All cake orders start with an inquiry. There are a few important pieces of information I need from you to confirm my availability, and filling out the inquiry form on this website is the first step to starting a conversation.

Depending on the size and complexity of the cake you’re looking for, we’ll either set up a phone consultation or just send a couple emails back and forth chatting about details. I prefer to use email for as much of our communication as possible, as it provides a written record of our conversation that we can both refer back to with ease. All quotes and invoices are delivered via email, and if we do set up a phone consultation, that will always be followed up with an email detailing our spoken discussion.

For wedding clients, I almost always begin our conversation by setting up a phone consultation so I can gather information about your wedding. For custom theme cakes, we’ll often skip the phone call unless it is a very large or complex cake.

All of my cakes are quoted based on size and the scope of decorative work necessary. The customization cost takes into account all added materials, labor, and extras like toys or toppers and delivery/set up. Determining the full scope of your design can be as simple as sending a photo or two back and forth, or can require a full sketch with a couple rounds of revisions.

Sometimes this process is straightforward, and sometimes folks come in with a lot of ideas and no clear vision for their cake. In these instances, we’ll set a budget together and I will work to create a beautiful piece that hits all the right design moments within that budget.

I recommend reaching out 2-4 weeks ahead of your event during the slower half of the year (Oct - Mar) and 6-8 weeks ahead of your event during the busy season (April - Sept).

The busiest months of the year for me are always June and September, with Labor Day being an incredibly popular weekend for weddings. For these months I recommend reaching out as early as possible. I do accept bookings up to one year ahead, so please don’t wait to reach out. The more notice the better!

Cascadia Kitchen is a custom cake bakery, and I take 'custom' seriously! Your cake should be just as unique as you are; therefore I will not directly recreate another cake artist's work. However, I do encourage you to share any inspiration or reference images you have during the consultation process. It is very helpful to communicate about design with imagery, for both the customer and the designer. Please be advised that I will make some degree of adjustments to the final cake design to differentiate my work from another's if you have a specific cake you’d like replicated.

Sometimes the design process is collaborative, where we work together to make your vision come to life. But I love having the space and freedom to create new and unique designs for my customers. If you do not have a specific vision in mind for your cake, then providing me with a theme, color palette, or a little backstory about who you’re celebrating, is enough for me to come up with a design just for you. In these cases, we’ll set a budget together and I’ll have a wonderful time creating something special for you within that price point. If necessary, digital sketches can be provided for the customer to sign off on the final design.

Please note that I am not able to offer handmade trademarked character cakes. If there is a trademarked character or image you want to incorporate onto your cake, you will need to purchase a licensed cake topper or decorative element to add to the cake.

I do not offer specifically labeled allergen free baked goods at this time. Some items are naturally allergen free, however everything is made on shared equipment with wheat, eggs, dairy, nuts, and soy products.

I use Square Invoicing as my sole method of accepting payments.

Square Invoicing is a fantastic system that allows me to create detailed invoices with all of your order information included as an itemized list. These invoices act as your payment portal, allowing you to make direct payments with a credit or debit card. Square does not save your payment information, and will send out automatic reminders when your balance comes due.

All orders require a 50% non-refundable retainer to complete booking. This retainer ensures my availability and blocks off space on my calendar for your custom cake.

The remaining balance is due one month ahead of your event for all wedding cakes, and one week ahead of your event for all other orders. If you are placing an order with less than a month’s notice for a wedding cake, or less than two weeks notice for any other order, payment is due in full to confirm your order. 50% of that payment is still considered a non-refundable deposit.

It is important to note that while Cascadia Kitchen always uses edible materials for decorations, they very often have inedible structural components embedded inside. For this reason, all decorations must be removed from the cake prior to serving. As tempting as it may be to let your kiddo eat their cake topper, there is probably a wooden skewer inside that is attaching it to your cake. As well, all tiered cakes have internal structural pieces: wooden or plastic dowels in all lower tiers and cardboard rounds between tiers.

While decorations are made from a variety of edible materials, that doesn’t mean they’re all delicious. Fondant, gumpaste, wafer paper, rice paper, modeling chocolate, coating chocolate, edible prints, and isomalt are all components frequently used to create the incredible design elements you’ll find decorating a CK cake. Some of these materials are more delicious than others, but ultimately the cake itself is made to be delicious, not the decorative pieces. Think of it this way- the decorations are there to WOW your guests, the cake is there to be served to your guests.

Your cake needs to travel flat on the floor of the car, not on a lap or the car’s seat. Drive slowly, don’t slam the brakes to take any wild turns, and your cake will arrive at its destination just fine. Do not leave your cake unattended in the car while running other errands. Once picked up, your cake should go straight to its final destination. If you need to take your cake on multiple car rides, please keep it cold in between.

Your cake will be COLD at pick up. This is to ensure it is safe to transport, and that all decorative elements are firmly attached. It can take several hours for your cake to come to room temperature, so please plan accordingly. Cold cake isn’t nearly as tasty as a cake that has been given the time to come to temperature, so please make sure to let your cake sit out and warm up before serving.

Depending on the ambient temperature and humidity levels in your space, the amount of time your cake can be safely held at room temperature varies. Your cake should never be displayed in direct sunlight. A cake held outside will need a much shorter window of time to come to temp than a cake held indoors in an air conditioned environment. If you would like guidance around your unique celebration’s location and cake display, please do not hesitate to ask.

Cakes should be refrigerated if being held overnight before being served.