ilovechrissycakes' photostream on Flickr.
Monday, February 13, 2012
Tuesday, January 24, 2012
EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW...OR ALMOST
How to order a chrissycake!
When ordering a chrissycake, here's a list of details that need to be determined:
* Date of event
* Number of servings needed (see my "servings" section for details)
* Budget (see my "pricing" section for details)
* Design ideas/theme
* Flavours--cake & filling
Servings!
My minimum size cake is for 25 servings.
A serving size is as follows: 1" x 2" x 4" or 8 cubic inches...more or less ;)
This is a generous serving, however, if you prefer larger servings you then need to simply order a larger cake.
This serving size tends to be too big for most children so you may yield more slices. In my experience, it's always best to cut a smaller piece since you can always go back for seconds. Why waste cake, right?
With a chrissycake, a little goes a long way!
Pricing!
* Please note that the following does NOT apply to wedding cakes--prices differ for the latter
Due to the fact that my cakes & cupcakes are all custom made - no two are alike! - it makes it impossible to have set pricing. The level of complexity of the design as well as the size of the cake are what dictate the price. Plain & simple; more work = more money ;)
My cakes start at $80. I generally charge between $3 to $4 per serving for an average cake depending on the design. However, more elaborate designs will exceed that range.
Once a design is decided upon, I can then quote you an exact price for your cake or cupcakes.
Flavours!
Here are some flavours that I have in my repertoire so far. I am open to special requests as long as I'm given plenty of notice. All new recipes require extensive research & testing until I'm fully happy with the results.
Please note that my cakes & fillings are nut & peanut free unless they are a nut flavour (Nutella for example is made of nuts).
Cakes:
* Vanilla: Dense & moist; tastes just like a sugar cookie.
* Marbled: Chocolate & vanilla cake all swirled together in perfect harmony.
* Coconut: Made with real coconut milk & shredded coconut.
* Lemon: Sweet & slightly tart. Made with freshly squeezed lemons & lemon zest.
* Red Velvet: Kinda tastes like chocolate cake but kinda tastes like vanilla cake too...really moist & super yummy.
Buttercream - I offer two types:
Swiss Meringue buttercream: This one has a high ratio of butter to sugar; an egg whites & sugar syrup heated & whipped into a meringue with loads of butter added. It's very buttery, creamy with subtle sweetness. A more gourmet buttercream.
These buttercreams can be flavoured in many ways:
* Vanilla: A classic, made with pure vanilla extract.
* Chocolate: Made with rich Dutch cocoa, yum.
* Raspberry: Bright, tangy flavour. Made with real raspberries - no extracts.
* Nutella: Made with Nutella. Nut allergy caution: This flavour contains hazelnuts.
* Coconut: Made with shredded coconut.
* Cookies 'n' Cream/Oreo: Tastes like a Blizzard! Lots of crushed cookies.
* Maraschino Cherry: Sweet & very cherry. Made with maraschino cherries.
* Sour Cherry: Less sweet but authentically cherry. Made with real sour cherries.
* Caramel: Made with caramel made from scratch.
* Mocha: Rich espresso combined with a touch of cocoa.
* Candy cane: Seasonal, yummy bits of crushed candy canes.
* Peppermint: Cool & creamy, like a peppermint patty.
* Smarties: Lots of crunchy little bits of the ever popular candy.
* Fudgee-O: Chock full of yummy, fudgey, crushed Fudgee-O cookies.
* Orange: Flavoured with the fresh zest & juice of oranges.
* Mint Chocolate Chip: Inspired by the ever popular ice cream flavour.
Other fillings:
* Cream Cheese frosting: Creamy, tangy...a classic.
* Peanut Butter Cream Cheese frosting: If you like the tang of cream cheese & the taste of peanut butter, you'll love this one. Made with cream cheese & peanut butter. Peanut allergy caution!
* Coconut Cream Cheese frosting: Tangy cream cheese with yummy shredded coconut.
* Mocha frosting: Rich flavours of cocoa & intense espresso.
* Cookie Dough frosting: Chocolate chip cookie dough transformed into frosting...yummmm. Made without eggs, so safe to eat.
About my ingredients!
All of my ingredients are of the best quality resulting in a superior product. I don't use shortening or margarine whatsoever. Whenever possible, I use the actual ingredient as the flavouring.
In case you didn't know, not all rolled fondant is equally delicious; I use one of the best ones on the market. When ordering a chrissycake, you're garanteed to taste the quality...free of preservatives, chemicals & artificial flavours. Remember, if buttercream is snow white, there's probably nothing butter about it; it's most likely lard-cream! Yuck!
Other stuff you should know!
Ideally, I would like at least two weeks notice when ordering although I've been known to squeeze in last minute orders when less busy. The more notice I'm given, the more time I can take to work on a design. Also, it allows me to be able to make gumpaste decorations which require drying time or the ability to order special tools that might be required for your order. Basically, we're less limited when there isn't a time restraint.
When discussing the details of an order, I choose to communicate by email or Facebook messaging. This eliminates the possibility of a misunderstanding plus it allows both parties to check back on the details that are in writing.
I'm continuously trying to evolve & fine tune my skills. Please check in regularly to see what new things I've been working on!
Contact info:
email: ilovechrissycakes@gmail.com OR mcgauthier@videotron.ca
facebook: Chrissycakes Gauthier
Flickr: www.flickr.com/photos/ilovechrissycakes
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)