DO YOU DELIVER WEDDING CAKES?
We deliver our wedding cakes almost anywhere in Central Ohio and we must admit we are pretty darn good at it too (yessss, we are bragging). However, there are times when the smaller cakes must be picked up. That detail is covered at the consultation. There has never been one single problem with our delivery schedule or plan. Don't panic when you read this because the pickup wedding cakes are teeny and even Cake Dot can carry/deliver them (she is not a 98 lb weakling, just a weakling).
Also, Cake Dots has recently learned that most wedding cake bakers charge $75 minimum to deliver a wedding cake. We do our very, very best to keep the delivery charge as low as possible and reasonable. We will stick to that promise too.
SIMPLE CAKES
Simple Cakes Are Less Expensive Than Elaborate Cakes No-no, no-no NO! There is one design that Cakes Dot does not like and that is "no design." What fun is no design? How pretty can no design be? Ugh. In other words, you think that to stay within your budget you go for the cake with no design and the cleanest lines imaginable. Simple. An "I like simple cakes" person. Well, guess what? That might cost you more. You may as well go all out and the reason is that cake artists are able to hide little goofs behind the Cornelli Lace, scrolls, swags, swirls, etc., and thumb/finger dents behind flowers. Cake Dot's DH (darling husband) is good at making these. Your "really simple" cake with no design nor decoration has to be completely flawless—something for which we cake artists might make you pay an arm and a leg, especially if we ice the cake on a Friday and have to remove it all on a Saturday to redo it!!! Plus travel is not kind to "no design cakes." Definitely another here. So in a nutshell, your no design cake will be charged the same, if not more, as an elaborate designed cake . . . (yes, we charge for design as do all cake decorators).
Not a happy incident: We are extremely distraught and devastated to say we had one very regrettable incident involving a cake topper. Now,Please note: Cake Dots do not think this was actually a real, honest-to-goodness "cake topper," but something you would set on a shelf--a knickknack. Anyway, the plastic heart had no base whatsoever with which to set it on the cake and the width of the heart was only about 1/2 inch wide (could have been less but we will be generous). We placed the heart on top as we normally do and since there was no base, squashed it down as far as we could and it seemed secure and looked great.
However, after we left and for some silly reason--maybe someone bumped the table or it just got tired--the heart fell; messing up one side of the cake. Instead of learning a lesson here, the poor MOB and a friend turned the cake around and placed the heart on top again and again it fell, putting more owies on another side of the most gorgeous wedding cake we think we have ever done (of course!! would it be anything else?). This disaster would not have happened if more thought was given in the purchase and also more thought on our part for putting it on top, so we will definitely accept part of the blame since we placed it on the cake; but maybe we should have refused and placed it at the side of the cake but that is now hindsight. But the moral of this story is to pick "cake toppers" and chose more wisely. They must have a base. We couldn’t make a 1/2 x 5 x 5 inch piece of plastic sit straight up on the top of a five tier cake for 3 or 4 hours. Please brides, be careful. Cake Dots do not want something like this to ever, EVER, EVER, EVER happen again. We are not good at hearing bad things as you can imagine and this actually brought Cake Dot to tears. One time is all it takes. There will never be another time when a topper with no base will be placed on one of our cakes. That we promise. Sighhh again. OK. I am done lecturing.
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PROUD OF OUR WORK -- Did you say PROUD of our work??
You betcha. All the cake flavors are OUR recipes and have not been handed down from generation to generation. We want your cake to be ours and ours alone. We have tweaked older recipes but the recipes that we use are ours personally. Nobody else has our recipes. Is that clear? We worked very hard to get the taste we like and from our tons of great feedback, we are positive you will love our cakes too. We are cake-tweaking fools.
Nor is it nice to have 300 guests and you want a cake that serves only 75!! How would you like it to want a piece of beautiful cake and be told, "No, we didn't get enough to serve you" or "No, we only had a teeny cake and it's all gone, but it was delicious." It's almost like telling your guests that you did not think they were important enough to deserve cake or they weren't important enough to make sure there was enough cake for everyone. It's just not fair to your guests. It’s also not nice. Period. (Cake Dots will make kitchen cakes for you. Please see Kitchen Cakes below.)
CHOCOLATE GANACHE ICING: Cake Dots' recipe for chocolate ganache is out of this world and is a mixture of the best dark chocolate, butter and heavy cream. It can be used just as is or whipped for a lighter chocolate, depending on your wedding cake design. There are several wedding cakes iced with chocolate ganache in the Wedding Cake Gallery. Check them out. Chocolate ganache is used as a delicious filling or you can ice your cake with it. Cake Dot loves chocolate ganache. Her favorite cake is her chocolate cake filled with chocolate ganache filling and then iced with the chocolate ganache. This is to die for . . .
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MORE CAKE PROGRAMS
Cake Dot has also discovered "Amazing Wedding Cakes," “Fabulous Cakes,” and "Cake Boss" and has developed a severe case of "re-runitis." We not only watch rerun after rerun of these programs, we record them. We find these other programs more informative.
Cake Dots have also discovered the similarities between them and us; especially encountering the struggles and problems we run into when creating cakes we have never done before. Plus, they seem to have as much fun as we do . . .
We love every tiny little thing about cake decorating . . .
FONDANT ICING: Cake Dots use the best fondant available—the same fondant icing used by Charm City Cakes, Cake Girls in Chicago, Buddy of the Cake Boss and many other famous bakers.
