FAQ's

"I'm interested in a Wedding Cake. What do I need to do to get started?"

~I like to start by speaking with you and getting a feel for what you are looking for in a cake. I need to know the general number of people attending the wedding, where the venue will be held, what the wedding date is, etc. Once we discuss things to both of our satisfaction, I do have a contract for you to sign. I like to concentrate on one wedding cake order at a time and will not book any other obligations if I have a wedding cake. But I also like to be fair, so "first-come-first-serve" does come into play. If I have other cakes already on my calendar, I will not "bump" those orders just to do a wedding cake. This is why it is VERY important to contact me several months in advance, so we can be sure the date is free.

I like to schedule tastings. If I have more than one bride inquiring about cakes at the same time, I will try to set up a date that is convenient for several of you so that I can do the prep work all one day for several wedding inquiries. My tastings are set up a little different than most people in the area, so please contact me for more details and I can explain how it works.

"When should I order my cake(s)?"

~When I first started, my answer was "give me a 2-3 week notice". Now that I am so busy I tell customers to get on my schedule RIGHT AWAY! You can always cancel if you end up cancelling your party, but I am so busy now that I rarely have room for any last minute orders. Wedding cakes I also need to know right away. I limit myself on wedding cakes, so I do tend to hit my limit very early in the year.

I do everything myself - the shopping, baking, mixing, decorating, boxing up, cleaning dishes, scrubbing floors, homework with the kids...you get the idea - so once I get several cake orders I am FULL. I only have so much time and space to store cakes, so I will turn orders away if I've met my limit for the week. I can sometimes accommodate last minute orders (4 or 5 days notice), but I can not guarantee I can do your cake, cupcake or cruffles unless you are on my list weeks in advance.

"I have a picture of a cake I want you to make. Can you do it?"

~It is just not possible to reproduce a cake exactly like a picture. I can work with you to do similar colors, theme and decorations, but an exact replica of anything is impossible. We can discuss what elements in the picture you would like to see most on the cake and I will work with you to make the cake as similar as I can.

"Can you make my child a 'Mickey Mouse', 'Sponge Bob' or 'Dora' (in other words ...a licensed character) cake?"

~Unfortunately, copyright laws come into play and I am not permitted to do these kind of cakes. There are a few ways around this. I can purchase an edible transfer sheet to place on your cake (which is what the WWE cake is in the gallery). This is legal because the copyright laws were purchased to reproduce this image. If your child REALLY wants a Mickey Mouse cake, you could purchase a Mickey Mouse toy and I can place it somewhere on the cake. I can also work with you by making a cake using the colors in your party decorations and using a general "fairy" themed cake - instead of copying "Tinkerbell". I will work with you any way I can, but will not be able to do any licensed characters.

"Do you bake from scratch or use cake mixes?"

~My answer to this question is a little of both. I've been working, tweaking and sampling all kinds of recipes and I have quite a collection now. Some are scratch and some are what bakers fondly call "doctored-mixes" or "cake-extender" recipes. Scratch cakes can be a bit more dense, so I keep experimenting trying to get the perfect balance and texture that I want in a cake. So far, I've found a few worth keeping. Sometimes the perfect flavor and texture requires me to start with a cake mix and add other ingredients. Some of my most requested recipes actually start with a cake mix base, so if you want an all-scratch cake, please let me know and I can direct you to the flavors on my Menu that are 100% scratch.

"How much do cakes cost?"

~I normally charge per serving size of the cake and add on extras if fondant, gumpaste flowers or figures, modeling chocolate figures, ribbons are added to the cake. The more information I have about what you are looking for, the better the quotation I can give you on the cost.

"We have a food allergy in our home, can you make us a cake?"

~I'm sorry, but I'm not the baker for you. I use my home kitchen for baking and decorating, so all these "taboo" items on your list would probably be in my kitchen. Even if I was very careful, I would be a nervous wreck about my ingredients and cross-contamination. I also normally bake several cakes per week, so what you may be allergic to may be a special request in one of my other cake orders (like peanut butter cream filling, or extra nuts in the carrot cake, etc.). My kitchen tools come in contact with these items on a daily or weekly basis and I would just not be comfortable making a cake knowing there was an allergy. It's too risky for me and for your family member with the allergy.

"Do you deliver?"

~Sure! Most people pick up cakes at my home on Friday or early Saturday morning, but I do deliver if you prefer. Details just need to be worked out ahead of time to be sure I have time in my schedule. I will deliver the cakes to your party location within a 15 mile radius of my home (mapquest is used to determine mileage) for a $15 delivery charge. If you are outside this 15 mile radius, but would still like delivery, please contact me and arrangements can be made for an additional cost.

Wedding cakes are set-up & delivered by me. I will not let anyone pick up their own wedding cake. If you don't agree with this policy, please find another baker. Too much time and energy goes into baking and deocrating a wedding cake and I must be sure it arrives in pristine condition. There is a small fee for wedding cake delivery and it is based on mileage from my home to your reception venue. This will be discussed at the time of booking and will be on your wedding contract. Mapquest is used to determine mileage from my house to the reception site.