FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

ORDERING A CAKE    

Q: Is my event date available?
We are currently booked for custom designed cakes on the following dates:

January 7, 8, 14, 15, 21
February  4, 15, 18
March 4, 5, 18, 19
April 4, 5
May 2, 3, 15, 16
June 5, 6, 13
July 5, 12
September  3, 4
October 2, 3, 4

We can, however, take orders for standard cakes on these dates.

Q: What is the difference between a "standard" cake and a custom designed cake?

Standard cakes are cakes that range from 6 inches in size (serving 6 to 8 guests) to full sheet size (serving 100) Our standard cakes include the following basic decorations: polka dots, confetti, butterflies, buttercream flowers, dragees, sugar pearls and/or an incsription. While standard cakes are more simple in design, we still pay impeccable attention to detail and, of course, exceptional taste and flavor!

Custom designed cakes are cakes that may involve tiering/stacking,  3D sculpting, hand-molded figurines, sugar work, gumpaste flowers, hand painted drawings, fondant cut-outs, custom logos or monograms and other intricate details.

Q: How do I order my cake?
Most cake & cupcake orders can be placed over the phone. You may also stop in our boutique should you prefer more personalized attention. For fancy celebrations cakes, we suggest you schedule a cake tasting & consultation . We offer a complimentary cake tastings and consultations for custom cake orders over $300. Unfortunately, we do not offer tastings for sheet cakes, or smaller cakes that do not exceed our $300 minimum. However, we will be more than happy to take the time to explore creative design ideas that fall within your budget . 

CAKE TASTINGS AND CONSULTATIONS

Q: What can I expect at our tasting?
Our cake tastings last approximately 45 minutes to an hour.  Before you arrive for your consultation, it is helpful to have a budget in mind.  Additionally, having made venue, color and  floral decisions prior to your consult will give us a better sense of what we can design. Feel free to bring in magazine clippings, invitations, fabric swatches, floral schemes, color schemes, books or anything else you can think of that will help inspire us to create a masterpiece that reflects both your own unique personality and style.  Please note that our cake studio comfortably fits two guests, however we can accommodate up to four. We find that more than four guests can be a bit crowded and challenging for us to focus on designing your cake. Upon booking, we will be more than happy to send you off with a few samples for the in-laws to enjoy!

Q: What flavors may I sample at my tasting?
We generally offer at least four different flavors to sample at your tasting, presenting you with a general idea of the superb product we create.  You may request up to four flavors at your tasting, but we cannot guarantee the availability of all your requested flavors. We have been told time and time again that our cakes taste second to none. You may request a specific flavor and we will try our best to accommodate you, however we cannot guarantee a specific flavor for your cake tasting without a commitment. Once you have booked your event with us, you are more than welcome to sample any cake in our repertoire. 

Q. How far in advance do I need to order my cake?
We cannot guarantee the availability of any date without a deposit, therefore we recommend booking your event at least a month in advance, especially for custom and specialty cakes. A non-refundable 50% deposit is required to book your cake. If you are uncertain of your guest count or have yet to make a design decision and are certain that you would like to order your cake from us, we can hold your date for a non-refundable deposit of $100. For standard birthday cakes and other celebration cakes, we normally suggest at least a week's notice. Depending on how busy we are, though, sometimes we are capable of accommodating orders under short notice. We also have a variety of pre-made cakes available for pick-up and delivery should you happen to be caught without a cake for a last-minute shindig.
 

GENERAL INFORMATION

Q: How far do you deliver and what are your delivery fees?
Our delivery fees vary and are calculated by the distance traveled. We deliver throughout the Tri-State area, as far north as Boston/ Cape Cod and as far south as Washington D.C.  We highly recommend delivery on all sculpted cakes over a foot in height and all cakes over 2 tiers tall. We cannot be held responsible for any damage that may occur to any client-transported cake once it has left our bakery. Our eco-friendly Mercedes Sprinter delivery truck ensures that your cake travels to your destination under perfect climate control and vehicle suspension guaranteeing a smooth, fuel efficient ride. 

Q: Do you ship your baked goods?
We are currently working on our mail order department. Please sign up on our mailing list and we will contact you as soon as we begin shipping nationwide!

Q: Do you make kosher cakes?
At our Brooklyn location, Lulu Kosher Cake Boutique, we are under the direct supervision of the Orthodox Union, and we specialize in Kosher Pareve cakes. Our custom kosher pareve cakes begin at a minimum of $300. At our Scarsdale location, we create Kosher Dairy Cakes supervised by Shareei Tikvah.

Q: Do you make baked goods for people who suffer from food allergies?
Please be aware that our kitchen prepares foods that contain nuts. We cannot guarantee a product has not come in contact with nuts or nut oils. For people with gluten allergies, we occasionally offer a gluten-free selection from our menu. While we do go through great lengths to avoid cross-contamination by using separate utensils,  we do work in kitchens that contain wheat, barley and malt. For dairy allergies, our kosher cake studio in Brooklyn is 100% dairy free.
 
Q. Can I arrange for fresh flowers to be placed on my cake?
We will be more than happy to work with your florist in brainstorming a floral design to adorn your cake. Typically we will provide your florist with a sketch of our suggested floral placement and coordinate the delivery of your cake to make sure that the cake is at your venue upon your florist's arrival. Needless to say, we are capable of replicating any flower out of sugar.

Q: Can you make custom-designed cupcakes for my event?
We can create custom designed cupcakes for any themed event. From traditionally monogrammed cupcakes for a wedding, or miniature golf balls for a retirement party, baby booties for a baby shower and even miniature handbag toppers for a sweet sixteen - if you can think of it, we can design it!  There is a dozen minimum for custom designs. Additionally, for the perfect presentation, we also have an array of cupcake stands available for rental.
 
Q. Can you recommend any party favors or edible gifts for our guests to take home?
We will be more than happy to put together a delectable bag of treats for your guests to savor, including: fancy, custom hand-painted cookies, a box of Valrhona brownies, a bag of artisanal hand-made cookies, a selection of our retro-desserts, a tin of our famous Sarah Bernhardts, elegantly packaged custom designed cupcakes, or a bag of our award-winning biscotti. We can even provide you with custom designed labels and coordinate packaging that compliments your theme and decor! 

Q: What are Sarah Bernhardts?
Named after "the world's most famous actress," Sarah Bernhardts are a Danish confection composed of a deliciously crisp and chewy almond cookie topped with dark truffle cream, enrobed in a hard, crunchy shell of bittersweet chocolate. When we moved into the original Jespersen's bakery in Scarsdale in 1999, we were fortunate enough to inherit their famous, original recipe and have made them ever since.   

Q: What happens with left-over baked goods at the end of the day?
We donate all of our left-over baked goods to Open Arms shelter in Westchester.

Q: Is Lulu's hiring or looking for interns?
We are always looking for awesome people to join our team! If you are interested in working at Lulu Cake Boutique, please email your cover letter, resume, and a few photos of your recent work to jay@everythinglulu.com. We suggest that you have at least a 3 years experience in cake decorating. Currently, we are not hiring any additional interns, but feel free to email any inquiries should an internship position become available, we will contact you.