It’s fall…

The smell of burning leaves, the sound of wind rustling through the trees, and apple picking season! These “apples” are really our apple cupcakes with caramel buttercream icing and decorated to look like golden delicious, granny smith, and red delicious apples. Isn’t this a great idea for an autumn-themed wedding? Congratulations to Kelly and Kevin – happy Sweetest Day!

]]> http://www.realbuttercream.com/blog/2011/10/how-bout-them-apples/feed/ 0 http://www.realbuttercream.com/blog/2011/03/party-cake-faqs/ http://www.realbuttercream.com/blog/2011/03/party-cake-faqs/#comments Fri, 25 Mar 2011 19:16:26 +0000 Beth Fahey http://www.realbuttercream.com/blog/?p=36 How many days in advance do I need to place my cake order?
It really depends on what kind of cake you are ordering~
Standard cake: 3 – 7 days notice (sometimes less, please call to check)
Full sheet: one week
Shaped cake: 2 weeks minimum (sometimes more, especially in the summer months)
Wedding cake: 1 week if picking up (small weddings), 3 – 12 months if delivery is required.

Do you have cakes for immediate pick-up?
Yes, we do. We always have 6” and 8” round predecorated cakes on hand with our most popular flavor and filling combinations.  An inscription can be added upon pick-up, if you choose. If you would like us us to hold a cake for you, we require prepayment.
Our standard ready-made cakes are:
white cake ~ strawberry mousse filling ~ real buttercream icing
chocolate cake ~ chocolate mousse filling ~ real buttercream icing
red velvet cake ~ white chocolate mousse filling ~ real buttercream icing
yellow cake ~ fresh strawberry filling ~ whip cream icing (weekends only)
atomic cake ~ whipped cream icing (weekends only)
seasonal specialty cakes

What else do you have that’s ready for pickup?
We have a wide selection of miniature pastries, cupcakes, and cookies. If you need a large amount of any of these items (2 dozen or more), then we recommend calling ahead to see if we can accommodate you.

What types of payment do you accept?
We take all major credit cards (Visa,  Mastercard, Discover, and American Express), debit cards, and cash. We will only accept personal checks if your scheduled pickup or delivery is 28 days or more in advance, otherwise, we do not accept personal checks.

Do you require a deposit on cake orders?
A deposit of ½ of the total purchase price is required on any order totaling $50.00 or more.  Deposits may be made with credit cards over the phone, or in person in our store.

Do you deliver?
We deliver wedding cakes and large orders, but because we do not keep a delivery person on staff (our delivery people are our cake decorators) we cannot accommodate small orders. We do charge for delivery. Local deliveries (within 5 miles) are $20.00. Pricing for delivery depends on the distance from the bakery.

Do you offer gluten (flour) free products?
We do have a flourless chocolate cake and coconut macaroons for those that have gluten sensitivity. Ours is NOT a gluten-free facility, however.

Can you make allergy-free products?
We make our products in a large facility where flour, nuts, and other allergens are present.  Even with the highest degree of care, we cannot guarantee that any of our products will be allergy-free. Sorry!

Will you make vegan or special recipes on request?
Sorry, but we can’t really accommodate batch sizes that are that small. We recommend contacting a bakery that specializes in vegan cakes, like Whole Foods.

How do I transport a large or tiered cake?
Any time you pick up a cake from us, it is always a good idea to have a large flat area in your vehicle dedicated for transporting the cake. We are always happy to carry your cake out to your car if requested. Putting cakes on people’s laps or on the seat of your car is never recommended.  The floor of your car is often the best place for putting a cake. For full sheet or tiered cakes, you should make arrangements to pick up your cake in an SUV or van.

What do I do if the buttercream icing cracks on my cake?
Our buttercream is delicious, but it can also be a little persnickety. Every once in a while, larger cakes iced in buttercream will crack (particularly if they have ½ and ½ fillings, or are split cake flavors).  Usually these are just hairline cracks, and there is an easy fix. Place a folded paper napkin or paper towel underneath the corner of the cake. Prop up the corner until the crack disappears. As the cake comes to room temperature, the crack should disappear entirely.

Can you draw my child’s favorite character on a cake?
We do have lots of different figurines and edible images that we can use that feature trademarked characters, but federal copyright laws prohibit us from replicating a licensed character in icing, or in the form of a shaped cake. Our sales staff would be more than happy to discuss all of the options for using your child’s favorite character on their cake.