Fondant is a malleable sugar dough and has a neutral, sweet taste. Do not dismiss fondant because you have tasted a terrible-tasting fondant. The gross fondant is the brand that is sold in most craft and hobby shops like Michaels, Hobby Lobby etc. Our fondant is really good. We love it. Fondant can be used to make sugar flowers, bows, drapery swags and many other beautiful designs and accessories for your cake. The fondant is placed over Cake Dots buttercream-iced cake which gives your cake a beautiful smooth porcelain-like finish to your cake. Which, by the way, means you are actually getting two icings: the underlying buttercream and the fondant. Fondant can be perfectly plain, it can be painted, it can be decorated with pearls, dots, diamonds or a million other designs. Fondant is really popular now since the cake decorating programs hit the air and almost every single picture of a cake in the bride magazines are fondant covered. The designs are absolutely limitless.
If, however, you decide you really don't care for fondant, you can just peel it off and still have the delicious buttercream underneath. We suggest you enjoy it.
Will you provide a Groom's Cake if we are getting our wedding cake elsewhere? You've got to be kidding!!! We have spent years building our reputation for great tasting and pretty cakes. Cake Dot feels if you didn't want us to make your wedding cake, why would you want us to make your Grooms cake? In other words, the answer is (tick-tock, tick-tock): NO. Not even a "maybe." Besides, what if the "other" cake baker made a terrible tasting or ugly cake, the guests might mistakenly think it was ours, so again, no way Hozay. Also, if you are getting your wedding cake from one of our competitors, why would you do that and why would you want us and not them make your Grooms Cake? Also, if you are getting your wedding cake from one of our competitors and want us to make your rehearsal cake, the answer is again no. Why isn’t your wedding cake maker making it? Sorry. You have hurt our feelings.
CONSULTATION INFORMATION
Do you offer sample tastes of your cakes? Cake Dots does not always have every cake flavor listed on their menu available, but we do offer several cake flavor samples at your consultation; these are cakes from recent weddings because we want you to taste what our brides actually served to their guests. We definitely DO NOT make special "tasting cakes" to impress you and then make a cheaper recipe for your wedding (we have actually heard that some bakers do this—and yes, it's gossip ). What you taste at Cake Dots is what you get!
Here is why we love what we do: Brides like what we do and that makes us try harder and we love trying harder. We love the challenge. We love surprising you with a more beautiful cake than you thought you were getting. It makes us feel soooooooooo good to make you happy.
ALSO IMPORTANT STUFF: We certainly understand that you are struggling with your $$'s just as much as we are, but it's YOUR wedding cake we are talking about here. You DESERVE a beautiful wedding cake and we are trying to keep it affordable for you. We know you can certainly get more expensive cakes but that does not mean they taste better or are prettier—just take a gander of our Wedding Cake Galleries. You can also get cheaper cakes but be careful. Not only be careful about what products are being used to make them cheaper, but are the cakes dry; how pretty is the icing and decoration; why are they so much cheaper (or to be more politically correct, why are they so much less )? If it’s actually a “bakery” where they make all sorts of things to sell to walk-in customers, does the baker buy in bulk? Do they buy huge bags of cake mix? How old are their products and supplies? Do they use fresh eggs or are they frozen? Do they use preservatives in their cakes? We know for a fact that some bakers have a "production line" attitude and "production line" assembly which means your cakes are carelessly put together and carelessly iced! We have actually seen some of those cakes and have heard from the tearful bride who call us and say they wish they would have chosen us. Honest.).
Cake Dots have tried to check the price of many bakers and bakeries around the Columbus and Franklin County area and have failed. A lot of bakers we have noticed do not want you to know what their prices are but we are sure they are higher than ours, hence the reason of not putting them on their website. Not nice. We have heard that some have a minimum base price of $5-7 and up, however, we do not feel comfortable raising our base price to those prices but we will say if we had a base price of 5-7, it would certainly help with our ever-increasing expenses. Actually, we have NOT raised our price since 2004 and in fact, we have LOWERED it due of the pitiful economy!! We bet there isn't another baker who can say that. Soooo, instead of raising our prices, we are tightening our belt (which is REALLY a challenge for Cake Dot) and continuing with our present price to help all of our brides and grooms.
We have been holding our breath and standing on our heads to keep our prices as low as possible and we downright refuse to start using cheap ingredients; it's definitely a real struggle at times but we are still in business and plan to stay in business for a long time to come. Cake Dots know of three wedding cake bakers in addition to several venues who have either already gone out of business or are going out of business this year. Even Cake Dots’ cake-board supplier has shut down. This is definitely a real shock and we are shaking in our boots over this; plus, several of our suppliers are now out of business and those that still are have increased not only their prices but the minimum on their orders! We are actually pacing the floor! The cost of our basic ingredients never seems to stop going up. Wow. But, we are trying to hold on. Trying to hang in there. We love our brides and grooms and will definitely do our best to keep their cake as reasonable as possible.
PRICING
As you know, the economy has not gotten better. Things are happening all over the world and everyone is worried about everything. Everything is tight and nothing is cheap—you definitely can't find penny candy anymore and if one more thing goes up in price, you will be able to hear Cake Dot herself scream wherever you are—this definitely would not be a good thing. We are desperately looking forward to the day we can actually make a profit and save it. Geesh. We get so stressed but the fun of decorating cakes makes the struggle worth it (sorta, it would be more worth it if we had some money-honey).
At the Consultation, are you meeting with the person who will design, bake, and decorate the cake? Yes, yes, yes, yes YES!!! When you meet with Dottie or Tad, you are meeting the owners, the designers, the bakers and the decorators. We sketch the cake. We take the order. We bake the cake. We decorate the cake. Tad, however, is the only one who delivers and sets up the cake. Cake Dots is not like a larger bakery where an order is passed from employee to employee; Dottie and Tad do it all and love it. WHEW!! This is definitely a 24/7 job.
