Your Choices
OPTIONS 
I. SHAPES
II. CAKE FLAVORS
III. SYRUPS - you have the option to have any of these brushed on cake layers before assembly to give them extra flavor and moisture. These are not used "straight". The brushing consists of simple syrup flavored with any of the following:
IV. FILLINGS
V. ICINGS
Please be mindful that factors such as heat and humidity
as well as event location and temperature control
will affect the way some icings lend themselves to decorating.
For example, an all-butter buttercream icing
for an outdoor activity in the summer
just might be a recipe for disaster...
VI. DECORATIONS - possibilities are truly endless here, especially with novelty cakes. These are just some examples:
Edible "jewels" - can be clear or colored!!
VII. CAKE BOARD - the often forgotten and trivialized finishing element of a cake!! My standard cake board is 2 layers of cardboard cake boards covered with matching decorative foil and finished off with coordinating ribbon all along the edges. Can be square or round, usually 4 inches larger than the largest dimension of the cake (but can be bigger to accomodate sugar artwork and/or candle).
For an added custom element and finishing touch, the theme of the cake can be carried all the way down to the cakeboard. Some examples are:
PRICING GUIDELINES
The philosophy at Cake Design is not to produce the same $15-$20 cake you can get at a mass-production operation such as a grocery store or local bakery. If that is what you are looking for or perhaps all your budget allows, you have multiple choices in your area for that. Cake Design is exclusively about custom cake decorating, and the quality that comes with this is in a different category altogether. Be mindful that highly-personalized, custom-designed cakes are much more labor-intensive and, as with any other such enterprise, this will be reflected in price.
There is a wide pricing spectrum depending on whether you want gumpaste decorations or all buttercream, whether you want a fondant or buttercream-iced cake, etc. Flavorings will also play a role in cost. A major factor influencing price is labor, which is usually less intensive with an all-buttercream cake and increases slightly with royal icing decor. Labor increases significantly with fondant and is highest with gumpaste work.
Likewise, cost will be influenced by whether you request a simple theme or a highly-personalized, specialized design scheme.
Here are some basic guidelines:
2" x 3" serving - $3.00 base cost, iced in buttercream. Decorating is an additional cost since this could be "anything" so it is highly variable.
2" x 3" serving - $4.00 base cost, iced in rolled fondant, filled with buttercream. Decorating is an additional cost (anything goes!).
The following are some example size charts to show how base cost would be calculated for a whole cake.
6" round
Yields approximately 8 reasonably-sized servings (3" x 2 - 2.5" at
widest point).
At $3.00 per serving = $24.00 base cost
8" round
Yields approximately 14 reasonably-sized servings (approximately 2"
at the widest point).
At $3.00 per serving = $42.00 base cost
10" round
Yields approximately 20 reasonably-sized servings (approximately 2"
at the widest point).
At $3.00 per serving = $60.00 base cost
9" x 13" sheet
Yields 21 servings approximately 2" x 3" in size
At $3.00 per serving = $63.00 base cost
Selections are by no means limited to these 4 sizes. These are just some examples to illustrate how base cost would be calculated. These also give you an idea of what size cake to order. For example, for a function to be attended by 20 people, either a 10" round or a 9" x 13" sheet cake would suffice. Use this as a starting point to scale up or down the size of cake needed according to number of guests.
I. SHAPES
- round
- rectangular
- square
- hexagon
- petal
- heart
- oval
- crescent - only 1 size
- paisley - only 1 size
- better yet: carved custom shapes!!
II. CAKE FLAVORS
- Genoise - a wonderful sponge cake, it goes great with fruit fillings and whipped cream icing.
- Butter - in golden, white ("wedding" cake) or chocolate ** Yellow butter cake is my standard "yellow cake" flavor.**
- Devil's Food - rich, chocolate flavor!
- Marble cake - with butter cake base for both flavors
- White chocolate - very moist and sweet.
- German chocolate
- Carrot
- Spice
- Italian Creme
- Red Velvet
- Banana
- Lemon
- Strawberry
- Orange
- Black Forest - classic with cherry filling and kirsch-flavored whipped cream
- Coconut - great with vanilla buttercream and coconut shavings
Do you have a favorite family recipe that you wish
were used for your cake instead?
No problem! I'll be more than happy to recreate
that for you as part of your order.
were used for your cake instead?
No problem! I'll be more than happy to recreate
that for you as part of your order.
III. SYRUPS - you have the option to have any of these brushed on cake layers before assembly to give them extra flavor and moisture. These are not used "straight". The brushing consists of simple syrup flavored with any of the following:
- Grand Marnier
- Kahlua - great on chocolate cake
- Amaretto
- Cointreau
- Rum
- Kirsch
- Plain (no flavoring, just simple syrup)
IV. FILLINGS
- Buttercream - American, Italian, or Swiss - in vanilla, chocolate, or specialty-flavored
- Whipped Cream
- Fruit (freshly sliced or as a puree)
- Cream cheese icing
- Bavarian Cream
- Nutella
V. ICINGS
- Buttercream - American, Italian, or Swiss - in vanilla, chocolate, or specialty-flavored
- Rolled Fondant - vanilla, chocolate, or specialty-flavored
- Whipped Cream
- Cream Cheese
Please be mindful that factors such as heat and humidityas well as event location and temperature control
will affect the way some icings lend themselves to decorating.
