We've assembled some of the most commonly asked questions that people have regarding ordering custom cakes. If yu don't see your question to the right, or if the short answer we give doesn't provide you with all of the information that you need, please contact us with your full inquiry. We'll try to answer as best we can.

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Picture Perfect Cakes has launched a client rewards program where existing clients can earn credits towards their next commission when they refer people to us and a cake or cupcake commission results. Every new client referred will earn the referring client a $5 credit towards their next commission.

FAQs

How much does a custom order cake cost?
How far in advance do I need to order?
Can you make cakes for people with dietary restrictions?
How does the ordering process work?
How much are cupcakes?
What kinds of flavours do you make?
Do you deliver?
Where do you deliver to?
Do you make "fake" wedding cakes?
Do you have a guarantee?
Do you require a deposit?
When do you require full payment?
What is your cancellation policy?
How can I pay for my cake or cupcakes?
Do you have free tastings?
Can I make changes to the cake design?

How much does a custom cake cost?

Great Question with no single answer. Perhaps the best answer is that "it depends". As with anything custom made, the price will depend on many things, such as the type of cake, the type of frosting and filling, the degree of difficulty of the decorations, whether there is a cake topper or cake jewelry as part of the cake, etc. The list of variables is quite long.

That said, it is possible to give a general price guideline for custom cakes. The most basic cake (6" round) with meringue frosting and some simple fondant decorations would be $45. From there, the price goes up. As a general rule, you should count on $4 - $8 per serving and up. The more work involved to complete a cake, the higher the price.

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How far in advance do I need to order?

The longer lead time that we have, the easier it is to plan our resources accordingly. The minimum amount of time that we require is 72 hours notice. Our schedule has limited openings for commissions, so even though you might contact us 72 hours in advance, we may be booked up. That said, we will always try our best to accomodate you as we know how these things can pop up at the last minute. If in doubt, give us a shout.

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Can you make cakes for people with dietary restrictions?

Generally, yes. The full answer will depend on what those dietary restrictions are. As our facility is not a "nut free" zone, we would recommend that people with extreme allergies or reactions to certain foodstuffs have their cakes made by commercial facilities that can guarantee to be free of the ingredient in question.

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How does the ordering process work?

The first thing that you need to do is contact us with the date of your event. Assuming that we have availability, we go from there. The process may be one of many, but ALWAYS involves a consultation of one type or another. Consultations may be either in person or by email or phone. For those clients who want to give us free reign in the design of their cake, this can usually be accomplished by email or phone. Those who want more input into the design have a consultation in person. During this session, clients can look over our many cake books and look through our "Book of Inspirations". This is also an opportunity for us to ask you questions to help narrow the cake details. All wedding cake clients are also booked in for a tasting.

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How much are cupcakes?

Much the same as with cakes, custom designed cupcakes vary in cost depending on the degree of decoration. Generally, cupcakes start at $3.25 each (which would include buttercream frosting and simple fondant or candy decorations) and can go up to $5.50 each for more intricate and component heavy designs. The consultation process for cupcakes is exactly the same as for cakes. Small cupcakes start at $1.25 each (including simple design).

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What flavours do you make?

Another trick question. Really, the number of flavours is vast and is limited only by one's imagination. That said, we have several chocolate, vanilla, lemon, carrot and classic citrus cakes that we use as bases for adding flavours to. If you have a favorite flavour we can usually adapt our recipes to incorporate it. If you have a favorite recipe that you just 100% must have your cake made from, we can also do that. As for fillings, there is no limit to the flavours, but the most popular tend to be lemon curd, lemon buttercream, double raspberry, double strawberry, chocolate hazelnut, chocolate ganache (dark, milk and white), cream cheese (3 types), french vanilla and peanut butter.

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Do you deliver?

We do deliver. In fact, if you order a wedding cake from us, we insist that we deliver it to the reception site, as some on-site setup is required. Of course, if delivery of a wedding cake is not feasible (ie. destination wedding in Gulf Islands) then we will be pleased to discuss cake options with you that will withstand a certain amount of transportation.

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Where do you deliver to?

Delivery on the North Shore from Deep Cove to Horseshoe Bay is free. Outside of this area, the cost increases depending on the driving time and distance. We will happily discuss delivery charges with you at the time of your consultation. We don't make money from delivery charges, they are just sufficient to cover our out-of-pocket expenses.

Do you make "Fake" wedding cakes?

Yes, we do. However, please remember that the cost of having an artificial cake (with a cutting insert) is the same as the cost of a "real" cake. On the plus side, artifical cakes can often be crafted in dimensions that a real cake would not withstand or would be prohibitively expensive. They also travel very well and allow your caterer to have a much easier time of cutting the cake for your guests as no tricky dismantling is required. The truth of the matter is that no one at your wedding will know if the cake is real or not.

Unfortunately, we do not "rent" cakes at this time (though we may add this option at a later date).

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Do you have a guarantee?

At Picture Perfect Cakes we guarantee that you will be satisfied with the taste and presentation of your cake or cupcakes. If you are not, we will gladly provide you with another cake, of similar cost, for an event you may have in the future for free. Because we cannot control things such as reception room temperature, we cannot guarantee your cake against melting or sliding. If you pick-up your cake, your are responsible for it's safe arrival and display. Now that the legal mumbo jumbo is out of the way, if somethig should happen to your cake on its way to the party or at the party (ie. it melts in the non-airconditioned hall in July) call us right away and we will try our best to fix things.

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Do you require a deposit?

In order to reserve the date for your cake, a $50 non-refundable Date Reservation Fee is required. In order to actually confirm a booking, a Down Payment of 50% of the full price of the cake is required.

If your cake involves a cake topper, cake jewelry or a cake stand, you will be required to provide a refundable deposit. The deposit will be returned to you provided that the items are returned within 1 week of the delivery date. After this time, the deposit will be forfeit. If you know you want to keep them from the outset, the cost will simply be added to the overall cake cost.

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When Do you Require Full Payment?

Full payment of the baance remaining after application of the Date Reservation Fee and the Down Payment is required no less than 2 weeks prior to the delivery date.

What is your cancellation policy?

Cancellations received more than 90 days prior to the delivery date will receive a full refund of any Down Payment paid. Cancellations received 89 - 30 days prior to the delivery date will receive a refund of 50% of the Down Payment. Cancellations received 29 - 8 days prior will forfeit 100% of the Down Payment and cancellations received with 7 days or less of the Delivery Date will receive no refund.

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How can I pay for my cake or cupcakes?

Picture Perfect Cakes takes payment is cash or by personal cheque or bank draft. We also take payment by credit card through PayPal. You do not need to have a PayPal account to use this feature. However, due to the fees charged by PayPal, if you want to pay by credit card, the minimum amount that can be charged at one time is $50.

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Do you have free tastings?

We do have tastings, but they are not exactly free. Tastings cost $30 and allow you and a few of your decision makers to sample 4 different cake flavours and a variety of fillings. If you decide to order a cake from us, the cost of your tasting will be deducted from the final price of the cake.

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Can I make changes to the cake design?

Of course you can. This is your special day and the cake plays an important role. That said, custom cakes do not spring forth fully decorated from the oven and it can take up to a week to decorate (depending on whether components need to be made in advance to harden). Also, some designs involve custom made stands or seperators and once these are made, theny can't be changed easily. The last possible date for changes to the design is 2 weeks prior to the delivery date. After this time, no changes will be permitted. The size of the cake can be increased up to 1 week prior to the delivery, but any decrease in size must be done 2 weeks in advance (as this may drastically change the design).

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