Little Note: Since we mentioned the 24/7 type job and since we do it ALL, this is the reason it seems like it takes forever for Cake Dots to return a phone call; however, we do eventually shut down the mixer, turn the oven off and put down the spatulas to pick up the phone and actually dial . . . As mentioned before, please accept our sincere apologies and please call us again if we have not returned your call in a timely manner. We are so bad . . .
Before we actually get started, let Cake Dots start by saying the following:
The business of Cake Dots consists of only two people (wonderful people if we do
say so: Dottie (Cake Dot) and Tad (the pleural in Cake Dots).
To give you a little insight of Cake Dots, here is a little background: neither Dottie
nor Tad live in the highfalutin part of town, we don't drive expensive cars and we don't have huge rocks on our fingers—we are just normal every-day type of people doing what we love to do—making brides and grooms happy by baking, designing and decorating beautiful and delicious wedding cakes. We are both married to wonderful and understand spouses and we both have loveable pets. Nothing fancy here.
ABOUT THE BUSINESS OF CAKE DOTS WEDDING CAKES:
Is wedding cakes Cake Dots main job? This is easy to answer: YES. This is both Dottie and Tad’s full-time job and passion in addition to their loving husband and wife!!
How long has Cake Dots been decorating cakes? Dottie took her first lesson in 2001 and began decorating small birthday cakes before discovering wedding cakes and loved wedding cakes right off the bat—they were fabulous and soon became the passion and business in 2004.
The “cake” business actually started immediately in 2001 as Cake and Cookie Dots
with Dottie being the only person doing everything—a one-man band which included
birthday cakes, cookies and miscellaneous items being offered. However, when
Dottie caught the “wedding cake fever,” that business was over in 2004 when Tad
joined the business and the name changed to Cake Dots Wedding Cakes. Tad quickly learned the skills and continues to be the best baker, the best icing maker and the best decorator. In fact, it is Tad who now makes the cake batter and gets the cake pans ready for Cake Dot to bake. It is his sole responsibly for making all icing in addition to making the speciality ingredients Cake Dots add to their cakes, icings and fillings. He is also responsible for all cake assembly—the jack of all trades!! Dottie is responsible for baking the cakes and consultations. Both Dottie and Tad ice and decorate the cakes and continually strive to learn and offer CUSTOM cakes that reflect each individual bride’s wishes.
•Gardenias Gardenias are available all year. These richly scented flowers are typically cut by the grower to have a stem less than an inch long. Florists can easily remedy this for use in your bouquets and corsages with the use of a bit of wire and tape but it makes the use of gardenias impractical in some types of centerpieces.
Gardenias don’t come cheap, they can cost as much as $20 a bloom so keep that in mind when using them. They put off so much lush scent that just a few here and there can fill a room with fragrance.
Gardenias are wonderful when floated in shallow bowls. They can be used more sparsely that way and can last up to a week in good condition if the water is changed every day or so.
Gardenias will brown very easily from contact. Handle them with care and expect corsages and bouquets made with them to show some wear and tear by the end of the evening both from lack of water and from handling.
Casablanca Lilies: Casablanca Lilies are available year round. They have large, flat blooms which take up quite a bit of surface area and can really fill out a bouquet. Casablanca lilies are also vulnerable to bruising but not as vulnerable as callas. Some people delight in the Casablanca lily’s strong fragrance but others are allergic to it.
Casablanca lilies are more resistant to cold temperatures than callas but more prone to wilt from high temperatures or from lack of water. Their large bloom size makes them great for decorating the wedding ceremony as they are easily seen from a distance and they hold up very well when they have a water source.
These lilies have a strong fragrance that some people associate with funerals as they are so commonly used in sympathy tributes. Also, a fair number of people who have allergies will be affected by their scent. However, some people adore their strong fragrance. You’ll need to weigh those factors in when deciding whether or not to use Casablanca lilies.
•Calla Lilies:Calla lilies, also known as arum lilies are available all year round but experience wide fluctuations in price. Callas are seldom inexpensive as they are somewhat vulnerable to bruising during bulk shipping. This causes a lot of waste and increases the cost of the calla lilies that make it to the retailer in good shape. However, if they arrive in your florist’s hands undamaged they are not likely to get bruised by normal handling.
Callas are sensitive to cold temperatures and can get frost damage easily. They tolerate heat very well and retain their moisture well even without a water source. This makes them ideal for use in bridal bouquets wherein they may be required to last out of water for some time. The miniature calla varieties make great boutonnieres because they are not terribly harmed by body heat or lack of water. Callas are one of the few flowers that hold up especially well in Summer weddings.
The tops of the calla lily’s blooms don’t take up much surface area so you can expect to use a lot of calla lilies in a round, all calla bouquet. Callas can fill more space when used as to expose the length of the bloom rather than just the top such as in the train of a cascading bouquet or in the length of an arm bouquet.
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Does Cake Dots pay a fee to be recommended? Cake Dots refuse to pay someone or an establishment to recommend us and we are PROUD that the establishments who recommend Cake Dots, do so because our cakes are gorgeous as well as delicious. We do NOT MAKE DEALS with any venue TO BE RECOMMENDED. Plus we do not pay a Printing" fee to have our name added to a printed list of preferred vendors -- Isn't that payola?
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Cake Dots wedding cakes are priced per serving and all wedding cakes have our delicious buttercream icing, even the fondant wedding cakes, and the free use of plateaus, pillars, water fountain etc. -- how's that?
Do you have a minimum of servings for Wedding Cakes?
Yes, Yes, Yes !!!
Cake Dots has a minimum of 75 guest servings for small venues.
