Answers to the most commonly asked cake questions.
HOW MUCH DOES A CUSTOM CAKE COST?
The second most often asked question we get after “Can you make a _____cake?” is “How much will it cost?“ What you are paying for is the talent of our designers who prepare and create a work of art. The cost of the materials is usually not a factor in how much a cake costs. In the end, you should have a one of a kind unique creation that exceeds your expectations. We do have a $225 minimum order requirement. Depending on how much detail is required and how many tiers (high) the cake needs to be. Some can climb into the thousands of dollars.
Cakes such as the two we did for NASCAR’s Jimmie Johnson were $1200. Our prices reflect what you would expect from a professional and NOT a grocery store or warehouse club.
WERE YOU GUYS REALLY CONSIDERED BY BUDDY VALESTRO (CAKE BOSS) FROM TLC TO APPEAR ON SEASON 2 OF THE NEXT GREAT BAKER?
Yes, we most certainly were and you can see our Audition Video featured on TLC’s website. They contacted us in the Spring of 2011 to determine if we would like to audition for the competition and later flew Ken up to New York for the Semi-finalist round. Out of a few thousand applicants, we made it to the final round of 5 to be selected by America’s votes. Did we get enough votes? Nope, not this go around. It certainly was an exciting experience though. The whole story of how Kenfections was selected can be found on our NEXT GREAT BAKER page.
HOW IS SAM’S, BJ’S OR MY GROCERY STORE ABLE TO OFFER CAKES SO MUCH CHEAPER?
It boils down to Quality and the old adage, “You get what you pay for.” Plain and simple, chain stores sacrifice Quality – They use the lowest cost ingredients purchased by the pallet, (which are loaded with preservatives in order to remain shelf stable)
They again, sacrifice Quality by freezing a full inventory of cakes ahead of time. They have to.
They have a production line of people decorating them all at once so they must maximize volume in order to make their department goals and keep costs as low as possible. Personalization goes about as far as printing your photo to sugar paper and placing it on the cake.
However, this does not go without saying that their decorators do a knockout job with the templates that they must follow and turnaround time is usually pretty quick. These are the types of professionals I look for when hiring but some of them like the fast paced environments of a grocery store bakery and that’s okay.
WE ARE NOT THE GROCERY STORE CAKE.
Our creations are designed to amaze you & your guests, period. From design stage, all the way through delivery, our Charlotte bakery makes your custom cake from scratch. We never buy pre-made frozen cakes or icings. Our butter cream icing is made by us using real sugars, butter and flavor extracts mixed to our exact specifications. Our bakery produces some of the most uniquely flavorful and artistic combination’s that no grocery or warehouse club could ever try to match. In the spirit of disclosure, our prices DO reflect this. Many people ask if they can stop by and pick a readymade cake up on their way home from work. Unfortunately, no. Everything we create is by appointment only and we are usually booked out at least 2 weeks in most cases.
We cater to clients that need a custom cake for an upcoming birthday, graduation reception or event for at least 45 guests. Our repeat clients say the reason they come back to us is because we hand craft the freshest cake available that simply “knocks their socks off”. (Read our client’s reviews)
ARE KENFECTIONS CAKES FRESH OR DO YOU FREEZE THEM LIKE THE GROCERY STORES?
Fresh, period. That’s part of why we are called “Gourmet”. We only offer fresh cakes, and get rave reviews from our clients who typically call on us for their next event, because of the combination of creativity & taste!
DOES KENFECTIONS BAKERY REQUIRE A DEPOSIT IN ORDER TO LOCK IN A RESERVATION?
We do not charge anything for you to book an appointment, but your date is SECURED once your deposit is received. If you need a cake within 1 week or less, and we can fit it in, the full balance is due 72 hours before the due date. Only returning clients are automatically locked in without a deposit being required.
You are welcome to make cake deposits via PayPal with nearly any major credit card.
DOES KENFECTIONS MAKE NAUGHTY THEMED CAKES?
Every so often we get a daring few clients looking for an adult naughty themed cake. While we certainly do make them, I intend to keep them on the “down low” because our own kids visit the site. Whether you have a bachelorette party or just need one for a spouse’s birthday, drop us a line. You might be surprised at what we can build. (And YES we can pass you some examples of what’s available.)
DO YOU DESIGN WEDDING CAKES?
You bet we do. However, we are very selective on which ones we take on because they’re an extraordinarily time consuming project that takes away from our big projects.
HOW FAR IN ADVANCE DO I NEED TO ORDER A CAKE?
Since each cake is a custom piece created specifically for the client, we typically need AT LEAST a 2 week notice. Wedding cakes are the one exception and require a longer lead time.
DO YOU OFFER DISCOUNTS?
We extend all of our offers and special savings to our Facebook fans so join us and we’ll send you the next one we post.
DO YOU GUYS DELIVER?
Yes, we deliver any order that exceeds $275 FREE of charge within 40 miles of Charlotte North Carolina. Beyond 40 miles, let’s talk. Orders under $275 and within 40 miles of Charlotte are $25 to deliver.
WHAT FLAVORS OF CAKE DO YOU OFFER?
Vanilla, Chocolate, Yellow, Red Velvet, Marble, Carrot, Almond, Strawberry, Coconut, Lemon Pound Cakes: Vanilla, Chocolate & Cherry
CAN I MIX & MATCH THE FLAVORS OF CAKE?
Absolutely, we allow our clients to choose multiple flavors within their cake at no added cost. For example, if you have a 3 tier cake, you can have 1 tier vanilla, 1 tier chocolate & 1 tier strawberry.
WHERE IS KENFECTIONS?
Our baking facility is located in Concord NC just outside of Charlotte. Our bakery is not open for public visits much like our favorite bakery on the planet, Charm City Cakes in Baltimore MD.
I certainly hope this information guides you a little better when shopping for a specialty cake, whether you choose Kenfections or another bakery. Of course we’d hope you choose Kenfections!!!
- Ken