ALL THE DETAILS
Where is your shop located?
Sweet By Design is a Cottage Bakery operating by appointment only. We do not have a retail location that you can swing by to pick up a single cupcake or dessert cake. All of our orders are custom made for a specific event, and all consultations, appointments, and deliveries must be scheduled in advance.
What areas do you serve, and do you deliver?
Sweet By Design's kitchen is located in Melissa, Texas, just north of McKinney. I regularly deliver to venues in Melissa, Anna, McKinney, Van Alstyne, Leonard, Plano, Frisco, Aubrey, Valley View, and Princeton, but I also deliver to areas further out such as Arlington, Denton, Wolfe City, Richardson, Rockwall, and Emory. Just a few of the venues we have delivered wedding cakes to include River Road Venue, The Springs Event Venue, Bethel Rock, Magnolia Grace Ranch, The Grand Ivory, Rustic Grace Estate, The McKinney Cotton Mill, The Mill at East McKinney, Gathered, Glen Eagles Country Club, Rooftop Event Spot, 34 Events in Plano, The Venue at Frisco Town Center, Stonebridge Ranch Country Club, The Sanford House Inn, The Dream Ranch, The Castle at Rockwall, and The Wildflower Event Venue.
When should I place my order and what are your payment terms?
We recommend you book your order as soon as you have your wedding date booked at your venue. We generally start to receive inquiries 9-12 months before the wedding - even further out for a large wedding or if the wedding falls during the months of April - November. Orders are taken on a first come basis, and I have a minimum order amount of $500. Your wedding date is booked upon receipt of a $200.00 non-refundable retainer and signed contract, both of which can be completed online. The final payment is due 15 days prior to the wedding which is also the last day any changes can be made to the order.
Do you offer wedding cake tastings and consultations?
Design appointments are available, and I like to say that they are the most fun part of the wedding planning process! My consultations and sample pick ups are held at George's Coffee in Melissa, and I am always excited to sketch a custom design if you do not have something specific in mind. At the end of the consultation, take home your sample boxes so you can enjoy finding your favorite cake flavors. If you prefer, we can discuss the inspirational elements you would like incorporated into the design of your cake by phone, email, or video call. The cost of a set of sample boxes for is $30.00. The samples include two slices each of five different cake flavors and a variety of buttercreams to mix and match so you can find your favorite combinations. Additional, individual sample boxes can be purchased for $15.00. Once you purchase a set of sample boxes, I will temporarily hold the date of your wedding on my calendar until your tasting appointment.
Sweet By Design is a Cottage Bakery operating by appointment only. We do not have a retail location that you can swing by to pick up a single cupcake or dessert cake. All of our orders are custom made for a specific event, and all consultations, appointments, and deliveries must be scheduled in advance.
What areas do you serve, and do you deliver?
Sweet By Design's kitchen is located in Melissa, Texas, just north of McKinney. I regularly deliver to venues in Melissa, Anna, McKinney, Van Alstyne, Leonard, Plano, Frisco, Aubrey, Valley View, and Princeton, but I also deliver to areas further out such as Arlington, Denton, Wolfe City, Richardson, Rockwall, and Emory. Just a few of the venues we have delivered wedding cakes to include River Road Venue, The Springs Event Venue, Bethel Rock, Magnolia Grace Ranch, The Grand Ivory, Rustic Grace Estate, The McKinney Cotton Mill, The Mill at East McKinney, Gathered, Glen Eagles Country Club, Rooftop Event Spot, 34 Events in Plano, The Venue at Frisco Town Center, Stonebridge Ranch Country Club, The Sanford House Inn, The Dream Ranch, The Castle at Rockwall, and The Wildflower Event Venue.
When should I place my order and what are your payment terms?
We recommend you book your order as soon as you have your wedding date booked at your venue. We generally start to receive inquiries 9-12 months before the wedding - even further out for a large wedding or if the wedding falls during the months of April - November. Orders are taken on a first come basis, and I have a minimum order amount of $500. Your wedding date is booked upon receipt of a $200.00 non-refundable retainer and signed contract, both of which can be completed online. The final payment is due 15 days prior to the wedding which is also the last day any changes can be made to the order.
Do you offer wedding cake tastings and consultations?
Design appointments are available, and I like to say that they are the most fun part of the wedding planning process! My consultations and sample pick ups are held at George's Coffee in Melissa, and I am always excited to sketch a custom design if you do not have something specific in mind. At the end of the consultation, take home your sample boxes so you can enjoy finding your favorite cake flavors. If you prefer, we can discuss the inspirational elements you would like incorporated into the design of your cake by phone, email, or video call. The cost of a set of sample boxes for is $30.00. The samples include two slices each of five different cake flavors and a variety of buttercreams to mix and match so you can find your favorite combinations. Additional, individual sample boxes can be purchased for $15.00. Once you purchase a set of sample boxes, I will temporarily hold the date of your wedding on my calendar until your tasting appointment.
Do you make birthday, anniversary, shower, or graduation cakes?
No. Because weddings are planned so far in advance, and I only take a limited number of orders for each week, I currently only make cakes and desserts for weddings.
My wedding will only have 50 guests. How can I have the look of a big cake without having a ton of leftovers?