Even small venues include the use of fountains, pillars and plateaus if you want, and as always, FREE of charge.
Warning! Warning! Cake Dots try to explain things in GREAT detail! In short, we don't know when to shut up! In addition, both Dottie and Tad were born smart alecks and there is no cure in sight. They also have inherited a wry and sardonic sense of humor; both definitely love to tease—so be forewarned and take this website with the good humor that is intended.
DO YOU OFFER SAMPLES OF YOUR CAKES Cake Dots does not always have every cake flavor listed on their menu available, but we do offer several cake flavor samples for tasting at your consultation; these are cakes from recent weddings because we want you to taste what brides actually served to their guests. All the menu flavors are OUR recipes and have not been handed down. We worked very hard to get the taste we like and know you will like too. We have tweaked and tweaked to get the flavors just right.
We DO NOT make "special tasting cakes" to impress you and then make a cheaper recipe for your wedding cake (we have actually heard that this happens-- yes it's gossip ). What you taste at Cake Dots is what you get!
Where is Cake Dots located? Cake Dots is a home business and located in South Columbus, easily accessible from Rt. 23/High Street and 270.
This is a darling home and we really enjoy the neighbors and neighborhood. Nice and quiet. The yard and home upkeep in this community are strict. However, as you can see from Cake Dots home there is no landscaping. To Cake Dot, landscaping requires lots of yard work and weeding, both of which she really dislikes. Keeping it simple is best. Besides, with the cakes, who has time to go outdoors and play (not), lol. I hate weeds.
Cake Dots REQUIRES an appointment since Cake Dot, not Tad, may have her hair up in rollers -- it would not be a pretty sight!! Please don't "just pop in." "Popping in" is definitely NOT a good thing.
Cake Dots is about 20 minutes from most locations around Columbus: Dublin, Hilliard, Gahanna, Westerville, Bexley, Reynoldsburg etc. Since Cake Dots is just off of 23 and 270, it is very easy to get here. And for those coming from Marysville, Powell and New Albany areas, it does take a touch longer but usually only one consultation is needed--it's not like you have to make a weekly trip to say "Hello."
Can I use fresh flowers? Yes, of course. You may also use silk or any other kind of artificial flowers but please don't use weeds!
WHAT ARE YOUR HOURS? Cake Dots have their hours plastered on every page of their website but still, some of our clients are so excited they miss it or maybe
like Cake Dot, something can hit her smack in the face and she still can't see
it! Sooo, we are placing our business hours here in case you missed them above.
Phone calls are answered from 9 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. Monday through Wednesday. However, Cake Dots is open from 10 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Monday through Wednesday for consultations and sometimes when time permits, open for consultations on Thursday -- but NOT during the wedding season (June-September).
Thursday is for getting things ready for wedding cakes and Friday is decorating day; Saturday, of course are the weddings. So usually Thursday and definitely Friday and Saturday are too busy for consultations. Cake Dots hope that everyone understands that we can't ice a beautiful wedding cake with the telephone in one hand and meet with beautiful brides between strokes. :)
Sunday, of course, is our day off and is the only day Cake Dots can get caught up with their other chores and even then, the business of cake is still being done; inventory, ordering, washing cake pans that didn't get done in a timely manner etc. Actually, Cake Dots are busy 24/7.
Cake Dots realize we get a touch wordy in our descriptions and info above, plus we repeat a lot (Cake Dot's fault), but we want to give you as much information as possible.
The above subjects are just a few things you might want to know or consider, and although some information may not concern you as much as others, or you may have a completely different set of concerns, always remember you are free, no extra charge, to ask whatever questions you have.
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NUT FREE/Sugar Free/Gluten Free/Other Free Cakes etc. Cake Dots CANNOT make NUT free, sugar free, gluten free or any other "free" or "special recipe" cakes. Sorry. We are downright chicken to even try because if we goof, it would most likely be a wedding disaster and ruin your wedding day. Please, puleeeze, accept our apologies.
Cake Dots found the romantic meaning of flowers on the internet and thought they would share the following with you:
American Academy of Wedding Professionals™
White Carnation — remember me
Carnation — pure love
Daisies — share your feelings
Holly — domestic happiness
Honeysuckle — faithfulness
Ivy — fidelity
Purple lilac — first love
White lilac — innocence
Lilies — purity
Orange Blossom — fertility, happiness
Orchid — you are beautiful
Red Rose — I love you
White Rose — you’re heavenly
Red and White Roses together — unity
Violet — modesty
Here are some wedding cake TIPS FROM CELEBRITY CAKE BAKER SYLVIA WEINSTOCK that Cake Dots found on the internet but can't remember where; of course, Cake Dots realize that Columbus is not New York and some of the following does not need to be followed to the letter. However, we hope the tidbits help you . . .
Excerpted from For the Bride by Deborah McCoy
It’s necessary to meet personally with the baker who will create the cake. Here's Sylvia Weinstock, that great celebrity cake baker’s, TIPS for success:
- 1. The size of the cake must relate to the size of the room: Tall ceilings, for example, require a tall cake. (Cake Dots 2¢ -- yessss, this sounds good and we agree. We can design your cake to be taller -- you definitely don't want your beautiful cake lost in the room or be one that needs a magnifying glass!!)
- 2. The size of the cake must relate to the bride’s size and the groom’s: If they’re small people, the cake should not overpower them. If they’re tall, the cake should be also. (Cake Dots 2¢ -- wellllll, we have seen some of Sylvia's cakes we definitely don't agree with the small people part but we do agree with the tall people part . . . We feel that if you want a large or tall cake, you can have it, besides what if the room is gigantic as she mentioned above??)