What kind of refrigeration do I need for your products?
All of our cakes are refrigerated prior to pick-up or delivery. Cakes iced in buttercream that have a mousse filling may be left at room temperature for several hours. If your cake is to be served the next day, you will need to refrigerate your cake overnight. Fresh fruit fillings and perishable fillings should be refrigerated up until the cake is served. Cakes with perishable fillings could be out for an hour-and-a-half, but any leftovers should be refrigerated immediately. In general, pastries should always be refrigerated; cookies do not require refrigeration.

What is your cancellation policy?
Things happen; we understand that and will work with you as best we can. If you ever need to cancel a party cake, we require 24 hours advance notice from the time of your scheduled pickup. Cancellations with less than 24 hours notice will be responsible for the entire purchase price of the order.

Do you ship your cakes?
Unfortunately, we do not ship our cakes.  If you live outside of the Chicago area, we recommend visiting the Retail Bakers of America website to search for a baker in your area.

May I bring children to the consultation?
If there is any way for you to make other arrangements for your children, it might be best. We love kids, don’t get us wrong, it’s just that we know from experience that kids under the age of ten have a hard time sitting quietly for an hour. We want you to have a great experience while you are here, not a stressful one. Picking out a wedding cake may be more involved than you might anticipate. Just ask, and we’ll be happy to send you home with a cake sample for the kids at the end of your consultation.

How many people can I bring to the consultation?
Four or less is usually a good number. More than four people might draw out the decision making process. If you need to bring more than four people, please call us in advance, so that we can make sure that we have enough samples on hand.

What if I am running late to the consultation?
Please call if you are running late, and we will let you know how tightly we are scheduled that particular day. If you are within a few minutes of your appointment time, it’s not a problem. If you are going to be more than 20 minutes late and there are appointments after yours, we will probably need to reschedule for a later date. If you need to cancel, please give us 24 hours notice. People often wait weeks to get an appointment with us. Please be considerate of others. “No shows” will not be allowed to book another consultation with us.

Are we under any obligation to book the cake when we come in for our consultation?
No. You are under no obligation to book with us at your initial consultation. You may book if you want to, but we want you to feel comfortable with your decision. We will be happy to provide you with a written estimate (good for 90 days) should you decide that you would like some time to think. When you have decided that you want to come back and draw up your contract, we ask that you make another appointment – even if you know exactly what you want. Only a wedding cake consultant is allowed to fill out contracts. We need to have a staff member available to assist you, and that time needs to be scheduled.?When should I book my wedding cake??Peak wedding season is April through October. If your wedding date falls within the peak season, we suggest you book three to six months in advance of your date. If your wedding occurs in the off-season, two to three months is sufficient.

Can I hold the date?
Yes, you can hold the date. You will need to fill out a contract and put down an estimated deposit, based on your guest count. When you have decided on a design and structure, you can come in and finalize your contract with a consultant. The cake design and all of the details must be finalized and paid in full one month prior to your date.

How much cake should I order?
The question you need to answer first is, are you serving your wedding cake as dessert, or are you “wrapping” the cake for guests to take home?

If you are serving cake as dessert, you will need a piece of cake for every guest, whether they eat cake or not. This is due to the fact that most banquet halls do not ask your guests if they want cake. They simply cut up the cake and put a piece at every place setting.

If you are “wrapping” the cake, you do not need to have a piece for every person. Guests will usually take a piece with them as they are leaving the reception. It is up to you how much cake to order. We suggest you order cake for one-half to two-thirds of your guests.

You won’t have a final count of wedding guests until about one month to two weeks prior to your wedding date. However, there is a formula for estimating what your actual count is likely to be: take 20% off of the total amount of people you are inviting. For example, if you are inviting 200 people, 200 x .20 = 40, 200 – 40 = 160 people. We suggest that you only order what you think you will need. We will be happy to add “extra servings” to accommodate any guest overages, but we will not “change down” a cake structure once it has been booked.

Is the top tier of the cake included in my servings?
Yes. You may serve all of your cake. We give you a complimentary, fresh, 6” tier on your one-year anniversary. It will be the same cake flavor(s) and filling(s) as your wedding cake – and it will be fresh! No dried-out, freezer burned cake on your first anniversary. Just call us one week prior to your anniversary to order your cake and you can pick it up on the date you choose.

