Frequently Asked Questions
What information should I give when making an enquiry?
- Date & time of celebration
- Type of celebration
- How many people will be attending or how many serves you will require
- Desired flavours.
- If you will will pick up your order or will require delivery
- Will you require regular or small serves
- Any ideas for colour/theme/design/toppers you may already have (Please feel free to include as many samples/ designs/ pictures as you like.
See also my 'How to Order Page'.
Should I serve small (coffee) slices or regular (dessert) slices?
There are 2 main sizes of cake serves generally recognized, small (coffee) size & regular (dessert) size & which one you choose to serve depends largely on what type of celebration it is & the function of the cake. You need to consider if the cake will it be served as an actual dessert or if just a small taster will be served with coffee for example. In general a weddings can use either depending on the event & other catering arrangements whereas birthdays & other such party celebrations require at least the large serves & it is a good idea to have extra serves as even the larger size serve is not really very big for such occasions.
- Small (coffee) slices are 2.5cm x 2.5cm x approx. 8-10cm high (1” x 1” x approx. 3.5-4” high)
- Regular (dessert) slices are 2.5cm x 5cm x approx. 8-10cm high (1” x 2” x approx. 3.5-4” high)
Here is a guide on how to cut you cakes to achieve the maximum number of serves:
TIP: some venues charge a 'cakeage' fee. This is the cost to cut, prepare and serve the cake. Make sure you check what these charges are and incorporate them into your budget so you don't get a nasty surprise.
Once you know which size slices you will be serving & how many guests we can determine what size your cake should be.
If I would like flower decorations should I use fresh or sugar ones?
The choice comes down to personal taste, both can be accommodated and I am happy to use sugar or fresh flowers in my designs. However it is not feasible to mix them together on the same cake since flower moisture can melt the sugar. There is a price difference between the two and sugar flowers are generally more expensive as each one is lovingly hand made & can be coloured and dusted with powders to make them look incredibly realistic.
Fresh flowers create a beautiful natural look and maintain a consistent theme throughout your event. However it is also important to remember the seasonality and availability of the flowers when selecting the variety. Also not all fresh flowers can be used as some are poisonous. Probably the most important thing to remember is that once cut, the fresh flowers are no longer hydrated and will start to loose shape and wilt. Roses are a very poplular fresh flower to have on wedding cakes as they can stay fresh for up to six hours. Other good flowers to use are gerberas, daisies, lilies and magnolias as they all look fabulous on the wedding cake and will last the duration of the reception. It is best to avoid tulips, poppies and other delicate flowers.
How far in advance do I need to order my cake?
Generally as early as possible, the sooner the better this is for two reasons 1) to avoid disappointment & the date already being booked to another client as I am often fully booked for up to 6 months in advance 2) the sooner you confirm your order the sooner I can begin the design process for you & the more time & thought I can put into the order.
For weddings, I prefer at least 2 months notice. For birthdays and other occasions, I prefer a minimum of 2 weeks, but preferably 4 weeks. I can sometimes accommodate last minute requests, but acceptance of these is entirely dependent upon availability & I do not recommend that you chance a last minute booking. I limit the number of bookings I take per week & I do not take bookings more than 1 year in advance.
You can check my availability on the left hand side of the home page.
Do you deliver & set up?
Yes. You can have your order delivered but only in the Mackay area & there is a delivery charge. You are of course most welcome to pick your order up too. Yes I can also set up your order for you at the venue for a fee & stand hire is also available.
When do I need to pay/Do I need to pay a deposit?
For orders over $100 a deposit of 25% of the value of your order is payable to secure the date & should be paid when you are definite that you would like me to make your cake. This payment does two things, 1) ensures that you have secured a booking for that date as I limit the number of orders I take per week, 2) helps to prevent cancellations which result in wasted time & effort for me & dates which I could have had other bookings for.
The balance of the order is payable either as small regular installments, or as a lump sum. The order must be fully paid for on or before the time it is due – unfortunately no payment, no cake.
How can I pay?
I accept direct deposit & cash, however cash payment can only be made on a face to face basis, as it is unsafe to send it through the post.
Can I have a mixture of flavours?
Yes of course, but only for orders of cupcakes of 2 dozen or more & for cakes that are multi tiered due to recipe constraints.
Can I meet with you to discuss my needs?
Absolutely. I am happy to meet face to face to discuss your needs. Please feel free to bring as many samples/ designs/ pictures as you like. I am also happy to communicate via email & phone again please feel free to send any ideas for colour/theme/design/toppers you may already have.
Where in Mackay are you?
Sugar Siren Cakes is located in Andergrove, Mackay, QLD (Australia). I am not a shop, but a small home based business.
How do I care for my cake?
Fondant cakes should NOT be refrigerated if at all possible as when they are taken out of the fridge they sweat and condensation appears on the surface, which can also cause the colours to run. Before the event you should keep your cake in the coolest, lowest humidity room available preferably with air conditioning (air conditioning is perfect). You can refrigerate the cake after cutting or freeze it to preserve it if you wish. If you refrigerate your cake be sure to take it out of the fridge in advance of eating it as cake should ALWAYS be eaten at room temperature. If you wish to keep figurines or flowers these can be removed from the cake and stored in an airtight container, preferably with anti-moisture crystals as sugar hates humidity.
Can I freeze my cake?
Some people like to freeze the top tier of their cake for an up coming event such as an anniversary or Christening, fruit cakes are generally the ones used for this purpose as they can be kept for much longer period, however at this time I do not offer fruit cake.
You can freeze a fondant covered mud cake especially if you want it to keep for long term storage (but only up to 6 months). If you wish to do so make sure that you wrap your cake very tightly. Wrap the cake so no air can touch the surface with three separate layers of cling wrap. Follow this with a layer of foil, again very tightly wrapped. place into a air tight container before freezing. When thawing the cake do so in its wrappings so that condensation will adhere to the wrappers, not the Fondant. First move the cake from the freezer to the fridge so that the rise in temperature is gradual, then a few hours before you want to eat it take it out of the fridge. As soon as you remove the cake from the refrigerator, it's best to place it in an air conditioned (low humidity) environment to "warm up". This takes awhile so allow plenty of time. Since the temperature / moisture differentials between the cake and the air aren't so great, the condensation is lessened or eliminated but there can be no guarantee that it will be perfect.