- 3. The cake must relate to its surroundings: If it's positioned in a formal, ornate room, the cake should be formal and ornate, too. If it's outdoors, surrounded by light and the beauty of colorful flowers, for example, the cake should also be colorful and vibrant. (Cake Dots 2¢ -- this sounds like pretty good advice -- we agree)
- 4. The color of the cake must relate to room colors, not necessarily the bridal-party colors. Let's say your bridal colors are hot-pink and white and the walls of the reception room are paisley, green, and purple. Would you want a fuchsia and white wedding cake? When in doubt, go white. (Cake Dots 2¢ -- Cake Dots wouldn't go so far to say THE CAKE MUST RELATE TO THE ROOM, and actually we have not thought of this before but it makes sense. Of course it's YOUR cake so you can do whatever your heart desires. So there.)
- 5. Take reception time into consideration: If it’s a late-evening affair, serve a lighter cake, like lemon. If the reception is early afternoon, serve a heavier cake like chocolate. (Cake Dots 2¢ -- again, Cake Dots has learned something that you may want to consider; however, we feel you can choose any flavor your little heart desires and Cake Dot herself would choose Chocolate, Chocolate, Chocolate no matter what part of the day it is!)
CAKE DOTS WEDDING GALLERY OF CAKES AND DESIGNS
The pictures in Cake Dots Wedding Cake Gallery are the cakes that we have done and we publish a picture of every single solitary cake we make. We do this so the bride can share her picture with her friends and maybe recommend us to future brides.
These pictures also allow you to get an idea of something you may want. You can change the shape of a particular cake to fit your style, you can change the design, you can mix the designs, you can change the color of the design, in other words you just use these as reference. If a cake in our gallery is four tier and you only need a three tier, no problem--it can be done. In fact, if you find a picture on our website, another website, in a book or magazine, please bring it to your consult and share with us; it helps us to design your cake. Remember, each wedding cake is tailored just for you and we hope you enjoy looking at our creations. We love to bake and decorate wedding cakes. Hmmmmm, have we told you that before??
PHONE CALLS ACCEPTED BETWEEN
9 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.
Monday through Wednesday
Consultations by appointment only
CLOSED: THURSDAY, FRIDAY, SATURDAY AND SUNDAY
(Thursday, Friday, and Saturday are cake decorating and delivery days)
The answering machine is a life-saver!
Thanks :)
The best way to reach Cake Dot or Tad is to call.
Thank you.
614-491-9663
Price plus Questions and Answers etc.
for Wedding Cakes
As for the number of tiers you want, that will have to be determined at the consultation and can be fudged here and there to get the look you want.
Cake Dot does offer FILLINGS and those are found on the Cake Fillings page.
Please note that Cake Dots use only the very, very best ingredients in their buttercream icing (and in their cakes). An example is Plugrá Butter. Plugrá Butter is absolutely wonderful in buttercream icing and below is a description of Plugra butter:
BUTTER IN A CLASS BY ITSELF
Plugrá Butter Defined: Plugrá, (pronounced PLOO GRA), is a European style butter lower in moisture and higher in butterfat than conventional butters. Plugrá butter imparts a richer taste and smoother texture to foods and is long preferred by leading chefs, bakers, confectioners and anyone who appreciates fine food.
What's the Difference?
Regular butter contains 80% butterfat. The remaining 20% consists of water and milk solids. Plugrá European Style Butter contains 2% more butterfat and is slow-churned in a way that creates a lower-moisture, creamier texture than other butters.
The newest, most recent wedding cake pictures open automatically when you click on Wedding Cake Gallery
2007 THE KNOT BEST OF WEDDINGS
and was also mentioned in the
May 2007 issue of City Scene Magazine
2008 THE KNOT BEST OF WEDDINGS
we were voted higher than we were in 2007
No home baker received a higher rating than Cake Dots!
WeddingWire 2009 Brides Choice Award
2009the knot best of weddings
Again, please note that we are terribly ashamed to admit that Cake Dot is absolutely the WORSE secretary/receptionist in the entire world. If we have not returned your call in a timely manner, PULEEEEZE call again. She gets busy with cakes and when it comes to phone duty,
she is definitely slower than a seven year itch!!!
We are sooo sorry . . .
(Sighhhhh) Please note that we are terribly ashamed to admit that Cake Dot is absolutely the WORSE secretary/receptionist in the entire world. However, things seem to be improving and she is actually trying to be better! If we have not returned your call in a timely manner, PULEEEEZE call again. Cake Dot loves cakes and when she gets busy with them, times flies. However, when it comes to phone duty, she is definitely slower than a seven year itch!!! What can we do?
We are sooo very, very sorry . . .
Please click on the Map and Directions link for detailed directions.
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WeddingWire
2011
Brides Choice
Award
Columbus, Ohio
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614-491-9663
WOW!! Cake Dots decided to advertise on theKnot and while perusing their website, we found the following paragraph:
"Best Buttercream
You won't believe it isn't fondant. Cake Dots' sophisticated patterns and innovative detailing are as delicious as they are beautiful—and all with sweet and smooth buttercream frosting. Additionally, Dottie's personalized attention and low prices make this bakery a winner. Cake Dots Wedding Cakes, LLC, Columbus, (614) 491-9663
Your Cake Dots wedding cake is not assembly-line made nor is it made ahead and frozen; you are getting a freshly baked and iced cake plus our own custom handwork and design. Remember, each order is made to your specifications and no one else's. Each and every wedding cake is custom made and delicious.
If you have questions, please call for help.
