (except for the main item) it can still be a plated dessert. It is also widely believed that all of the components should be edible, and many chefs also believe that each component should be eaten. That second point is widely debated because many chefs like to create sugar decorations and structures for presentations which are technically edible but are never actually eaten.
Before describing each core component it is important to point out a plated dessert presentation’s purpose. A plated dessert has three main goals (though it may have more). The first goal is to satisfy the customer. This goal emphasizes flavor above all else, though you can argue that the actual visual design of the plate also satisfies a customer.
The second goal is to complement the venue’s theme. If you are at an Asian restaurant and they serve Tres Leches cake with white chocolate cowboy hats as a garnish, it may look nice but it doesn’t really work well for the restaurant. This goal emphasizes the visual, and fun and creative expressions of a dessert continue to bring customers back.
The final goal is to make a dessert that is affordable in the terms of the restaurant. This is in terms of both complexity and price. A dessert that is too complex will put too much stress on the kitchen staff when it needs to be reproduced and a dessert that is too expensive will never be purchased by the customer. The price point should make sense though so the restaurant doesn’t lose money if the dessert is priced too cheaply.
