How far in advance should I book my cake?

~The sooner you book your cake, the better. We are a small, family owned cake shop and can only take a certain number of cakes per week. It really depends on the time of year; during the months of December through March we run on about a 1-3 week notice whereas in April though November we can run on a 3 week to 3 month notice because of the tremendous amount of wedding cakes we do. We try to keep it posted on our contact page of the dates we are booked. Everything we do is custom order, so unfortunately we do not have cakes ready made to walk in and buy.

Do you do "Ace of Cakes" cakes?

~ I try my best to do the most unique cakes I can possibly do. Unfortunately, I do not have a large staff of artists, architects, sculpters, woodworkers, electricians and designers that they employ. My talents lie solely with cakes and I am unable to do some of the designs they do due to the lack of some of the above personnel. Charm City Cakes has a minimum order of $800.00, so in order to keep my cakes reasonably priced to my customers I am unable to hire the staff to accomodate those cakes. Charm City Cakes designers only do 1-3 cakes each for a weekend because of the amount of time and detail involved in their designs, whereas I try to do 8-15 cakes for a weekend by myself. This enables me to keep my prices reasonable and to offer my services to a wider range of clientelle. If you would like something similar to their designs, be prepared for a significant price increase.

How long does a wedding consultation take and what does it entail?

~The length of the consultation is really up to the customer. They can range from 30 minutes to 2 hours depending on how long you want to stay, but the average time is about 1 hour. During the consultation we will go over size, price, design, color, flowers and any other questions you might have. It is a good idea to bring color samples or pictures of cakes that you might have seen previously so that we can get an idea of your personal style. You will also get a box of our white and chocolate cake with buttercream icing for you to take home at the end of the consultation. If you would like to try other flavors, they are $1.00 each and must be specifed at the time the consultation is scheduled as we do not have every flavor available every day. We suggest that you not bring any more than 2 people with you and children are not allowed, it can be overwhelming and frustrating for the bride to make a decision.

Do you require a deposit?

~When you want to book the date for a wedding cake, you must put down $100 that will go towards the balance of the cake. For an all occasion cake, we require 50% down at the time of the order. If you would like to just reserve a date for your all occasion cake without placing an order, we require a $10.00 non-refundable deposit.

What is your cancellation policy?

~If something would happen where you need to cancel your wedding cake, everything is refunded minus the $100 deposit up to 2 weeks prior to the event. For all other orders, we require 48 hours notice to cancel for a refund. Any cancellation without 48 hours notice becomes non-refundable. We are not responsible for acts of God; we understand that things happen that are beyond our control, but due to the fact that we are a "custom" bakery, you are still responsible for payment of your order.

What do I need to know about picking up my cake?

~Alot of our cakes are very tall or fragile and require special needs for transportation. The best place to put them during transportation is a flat spot such as the back of an SUV or van. The seat of your car is not the best place because they are usually slanted causing the cake board to bow and the icing to crack. If you do not have a flat spot, the next best thing is to bring someone with you to hold the cake in their lap. During warmer months, air conditioning is a must. It only takes a short period of time for the hot air or sun to melt the butter in the icing so it is not a good idea to leave the cake in your trunk or unattended in your car for a long period of time. Because of the size or height of our cakes, we can not always put them in a box or cover them with a lid, but this should not affect the delivery or quality of your cake. Please remember that the person in charge of picking up your cake is responsible for verifying the accuracy of your order and anything that happens during transportation.

What are your methods of payment?

~We accept cash and check.

Do you make gluten free or sugar free cakes?

~Unfortunately we do not make gluten free or sugar free cakes, we have experimented with several recipes and have not been satisfied with the results. Our goal is to make a beautiful AND delicious product.

Are you hiring or taking interns?

~Sugar Mamas is a small family run cake shop that consists of my Mother and myself. We do not hire anyone into the business because we want to keep the quality and consistency as high as possible. I would love to have interns come in to the shop to show them the ropes, but unfortunately due to the fact that I am extremely busy, I just do not have the time to give them the training they need and deserve.