Is there a minimum order for wedding cakes?
Yes and no. There is a minimum order for deliveries. Because we are limited to the amount of deliveries we can make each day, a minimum of 105 servings of displayed cake is required in order to have your cake delivered. If your cake is less than 105 servings you may have to make arrangements to pick your cake up, particularly in the busy season. We may make exceptions to the minimum requirement if our delivery schedule allows. Please call and check our delivery availability on your specific date if the amount of servings for your displayed cake will be less than the minimum.

What if I have more people coming to my wedding than I expected? Will I run out of cake?
Most people get their final guest count two weeks prior to their wedding date. At this time you should double check the amount of servings your contracted wedding cake provides. If your guest count is more than your cake serves, then you will want to order “extra servings”. “Extra servings” cake is a separate cake that is brought to the kitchen at your reception facility when your cake is delivered. This cake will be constructed exactly as the tiers of your wedding cake with the same cake and filling flavors. The difference is that this cake is not decorated. Once cut and plated, your guests would not be able to distinguish between displayed cake and “extra servings” cake. Please be sure to order the “extra servings” two weeks prior to your reception date.

Can I get a small cake for cutting and then sheet cake for a majority of the servings?
Our policy is that your displayed cake must meet the minimum for delivery (described above), and serve at least half of your guests. You may not do more than ½ of the total amount of servings as “extra servings” or sheet cake. In our experience, a displayed cake that serves less than half of your guests looks too small for the room, and the amount of people you plan on serving.

Do you do make “fake cakes”?
There is a lot of information out there on wedding planning websites and in bridal magazines. These websites and magazines have been great in many ways for couples planning their weddings. Unfortunately, there is a misnomer that Styrofoam cakes are less expensive to produce than real cakes. From our perspective, what makes a wedding cake cost what it does, is the amount of labor (i.e. time) it takes to decorate a wedding cake. What you are decorating (cake or Styrofoam) does not matter as much as the skill level of the person decorating the cake. A high skilled decorator still has to be paid the same wage – no matter what their medium. Believe it or not, Styrofoam is also more difficult to work with and is more expensive than the ingredients in a cake. If you are looking to save money on a wedding cake, you should choose a simple design for your cake. You may also save by going with a smaller cake, and making up the difference with “extra servings” cake. We do not recommend doing more than half as “extra servings” cake, or your displayed cake will look too small for the room. At Creative Cakes, we always try to work within your budget.

How far away do you deliver?
Our delivery area covers all of the south suburbs of Chicago, the Chicago metropolitan area, as far west as Wheaton, southwest to Wilmington, and east, to northwest Indiana.

Is there a delivery charge?
Yes. The delivery charge covers our time, fuel costs and set-up. Some cakes requiring elaborate set-ups may be subject to an increased set-up and delivery charge. Prices range from $20.00 for local deliveries to $150.00 for downtown Chicago and distant deliveries.

Can I get different cake and filling flavors for each tier?
Yes, you can. For example, half of your servings could be white cake with strawberry mousse filling, and the other half could be chocolate cake with chocolate mousse filling. You could also have one tier banana cake with hazelnut mousse, another tier chocolate cake with raspberry mousse, and another tier white cake with irish cream mousse.

A third way to get variety within your cake is to mix up the cake within the tier itself. Each tier of cake has three layers of cake and two fillings. You could have chocolate-white-chocolate cake with chocolate mousse and strawberry mouse fillings.

When you mix up the cake flavors, you need to be aware that you will probably not have any control over who gets what, if your cake is served as dessert. Banquet halls typically pass out cake as people are mingling and do not ask about flavor preferences. As long as you are okay with your guests getting whatever is available, then feel free to order different cake flavors. One way to bypass this problem is to order different cake flavors within each piece, as in example three above. If you are “wrapping” cake, your guests will take whatever they like, and you can order whatever you like.

Are there different prices for any of the cake flavors?
All of the cake flavors are covered in the price per serving.

What about the price of fillings? Do some cost extra?
While all of our mousses are included in our standard pricing, some fillings may have an extra charge. Refer to our pricing sheet to see what we offer, and what we charge for each item.

