Frequently Asked Questions

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When faced with the challenge of creating your perfect cake for your special day there will be lots of questions that you need answering.  Gone are the days when a cake was simply made totally of fruit cake with little choice on style, colour or anything else.  

With 4 main styles  -  Fully Naked, Semi Naked, Fully Covered Buttercream or Fondant, 18 delicious flavours, tier size options and decoration choices, the fact is that there are so many decisions to make.  Below are a number of the questions we are often asked with answers that we hope you will find helpful.

1   How far in advance do I need to order our cake?

The answer to this question is more about logistics than actual cake making. One of the first questions we will ask when talking to potential clients is "where is your venue?" Delivery is the key as we will not accept an order for a cake if we feel there could be a potential issue with the delivery.

Depending on the location we prefer to have no more than 2 cakes to deliver each day. With most clients booking their cake between 18 month and 2 years in advance the only answer we can give to this question is "as soon as possible to avoid disappointment". All that we would ask is for a £150 non refundable deposit to save the date.

2    What size cake will we need?

On our Pricing Page you will find a table that provides a guide to the size of cake you will need depending on your number of guests.   Always remember that cake makers often talk of 'finger size' which is only 1  inch square x the depth of the cake.

With so many delicious & interesting flavours many of our clients are using their cake for the dessert at their evening celebration.  If this is something you are considering you will need to go with the dessert size when making your choice.    

3    Can we have a polystyrene 'dummy' tier?

If you are choosing a Fondant cake we can supply  dummy tiers.  This is normally selected  either to keep the cost down or if you are concerned you may have too much cake.

With regard to the cost, a separate polystyrene tier still needs to be covered in fondant and the decoration added so the cost difference may not be as much as you think.  It is also worth considering that your cake can be frozen so any 'left overs' could be taken home and enjoyed at a later date  -  ALL BY YOURSELVES!!!!

6    When will we have to pay for the cake?

A Non Refundable 'Save the Date' Deposit will be taken when you place your order.  The balance can be paid at any time but not later than 4 weeks  before your Wedding Day.

5    Is there a charge for delivery & Set Up?

Delivery & Set Up will be itemised as a separate charge.  This charge will start at £35.00 depending on the location of your venue.

7    Do you hire cake stands / log?

We have a large selection of cakes stands & logs for hire.  Some of your venues will have their own stands so this will come as part of your package.  Our advice is to always ask to see the stand before you make a decision. This way you can make sure it is the quality and design that you want.

4    Can we have different flavours on each tier?

OF COURSE!!   With 18 different flavours to choose from (see our  'Tastings' Page for the flavour options)  very rarely do we have clients who do not have a different flavour for each tier.

8    Is it safe to put fresh flowers on a wedding cake?

We believe that nothing looks more amazing than a cake decorated with beautiful, fresh flowers that match all the other flowers from your wedding displays.  The question " is it safe to do so?" is an important one and something we take great care with at The Bakery Barn.  It is true that some flowers are toxic and will never be placed on one of our cakes.  

We create all our own decorations so we can make sure that things are done correctly.  All flowers are carefully prepared by firstly washing and then anything that is actually  placed into the cake (stalks etc) is wrapped with floral tape.  We use real flowers on a high percentage of our cakes and have never had an issue.

One final point that is worth noting is that not everything that goes on a cake needs to be eaten.  The reality is that flowers are there for decoration purposes only and if you wish to eat the flowers we can provide either sugar paste or edible options (price on application).

9    Do Fully Naked Cakes go dry?

This is a question we feel passionate about.  We have been disappointed to hear from some of our clients that they have been advised against selecting a fully naked cake because they go dry.

We have provided so many fully naked cakes and this is quite simply not the case  -  at least not with our cakes.

We can supply you with endless numbers of couples who chose this style of cake and were delighted with the results.

The fully naked cake is very popular and looks amazing especially where the clients have chosen a more rustic setting for their venue.

Please be assured  -  A fully naked cake supplied by The Bakery Barn will not disappoint!!

10    Should we avoid Fully Naked, Semi Naked or

        Buttercream Cakes in Summer months?      

Most Brides will dream of the day when they get married. Their dream will be of a beautiful Summers day with blue skies and everyone enjoying the lovely warm sunshine.

For the Cake maker it may be a different story.  Without doubt the heat of summer presents a real challenge but a solution can always be found.  If indoors, most top venues will have air conditioning so there is no issue there.

11    Do you offer Gluten Free Cakes?

We will work with you to provide a solution where you need a Gluten Free cake option. The reality is that baking a gluten free cake is challenging even for a professional baker but it can be achieved.

in most cases we will make either an alternative bake for those with ingredient intolerances (box of cup cakes etc) or simply provide a single tier that is gluten free.

Any other Questions

Hopefully the information provided will have been helpful to you.  If you have any other questions please do not hesitate to contact us and we will get back to you as soon as possible.