For example, an all-butter buttercream icing
for an outdoor activity in the summer
just might be a recipe for disaster...
VI. DECORATIONS - possibilities are truly endless here, especially with novelty cakes. These are just some examples:
- Flowers - in buttercream, royal icing, or gumpaste
- Specialty-themed articles - in gumpaste, fondant or modeling chocolate
- Royal icing color flow pieces or decorative plates
- Fondant or modeling chocolate borders, such as ropes or pearls
- Fondant or modeling chocolate accents, such as drapes, bows, geometric shapes, etc.
- Texturing on buttercream
- Basketweaving
- Royal icing lace points or other intricate designs
- Spun sugar Angel's Hair "nests"
- Airbrushing and stenciling
- Edible images - these work best on buttercream icing. Maximum size is 7 1/2" x 10". Please submit image as a JPEG.
Edible "jewels" - can be clear or colored!! VII. CAKE BOARD - the often forgotten and trivialized finishing element of a cake!! My standard cake board is 2 layers of cardboard cake boards covered with matching decorative foil and finished off with coordinating ribbon all along the edges. Can be square or round, usually 4 inches larger than the largest dimension of the cake (but can be bigger to accomodate sugar artwork and/or candle).
For an added custom element and finishing touch, the theme of the cake can be carried all the way down to the cakeboard. Some examples are:
- Plywood - stained with water-based stains or paints (cake would be on a food-grade cardboard cake board, not directly sitting on painted wood surface)
- Plywood or cardboard with 1 layer of batting, covered in fabric, and finished off with coordinating ribbon all along the edges.
- Plywood or cardboard covered with fondant - this fondant can be hand-painted or textured in infinite ways, carrying the theme of the cake all the way down to the cake board (for example, can make wood texture and wood-grain painting, or cobblestone texturing)
- cardboard in custom shape - for example, petal-shaped, hexagon, random curvy shape, etc. If it can be cut out from cardboard, it can be turned into a cake board!!
- double cake board - can do a wider bottom one topped by a smaller one on top (each one 2 layers of cardboard), like tiers or "steps".
A WORD ON CANDLES - I don't provide candles. For the type of custom, artistic work that I do, here are some alternatives to the typical grocery store candles:
- votive or tea light (scented or not) in a votive holder or an elegant glass container (for example, think brandy snifter or those stemless, round-bottom wine glasses!)
- glass dish deep and wide enough to accommodate a floating candle (and you could color the water for an added decorative element!)
- single tapered candle on pretty glass or silver candle holder
- novelty candle - plenty of these available online
- small pillar candle on an elegant candle holder - could also add a silk flower candle ring
- or what about an oil candle?
No plastics, paper, or anything non-edible
is used to decorate our cakes.
(Only under specific request
and provision by customer.)
Exceptions would be items such as
pillars, fountains, stairs,
wedding cake toppers
or fresh flowers.
Gumpaste flowers are made with
"skeletal", supporting, non-edible materials
such as floral wire and foam centers.
All paints, powder dusts, and
airbrush or marker inks are food-grade.
Basically, all decorations on a Cake Design cake
are strictly edible sugar art - as much as is artistically possible
PRICING GUIDELINES
The philosophy at Cake Design is not to produce the same $15-$20 cake you can get at a mass-production operation such as a grocery store or local bakery. If that is what you are looking for or perhaps all your budget allows, you have multiple choices in your area for that. Cake Design is exclusively about custom cake decorating, and the quality that comes with this is in a different category altogether. Be mindful that highly-personalized, custom-designed cakes are much more labor-intensive and, as with any other such enterprise, this will be reflected in price.
There is a wide pricing spectrum depending on whether you want gumpaste decorations or all buttercream, whether you want a fondant or buttercream-iced cake, etc. Flavorings will also play a role in cost. A major factor influencing price is labor, which is usually less intensive with an all-buttercream cake and increases slightly with royal icing decor. Labor increases significantly with fondant and is highest with gumpaste work.
Likewise, cost will be influenced by whether you request a simple theme or a highly-personalized, specialized design scheme.
Base price is calculated per serving.
Cost examples below are for a standard base cake.
Any departures from this (e.g. other cake flavors, icing flavors, etc)
are at an additional cost.
Standard base cake:
2 layers of a yellow butter cake with
vanilla buttercream filling and icing,
and a top and bottom buttercream border.
Cost examples below are for a standard base cake.
Any departures from this (e.g. other cake flavors, icing flavors, etc)
are at an additional cost.
