FAQ
Below are some of the questions I get asked along with my answers. If you have a question that is not answered here, please fill out the contact form or call me!
Q. "I have a party/event coming up - how soon should I order the cake?"
A. As soon as possible! Even if you aren't sure yet how much cake you will need, you can still contact me and reserve the date. My calendar fills up very quickly and it is not uncommon for me to have cakes booked anywhere from two to six months in advance, and I do occasionally get orders up to a year in advance!
Q. "Do you deliver?"
A. Yes, I deliver to a large area in the Sandhills and Panhandle of Nebraska. My deliveries book quickly for the week and I can't deliver every cake every day or I won't have any time to bake! If you have a last minute order, chances are good that you will have to come pick it up. My delivery charges are listed on the Basic Cakes page.
Q. "Did you go to pastry school?"
A. I have not attended pastry school. I am mostly self-taught from books and DVDs. I have also taken some cake decorating classes in the past.
Q. "Do you bake your cakes from scratch or from a mix?"
A. I do both. Most of the cakes start with a mix and I add ingredients such as butter, milk, flavorings, and sour cream to "doctor" the mix. I experimented with a lot of recipes - both scratch and mixes - and "doctored" mixes were what more people preferred in both taste and texture. That said, there are times when I do prefer to use a scratch recipe. My banana cake is made entirely from scratch and tastes wonderful!!! I assure you that regardless of the recipe, all my cakes taste terrific!
Q. "What is Kitchen Buttercream?"
A. "Kitchen Buttercream" is actually my term for Swiss Meringue Buttercream, which is a traditional European-style buttercream that involves cooking egg whites with sugar, then whipping them into a meringue and adding butter. The result is a creamy, fluffy icing that is light in taste and not too sweet. I cook my egg whites to 160 degrees Farenheit which complies with the FDA's safety regulations for eggs. If you want to read more about using eggs in icing go to www.incredibleegg.org/egg-facts/egg-safety/safe-food-handling-tips Swiss Meringue buttercream is like other buttercreams in that leftover cake is best stored covered in the refrigerator for up to a week or in the freezer for up to six months.
Q. "What is the difference between all the icings?"
A. Kitchen Buttercream, as described above, is a fluffy whipped icing that is not too sweet. I have heard some people compare it to whipped cream or whipped ice cream in taste. Traditional, or American buttercream, is what some call "wedding cake frosting" and is very sweet and heavy. Fondant is a rolled icing that is similar in texture to Playdoh but has a sweet vanilla flavor.
Q. "Do you make your fondant?"
A. I used to make my own fondant but I had trouble making each batch turn out consistently well. I currently use Satin Ice Fondant and have been pleased with the taste and consistency of their product. If you want to read more about the fondant I use on my cakes, visit the Satin Ice website at www.rolledfondant.com
Q. "There are so many choices of flavors for cakes and fillings, I just don't know what to order! What tastes good together?"
A. Sometimes it is helpful to think of your favorite dessert and try to create those flavors in a cake. An example would be that I really like peanut butter cups, so I might order a peanut butter cake with chocolate ganache filling and chocolate buttercream icing. Also, think of pairings that naturally taste good together. Chocolate and vanilla cake go well with just about anything, while lemon cake makes a good base for fruit-flavored fillings like raspberry or blueberry. I have had lots of people order basic flavors like chocolate or vanilla for the crowd and order a smaller cake with a different flavor of cake and filling for the celebrant and people to try. If you need more help, I can offer different combinations to try or popular choices and you can pick from those.
Q. "How do I store leftover cake?"
A. Leftover cake iced in buttercream should be covered and stored in the refrigerator up to a week or carefully wrapped in plastic wrap and foil in the freezer. Fondant iced cakes should be covered, but do not need to be refrigerated.
Q. "The event/celebration was post-poned or cancelled. What do I do about the cake?"
A. If you need to cancel your order, please contact me as soon as possible. If the party or event is post-poned, call me and we will talk about your options. I understand that life can be unpredictable and will try to work with you as much as possible.
Q. "What methods of payment do you accept?"
A. I accept cash or checks made to "The Kitchen Cakery". At this time, I do not accept credit card. | 
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