SURPRISE: We thought we would throw this paragraph in here to see if you are actually reading this page -- you are in for a surprise. Cake Dots will give you a 5% discount if you book at the consultation. Thinking about it and letting us know later does not give you a discount. Also, if you pay cash for the retainer fee at the consultation plus make the rest of the payments in cash, Cake Dots will not give you the 5% discount but will give you a 10% discount instead. How's that? This was only supposed to be good for the calendar year 2010. However, since things have not gotten better as we think they should, we are continuing this for the calendar year 2011. (You must mention this to us. Surprise us !! )
This is VERY important when choosing a wedding cake baker -- Check out the Better Business Bureau to see what the reputation of that baker is.
Cake Dots is licensed as a retail bakery by the Franklin County Department of Agriculture and does carry liability insurance as well. Cake Dots is also an LLC/Ltd. company, registered with the State of Ohio and was, until fairly recently, an A+ member of the Better Business Bureau (see explanation below).
It is extremely important to know your baker's reputation, so check them out first before you are disappointed not only in the quality and taste but the design. Also, small and rotating cake pictures might look good at a glance but how are they in larger pictures and in real life? Can you really study the pictures and see the details. Something to think about . . .
Do you have a minimum of servings for Wedding Cakes?
Yes, Yes, Yes !!!
Cake Dots has a minimum of 75 guest servings for small venues.
Even small venues include the use of fountains, pillars and plateaus if you want, and as always, FREE of charge.
We repeat the question and answer:
CAKE TOPPERS. Let's talk cake toppers here.
I am sure you are a very intelligent person and that is one reason you are reading Cake Dots notes and information. So, when it comes to your cake topper (we aren't talking flowers), please use your wonderful pea-pickin' brain when choosing a cake topper.
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Let's put a short note about payments up here in case you miss the paragraph below on them.
- We DO NOT accept any type of credit or debit cards. - We only accept Cash, Check or Money Order.
Hydrangeas are available all year. However, there are wide variations of price and quality for this flower. Hydrangeas are in season during the summer. While many varieties are available all year, many hydrangeas bought off-season are undersized and lower in quality for a much higher price tag.
They are very thirsty and prone to wilt easily from heat or lack of water. The white varieties of hydrangea show bruising more than other colors do.
These flowers are prone to wilt easily no matter which color you choose so they are best when arranged in water or wet foam. In a garden style hand tied bouquet, you will notice drooping within less than an hour of removing the hydrangeas from water.
Lilacs are in season in the spring though some may be available into the summer months. Off-season lilacs can rarely be counted on and their quality is usually inferior.
This fragrant flower requires a good water source and is sensitive to heat. Lilacs are very likely to show wilting in a bridal bouquet within an hour or so due to the bride’s body heat even when arranged a water source.
Because they are grown outdoors and subject to the whims of weather the supply of lilacs is unpredictable so choose a different variety of flower as a backup in case they are not available on your wedding day.
Lily of the Valley is available in the month of May but only sporadically during the rest of the year. Even in season, lily of the valley can be very expensive per tiny stem, I’ve seen it sell for as much as $10 per stem!
These flowers are sensitive to heat, handling and dehydration. They will tend to wilt and discolor quickly when used in body flowers such as boutonnieres and corsages so they are best saved for use in other arrangements.
Lily of the valley often does not have very long stems making it impractical for some types of arrangement. It is extremely fragrant so a little goes a long way towards creating a wonderful, scented setting.
Orchids are available year round depending upon their variety though their prices are subject to great fluctuation.
Orchids are sensitive to cold and may bruise or drop blooms with rough handling during shipping. However, if the orchids reach the florist in great shape they can be tough as nails! Orchids are resistant to moisture loss and heat so they make great bouquet and body flowers.
Their resistance to heat and dehydration makes them perfect for summer weddings.
Roses are available year round. They are lightly fragrant and come in literally thousands of varieties. Roses are versatile and beautiful flowers.
Roses are a middle-of-the-road flower when it comes to durability being neither tough nor overly fragile.They are prone to open up in warm conditions. Sometimes this is desirable, such as when the roses are part of a garden style arrangement. Other times it is not, such as when they are used in boutonnieres.
There is one time of year that it would be advisable to steer clear of roses – Valentine’s Day! This period generally extends from the end of January through the middle of February. The rose market is awash with substandard roses during this time most of which are horribly over-priced.
Stephanotis is available year round but its condition is always unpredictable. This fragrant blossom is very delicate and vulnerable to damage from heat, cold, and handling.
Unless provided with an adequate source of water, stephanotis blooms will wither in bouquets. Expect stephanotis blooms to show marked wilting and browning by the end of your wedding reception even under the best of conditions.
While stephanotis are a traditional wedding flower and can be both beautiful and richly scented their delicate nature should be considered carefully before using them. No matter how good a job your florist does, the stephanotis will wilt in corsages in boutonnieres within a few hours due to body heat and handling.
Tulips are available most of the year but are at their best quality and pricing from February through April. They can be one of the most economical choices when used in spring weddings.
Tulips are vulnerable to heat which tends to blow them open which can result in lost petals. Tulips also actually grow after they are cut. The combination of these phenomena can change the appearance of an arrangement in mere hours!
Tulips hold up pretty well out of water but do not make ideal body flowers due to their heat sensitivity
The Ten Most Popular Wedding Flowers
Please note: We are terribly ashamed to admit that Cake Dot is absolutely the WORSE secretary/receptionist in the entire world but has recently shown a teeny-tiny improvement.
You cannot imagine how lucky you are if you actually reach Cake Dot answering the phone; however, if she sounds like death warmed over -- especially if it's after 2:00 -- it's because she has worked her tail off and is running outa steam, plus her feet are most likely killing her by this time; just know that she will be more than happy to answer your questions and schedule a consult. She would greatly appreciate your understanding so much.