Standard base cake:
2 layers of a yellow butter cake with
vanilla buttercream filling and icing,
and a top and bottom buttercream border.
Here are some basic guidelines:
2" x 3" serving - $3.00 base cost, iced in buttercream. Decorating is an additional cost since this could be "anything" so it is highly variable.
2" x 3" serving - $4.00 base cost, iced in rolled fondant, filled with buttercream. Decorating is an additional cost (anything goes!).
The following are some example size charts to show how base cost would be calculated for a whole cake.
6" round
Yields approximately 8 reasonably-sized servings (3" x 2 - 2.5" at
widest point).
At $3.00 per serving = $24.00 base cost
8" round
Yields approximately 14 reasonably-sized servings (approximately 2"
at the widest point).
At $3.00 per serving = $42.00 base cost
10" round
Yields approximately 20 reasonably-sized servings (approximately 2"
at the widest point).
At $3.00 per serving = $60.00 base cost
9" x 13" sheet
Yields 21 servings approximately 2" x 3" in size
At $3.00 per serving = $63.00 base cost
Selections are by no means limited to these 4 sizes. These are just some examples to illustrate how base cost would be calculated. These also give you an idea of what size cake to order. For example, for a function to be attended by 20 people, either a 10" round or a 9" x 13" sheet cake would suffice. Use this as a starting point to scale up or down the size of cake needed according to number of guests.
Want the tiered cake look but don't need
or can't afford that much cake?
Ask about dummy cakes!!
PAYMENT GUIDELINES
DEPOSIT - A deposit is required on all cakes equal to half the total price of the cake. The deposit is required to be mailed back along with filled-out, signed contract (contract will be mailed to you after initial contact). This deposit is non-refundable.
Once this deposit is received:
equipment required for the design (e.g. stairs, fountains, special lighting, etc), equal to the
cost of these items. If items are returned clean and in working order, deposit will be
returned in full. Alternatively, you can provide these items for me to use on your cake.
You have one week to return supporting and/or decorative equipment. If equipment is not
returned to Cake Design in this timeframe, equipment deposit becomes non-refundable.
BALANCE - Balance remaining on cake needs to be paid in full 2 weeks before date of delivery. Cake needs to be paid in full before delivery is to be made.
"RUBBER" CHECKS POLICY - I want to make sure everyone gets their cake for their special occasion. If there's any problem with a payment not going through, let's resolve it before the date of delivery (that's one of the reasons for the timeframe between full payment and date of delivery). Just like you want your cake on your special day, Cake Design would like its due compensation for the cost and labor involved in creating your custom product.
CANCELLATION POLICY - please notify Cake Design as soon as possible of any cancellations. Refunds are considered on an individual basis. Deposit is non-refundable. Cancellations occurring within 7 days of the event will not be refunded.
or can't afford that much cake?
Ask about dummy cakes!!
PAYMENT GUIDELINES
DEPOSIT - A deposit is required on all cakes equal to half the total price of the cake. The deposit is required to be mailed back along with filled-out, signed contract (contract will be mailed to you after initial contact). This deposit is non-refundable.
Once this deposit is received:
- gumpaste and/or fondant decorative pieces are hand-made, hand-painted, and assembled where applicable.
- shape templates are selected and printed in enlarged size to fulfill serving requirement where applicable (e.g. custom carved cakes).
- supporting or decorative equipment is procured if not already available (e.g. fountains, specialized separator sets, specialized cake stands, dummy cakes, etc).
- cake board design and assembly begins.
- most importantly, the date of your event is reserved for you.
equipment required for the design (e.g. stairs, fountains, special lighting, etc), equal to the
cost of these items. If items are returned clean and in working order, deposit will be
returned in full. Alternatively, you can provide these items for me to use on your cake.
You have one week to return supporting and/or decorative equipment. If equipment is not
returned to Cake Design in this timeframe, equipment deposit becomes non-refundable.
BALANCE - Balance remaining on cake needs to be paid in full 2 weeks before date of delivery. Cake needs to be paid in full before delivery is to be made.
"RUBBER" CHECKS POLICY - I want to make sure everyone gets their cake for their special occasion. If there's any problem with a payment not going through, let's resolve it before the date of delivery (that's one of the reasons for the timeframe between full payment and date of delivery). Just like you want your cake on your special day, Cake Design would like its due compensation for the cost and labor involved in creating your custom product.
CANCELLATION POLICY - please notify Cake Design as soon as possible of any cancellations. Refunds are considered on an individual basis. Deposit is non-refundable. Cancellations occurring within 7 days of the event will not be refunded.
LEGAL MATTERS
A word on character cakes - I cannot reproduce a copyrighted figure or picture on any of my cakes. It would be illegal for me because I'm doing this for profit. Likewise, I cannot use any licensed, copyrighted character-shaped cake pan - those are only meant to be used by the individual consumer at home and not by a business. I would have to charge you enough $$$ to post bond... :-)
Please contact Cake Design to get more detailed information on cake options and prices.
Email me!!
