What is a serving size?

There is a huge variation in serving size.  I generally work with two specific serving size guidelines:  the “sensible” cut and the “event” cut.  For groom’s, baby shower, engagement, and bridal shower cakes, I generally suggest working with an event serving which is smaller because the cake is not generally the focus of the event.  For birthday cakes, however, where the cake is often the main food served, I am a bit more generous with the size of the servings which means that the same size cake will, obviously, not serve as many people.  That said, I have discovered that for younger kids birthday party’s, the serving size generally falls somewhere between the sensible servings and the event servings as most small children cannot (although they wish they could!) eat as big of a slice of cake as an adult.  Below is a chart that explains the size cakes that I offer and the corresponding serving sizes.

	Generous	Sensible	Event
4-in round	2	4	6
6-in round	4	8	12
8-in round	8	14	20*/24**
10-in round	12	25	39**
12-in round	26	30*/40**	56**
9-in  x 13-in rectangle	18	24	54

* this serving size is when cutting “normal,” pie shaped slices.
** this serving size is when using “official” event size pieces.

What flavors do you offer?

All of my cakes are made from scratch and use only the freshest ingredients.  I use a rich buttercream frosting for all of my cakes, but can get creative with it by adding additional flavors to the frosting.  That said, if you absolutely must have a certain flavor cake, I will be happy to discuss it with you.  My family always loves when I have to experiment with a new cake and/or icing flavor!

Cake Flavors

• Vanilla
• Chocolate
• Almond (the basic vanilla cake but with a HINT of almond extract) (premium flavor)
• Lemon (premium flavor)
• Red Velvet (premium flavor)
• Mocha (premium flavor)
• Coconut (premium flavor)
• Funfetti (premium flavor)
• Chocolate chip (premium flavor)
• Raspberry Chocolate Chip (premium flavor)
• Fresh strawberry (premium flavor)
• Mocha Peppermint (premium flavor)
• German Chocolate (premium flavor; can be slightly modified to allow it to be covered in fondant)

Frosting Flavors

• Vanilla Buttercream
• Chocolate Buttercream
• Mocha Buttercream (premium flavor)
• Espresso Buttercream (premium flavor)
• Raspberry Buttercream  (premium flavor)
• Coconut Buttercream  (premium flavor; not recommended for use under fondant)
• Fresh Strawberry Buttercream  (premium flavor; not recommended for use under fondant)

What ingredients do you use?

I use only fresh ingredients:  milk, cream, butter, sugar and eggs.  With the exception of gluten free cakes, I never use a box mix.  If you would like an organic cake, I would be happy to use organic ingredients where available for an additional charge.

What is fondant and what are its benefits?

Fondant is an edible material that is made up mostly of sugar, glucose, and water.  It is applied over the frosting of the cake and can be eaten or easily peeled off once the cake is cut/served.  I generally recommend using fondant when you want a more polished looking cake and/or your cake is for a more formal occasion.  I also use fondant for creating many of the “accessories” for the cake so that the entire cake is edible.

Why cupcakes?

There are a few great reasons to use cupcakes at your party.  The first reason is that  you can have several different “looks” with cupcakes.  Different flavors of icing and/or cake can be used and I can create several different toppers for the cupcakes.  For example, for a carnival themed party, you could top cupcakes with just the tickets (as pictured under the carnival cake) but you could also top them with any of the accessories that I used on the carnival cake itself, such as the popcorn, peanut, cotton candy, ice cream cone, pretzel or hot dog.  Another reason you might want to use cupcakes is if you know you need a few additional servings but you don’t want to go with a bigger cake or buy an additional cake.  Cupcakes are a good way to supplement servings, especially for parties where the number of people is just over the recommended number of servings for a given cake.  Finally, cupcakes that complement the theme of the party and your cake just look pretty and add a little extra touch to your cake display.  I also would be happy to just make cupcakes for your party.  The minimum order for cupcakes is 24 and the cost begins at $2.00/cupcake.

Can you guarantee allergy free foods?

Please note, because I make all cakes out of my home, I cannot guarantee that my products are free from any ingredients including nuts, milk or soy.  If you or your child (or someone at the party) has any food allergy, please bring this to my attention before ordering.  If you would like to order a gluten free cake, I can accommodate you using a box cake and gluten free buttercream frosting and/or fondant.  Again, please contact me to discuss the specifics.

How do I get my cake?

Most single layer cakes (including carved cakes) can be picked up by you at my home.  For multi-tiered cakes it is almost always necessary for me to deliver the cake and set it up in the actual spot.  Multi-tiered cakes are surprisingly heavy and while stable, shouldn’t really be driven around in a car.  There will be a minimal delivery charge depending on location and type of cake to be set up.

How much notice do you need?

Depending on the cake, I generally spend at least 3-4 days constructing it (baking, frosting, and decorating) but this could stretch to 5-7 days if it is a labor intensive cake that requires a lot of accessories.  It also generally takes me a few days to come up with the design.  I really do pride myself on coming up with the perfect design to fit you, the customer, and your event.  Therefore, I would appreciate at least 2-3 weeks notice so I have plenty of time to plan and execute.  If you are in a time crunch, as always, I would be happy to talk with you to see if something can be worked out.