If we have not returned your call in a timely manner,
PULEEEEZE call again.
Cake Dot gets busy with cakes and before you know it, the day is over and too late to make calls.
Please accept our sincere apology . . .
Lowered Price per serving!
The past two years we at Cake Dots lowered our basic price per serving, and since the economy has definitely gotten worse and not improved in the least, Cake Dots is more than happy to continue to help our lovely brides and handsome grooms with their fabulous wedding day (cake). We are continuing with that lowered price of per serving down from our "once upon a time" $3.95. This discount is being extended for weddings occurring during the calendar year 2012. Just give us a call to schedule a "free" consultation.*
Please peruse our website, read our
Price + Questions & Answer page, and most importantly check our wedding gallery pages for ideas.
Best wishes to everyone
*Cake Dots had to chuckle when we read that a cake website advertised, "free consultation -- a $100 value." We have been giving FREE consults since the beginning of time and therefore, must have given away $1000s without realizing it?1/05/11
1/05/11 
Yesssssss, this is a repeat of what is posted on the Wedding Cake Info page (we don't want you to forget).
Calling for a Wedding Cake Price Check
Cake Dots cannot do a quick estimate on any wedding cake since their math skills aren't that great. For us trying to quickly figure up the details you have in your mind and transferring those images over to our minds can be slower than molasses. Each and every cake on our website is priced individually—honest. It would be nice if we could whip out a price but we can't.
In addition, calling and asking the price of cake #8910 is also impossible. There is no way Cake Dots know how many servings each cake on this website serves (wish we could). We do have good memories but not that good.
Remember, our wedding cake's base price is $3.75 per serving but there can be a number of additional costs or circumstances affecting the total price. You may like a cake that serves 250 and you only need 150—big price difference here;
or you may ask about a cake with tons of detail and fondant flowers and you are only interested in the detail on that cake.
Again, each cake is priced individually. This is why we really recommend a consultation. You cannot get an accurate price or even a good estimate via the phone. Taking the time to set up a consultation and discussing your wedding cake with Cake Dots is the best way to have your questions answered, sample cake and have your wedding cake reserved. Besides, we'd like to meet you.
How's that!?
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We consider ourselves extremely lucky if we are able to get to the computer once a week, and we no longer are able to play and visit lots of pretty sites like we used to, so please, please, please – no emails, no emails, no emails.
One more time:
No emails please.
Thank You
And if it’s a small home baker, the above questions still should be answered in addition to the question of have they made wedding cakes before?? Also, if the baker is really priced low, and if it is a home baker such as Cake Dots are, are they experienced in baking, decorating and ASSEMBLING wedding cakes? Remember, with a cheaper wedding cake it’s "you get what you pay for" and that is not good . . . Be careful folks.
We are telling you again and we cannot stress the fact enough that we DO NOT buy anything in bulk at a cheaper price and we shop weekly to get you the freshest ingredients. That is what makes our cakes stand out far above the competition in taste and freshness (and don't forget the design ). This is how we got our Best of the KNOT and Martha Stewart's WeddingWire awards! We also have an A+ rating with the Columbus Better Business Bureau, PLUS, and this is a BIG plus, we are also in Angie’s List. This makes us soooo proud. Cake Dot often wears a head band to keep her head from swelling with pride but has to watch for the cut-off of blood flow - that would not be good.
Again for the last time: Cake Dots' cakes are homemade from beginning to end by Dottie and Tad only. We use not only the best but the FRESHEST ingredients. Just remember that "cheap cakes ain't quality and quality cakes ain't cheap!" Having said that, we ain’t cheap but we definitely ain’t expensive. How’s that?
OUR PROMISE: Cake Dots want our cakes to taste good, look good and look good to eat, the kind of cake you want to swipe a taste of icing when no one is looking. We want your guests to have the satisfying taste of a good, home-baked "COMFORT" cake. We want your guests to ask, "Who made that delicious cake? Who made that gorgeous cake?" Yes, Cake Dots want it all! This is why we use the best ingredients and why our ingredients cost more than the average bear. Cake Dots promise that we will keep our present prices, continue to use the best ingredients, make the best cakes and do the prettiest work we can. How's that for a promise?
Take a minute to look at the cake pictures of other Columbus Area bakers. Are the pictures large enough that you can see them clearly? Usually not. Do they stay put so you can study them or do they scroll away? Can you tell if the wedding cakes are neatly iced or do they look like a country dirt road? Are the tiers stacked straight or are they leaning? All these things count; now take a look at our wedding cake pictures and be sure to click to enlarge them. This is what Cake Dots do and we love doing it . . .
SERVING SIZE
What about the SIZE of the wedding cake? Cake Dots has a minimum of 75 servings for small venues. This does not mean that if you have 300 guests you can get a teeny-tiny wedding cake and 15 million kitchen cakes. Sorry folks.
TIERS
The number of tiers of your wedding cake depends of the number of servings you want. Also, the shape of your wedding cake has a factor in the number of tiers. A square cake for example may require only three tiers to meet the number of guest servings whereas a round cake will require four tiers. This will be determined at the scheduled wedding consult. This is the fun part.
The serving size is based on the typical wedding-cake size dimensions served across the country - 1" x 2-1/2" x 4" high. And as for our work, we cannot emphasize enough how each cake must be done to the best of our ability and a work of art before we leave your reception site!
We try to be the best home cake bakers and proud that our cakes look like real food and are absolutely delicious (please Check out Cake Dots GUEST BOOK and also Martha Stewart's WeddingWire.com). Don’t forget to check our ratings with the Columbus Better Business Bureau and Angie’s List.