We can incorporate false tiers into the design of your cake. Styrofoam cake tiers can be decorated in buttercream or fondant just like the rest of the cake giving you the appearance of a much larger cake. Keep in mind that a false tier will take the same amount of time to decorate as a tier made from real cake so the price is not always significantly less depending on the design.
I am allergic to nuts, flour, milk, etc. Can you make me a cake?
Most of our cake recipes are nut free, but nuts are present in the kitchen. We can make all of our cakes and dessert table recipes with gluten free flour; however, wheat flour gets everywhere, lingers in the air, and is even so small that it gets recirculated by the air conditioner. Dairy is used in all of our icings. We would love to make your cake, but for your safety, if you have a serious food allergy, we recommend you choose a bakery that specializes in allergen free products.
Do you make cheesecakes?
Cottage Bakeries cannot sell items that require refrigeration according to Texas Cottage Food Law. As such, we do not offer any products that require refrigeration. Sorry, no cheesecakes, tres leches cakes, or mousse fillings. However, in addition to our standard Swiss Meringue Buttercream, which is light and creamy, we also offer a cream cheese icing that does not require refrigeration.
My wedding will be outside in August. Can you make me a cake?
We do not suggest any cake be displayed outdoors. Not only does butter, one of the main ingredients in buttercream, start to get soft at room temperature and melt at about 90° - 95°, but you have to worry about bugs and the wind blowing dust or other debris onto the cake. The ideal location for the cake is indoors on a sturdy, level table with a temperature of 72° or lower. Once the cake is delivered, the client assumes all liability for any damage that occurs to the cake.
Do you stay to cut the cake? How do I cut my cake? Do I need a special cake knife or server?
I deliver the cake about an hour and a half before the ceremony, and I do not stay to cut the cake. Talk to your venue or caterer to see if they offer cake cutting services. If one of your guests will be cutting your cake, we will provide a Cutting Guide and send you a video a couple of months before the wedding. No special equipment is really needed to cut a cake - a knife to slice, a fork or cake/pie server to help transfer to the plate, a damp towel or two to wipe the icing that builds up on the knife, and you are good to go!
Will you donate a cake to my organization?
Sweet By Design is proud to be a part of the volunteer network of bakers with Icing Smiles which is a non-profit that delivers dream cakes to children with critical illnesses. At this time, this is the only organization to which we donate.
But it's too pretty to cut!
Take a picture - cake was made to be eaten! OK, so that wasn't really a question. However, we hear that comment all the time. Really, take a good picture, and eat the cake. If you forget, contact us; we always take pictures of our finished products.
No. Because weddings are planned so far in advance, and I only take a limited number of orders for each week, I currently only make cakes and desserts for weddings.
My wedding will only have 50 guests. How can I have the look of a big cake without having a ton of leftovers?
We can incorporate false tiers into the design of your cake. Styrofoam cake tiers can be decorated in buttercream or fondant just like the rest of the cake giving you the appearance of a much larger cake. Keep in mind that a false tier will take the same amount of time to decorate as a tier made from real cake so the price is not always significantly less depending on the design.
I am allergic to nuts, flour, milk, etc. Can you make me a cake?
Most of our cake recipes are nut free, but nuts are present in the kitchen. We can make all of our cakes and dessert table recipes with gluten free flour; however, wheat flour gets everywhere, lingers in the air, and is even so small that it gets recirculated by the air conditioner. Dairy is used in all of our icings. We would love to make your cake, but for your safety, if you have a serious food allergy, we recommend you choose a bakery that specializes in allergen free products.
Do you make cheesecakes?
Cottage Bakeries cannot sell items that require refrigeration according to Texas Cottage Food Law. As such, we do not offer any products that require refrigeration. Sorry, no cheesecakes, tres leches cakes, or mousse fillings. However, in addition to our standard Swiss Meringue Buttercream, which is light and creamy, we also offer a cream cheese icing that does not require refrigeration.
My wedding will be outside in August. Can you make me a cake?
We do not suggest any cake be displayed outdoors. Not only does butter, one of the main ingredients in buttercream, start to get soft at room temperature and melt at about 90° - 95°, but you have to worry about bugs and the wind blowing dust or other debris onto the cake. The ideal location for the cake is indoors on a sturdy, level table with a temperature of 72° or lower. Once the cake is delivered, the client assumes all liability for any damage that occurs to the cake.
Do you stay to cut the cake? How do I cut my cake? Do I need a special cake knife or server?
I deliver the cake about an hour and a half before the ceremony, and I do not stay to cut the cake. Talk to your venue or caterer to see if they offer cake cutting services. If one of your guests will be cutting your cake, we will provide a Cutting Guide and send you a video a couple of months before the wedding. No special equipment is really needed to cut a cake - a knife to slice, a fork or cake/pie server to help transfer to the plate, a damp towel or two to wipe the icing that builds up on the knife, and you are good to go!
Will you donate a cake to my organization?
Sweet By Design is proud to be a part of the volunteer network of bakers with Icing Smiles which is a non-profit that delivers dream cakes to children with critical illnesses. At this time, this is the only organization to which we donate.
But it's too pretty to cut!
Take a picture - cake was made to be eaten! OK, so that wasn't really a question. However, we hear that comment all the time. Really, take a good picture, and eat the cake. If you forget, contact us; we always take pictures of our finished products.