Can I get cheesecake as a wedding cake?
If you are thinking of a traditional stacked wedding cake, it is probably not a good idea to get cheesecake. Cheesecake shouldn’t be displayed for as long as a standard wedding cake (typically 3 to 4 hours), because of spoilage concerns. It is also very difficult for your hall to cut and present cheesecake properly. If you really like cheesecake, you might want to think about cheesecake filling layers, or doing some of your servings as cheesecake “behind the scenes”, so that your hall can refrigerate the cheesecake and alleviate any spoilage concerns.

Can I get fresh fruit in my wedding cake?
Yes, you can get fresh fruit in your cake in certain situations. Fresh fruit should not be displayed for more than 2-3 hours and should be cut up and served immediately. You should not “wrap” cake with fresh fruit in it. Fresh fruit like strawberries and bananas are added to our mousses. We do not offer fruits in glazes as a filling. With over 15 years of experience, we can tell you that FRESH strawberries and glaze as a filling in a stacked wedding cake, is not structurally sound.

What is fondant?
Fondant is a special type of icing; it is a sugar dough. It is rolled out in a large sheet and laid over the tier of cake. Before we put the fondant icing on, the cake itself is crumb-coated in our buttercream to prevent moisture loss. So, you will get the taste of our famous buttercream, even if you order a cake with fondant icing. Because of the labor involved, fondant prices begin at $5.00 per serving.

Can I display my cake outside?
Not a good idea. Besides the danger of the buttercream melting (temperatures above 80 degrees), you stand the chance of drawing insects. Bees and flies like our buttercream, too. If you must display your cake outside, we strongly recommend fondant icing. Keep in mind, a tent outside in the summer is considered “outside” even if it is air-conditioned.

Can I bring in a picture of a cake I have seen elsewhere?
Absolutely. We will incorporate elements from an online or magazine picture that you bring in to us, and make a unique design that is similar to the picture you have. As cake designers, we feel it is unethical to copy someone else’s design exactly.

Do you provide fresh flowers, or does my florist?
We’re really flexible in terms of who supplies the flowers for your cake. The decision is really up to you and your budget constraints.

Florist – Florists will have the widest selection if you want a variety of flowers, or if you want to exactly match the flowers you are already getting from them.

Creative Cakes – if you want us to buy and arrange your flowers, we will be happy to do that. We’re usually the best choice if you only want one or two types of flowers, such as roses with stephanotis. We can provide you with a quote.?You – this is the least expensive way to go, but you will need to bring us the flowers the day before your wedding. We will charge an arranging fee of $20.00.

Who puts the flowers on my cake?
If you are using a florist for the flowers on your cake, you should ask them what they prefer to do, or if their schedule will allow them to arrange the flowers on the cake. Some florists like to put flowers on the cake, others do not. We will put a florist’s pre-arranged flowers on your cake at no charge. However, if loose flowers are ordered through your florist, you need to communicate very clearly to the florist and to Creative Cakes who is responsible for arranging your loose flowers. We will charge an arranging fee for the arrangement of loose flowers. If we are providing your flowers, we will be arranging the flowers on the cake at no charge.

If you provide the flowers, we will charge a nominal arranging fee. You will have to bring the flowers to the bakery 24 hours before the reception date, or have the flowers waiting at the hall when we arrive with the cake.

Do I bring my cake topper to the bakery?
In most cases, cake toppers should be brought directly to your hall.  You will most likely be bringing other things to your reception hall the week of your wedding, such as, place cards, serving sets, etc. Just bring your topper with those items. Your hall will have it waiting at the cake table for us to put on when we arrive with the cake. We have found that the fewer people handling your topper, the better. If it is something we are making here, we will bring it with us. Please let us know if your cake topper is heavy and needs support. If you have any doubts about your topper’s suitability, you should bring it by the bakery before the reception date, so that we can look at it.

How do I make my payment(s)?
25% of the final total is required at the time of booking and can be in the form of cash, check, charge, or debit card. Your 25% deposit is non-refundable. You may pay in installments if you wish. Final payments are due 30 days before your wedding date. You may pay by any of the methods listed above, but will not accept checks after the due date.

Do you supply cake bags?
Yes. We supply cake bags (with our logo) free of charge. If you are “wrapping” your cake, we will provide cake bags. If you are serving all of your cake, you shouldn’t need them.

To schedule a consultation, give us a call at 708.614.9755.