Kitchen Cakes? Cake Dots do offer “kitchen cakes” when requested and when the main wedding cake serves at least 130-150 guests. We do this to help out with the budget and also when the bride realizes more guests are attending their wedding than initially planned. Instead of redesigning the wedding cake all over again, we simply do kitchen cakes. We also try to finagle the wedding cake cost if we can. We want you to have the perfect cake. If you want a beautiful centerpiece wedding cake, Cake Dots will proudly do whatever we can to make your wish come true.
FAKE CAKES? Do you make fake cakes? Wellllllll, Cake Dots have gone back and forth on this issue. Initially it was no, then it was yes and now it’s no again.
The cake dummy tiers are actually shorter than Cake Dots wedding cakes. We try our best to give you a lot of cake for your money and the dummies are just too small. Even iced they look fake—we just don’t like them. Besides, when you figure in the cost of the icing used, the design and the time that goes into to icing that dummy, you may as well have gotten real cake—it may even cost you less!!
Ok, so you say in order to have a 6-tier cake when you only have enough guests to require a three or four tier, and you think you will have tons of cake left over. OK. Yes you will. But for the same amount or possibly less money with real cake, you can serve larger pieces and you can give cake away. If you don’t want to give real cake away to your guests, be nice and serve the event staff. Be one of those really nice and generous brides . . . Have fun. Be generous.
GROOMS CAKES
Do you make "Groom's" cakes? Yes, Cake Dots loves to make Groom's cake (see Grooms Cakes) and loves the challenge some of our brides give.
CAKE FLAVORS
Please check our Cake Flavor page which has some of our most requested cake flavors listed. We also have lots more.
ARE THE CAKES FRESH? Ok. Is this a trick question? Maybe Cake Dots should answer, “We always have a stash of cakes sitting around and when a bride places an order, we simply whip out the ready-made layers for the 14-tier cake?" Yeah, right. That would certainly go over like a ton of bricks! Can you imagine . . . ? Cake Dots' cakes are always baked fresh to your order. ALWAYS!!! Nothing is premade. We promise. What else can we say?
ICINGS
BUTTERCREAM ICING: Cake Dots buttercream icing is absolutely delicious and very smooth and used on all of her cakes, even those who want fondant (the buttercream is under the fondant). Cake Dots' buttercream is not the overly sweet, really gritty and sugary buttercream used by other bakers—it is Cake Dots' very own and secret homemade recipe using the finest buttercream ingredients—no Crisco!
Please note: Cake Dots' buttercream icing is perfect for both the warmer/hot months and the cooler/cold months. No need to worry.
CAKE PROGRAMS on TV USE FONDANT ICING
Cake Dots do beautiful fondant cakes and designs, so if you want a beautiful fondant covered wedding cake, ask!!
Cake Dots is a fan of Charm City Cakes who do every single cake in FONDANT. As we mentioned above, you can do tons of stuff with fondant and it looks and tastes great. And, even though we do a pretty darn good job at creating beautiful and one of a kind cakes, we don't have the staff to do the carpentry work! But as mentioned, we do pretty darn good for being home-grown. Keep in mind though that "special order" sculpted, 2-D and 3-D cakes are a lot more work than you can imagine. Keep in mind that these special sculpted etc. are a touch more than your average bear. We try to keep our cake prices reasonable. Also, keep in mind that there is a difference between Baltimore, MD prices and Columbus, OH prices; Charm City has a minimum price of $1,000 per cake—no matter what the size! Cake Dots is definitely more reasonable. All of our cakes are not just baked and slapped with icing— they are lovingly created. We mean that too!
BTW, while you are at it, check out Charm City's website—you will be amazed at what they can recreate.
FILLINGS
Cake Dot does offer FILLINGS and those are found on the Cake Fillings page. Which are our favorites? Hmmmmm, we definitely love chocolate ganache with chocolate, marble and yellow cake plus lemon filling with lemon cake and strawberry with white, yellow and welllll, the list goes on and on . . .
Oh boy, oh boy, oh boy!! Happy news!! There is a very happy P.S. to this. We received the most wonderful thank-you note from the bride and groom and they were very pleased with the cake; they said it was wonderful, it was the best tasting cake ever, they had lots of very nice compliments on both the taste and design, and best of all, they said they did not care about the topper fiasco. This thank-you card was the best Christmas present you can imagine. We immediately said a "Thank you" and it made our Christmas a happy one!)
TOPSY-TURVY, MAD-HATTER CAKES
Cake Dots are constantly trying to out-do ourselves by making cakes that are not only beautiful but challenging and if you like, out-of-the-ordinary. Inspiration comes from everywhere including our wonderful brides. Each cake is individually designed to what you want and like. This is a good time to think FONDANT and tilted cakes!!!! Yes!! Cake Dots especially love tilted (mad-hatter, topsy-turvy etc.) cakes.
HOW DO WE RESERVE OUR WEDDING CAKE?
It's easy as eating a piece of cake!!!
First call and schedule a consult and after we get your cake designed and flavors etc. determined, just give Cake Dots the required $75 date-retainer fee—easy!! Without the non-refundable retainer fee, your date is not secure.
The retainer fee is deducted from the total cost of the wedding cake and yes, the balance, after the retainer fee is subtracted, can be, and preferred to be, made in two equal payments.
CAN WE MAKE PAYMENTS ON OUR CAKE?
The first payment is due 120 days before the wedding and the balance is due three weeks before the wedding. This usually is the preferred method of payment.
Cake Dots found some bakers require a 50% deposit of the total cost upon booking. Yikes! Cake Dots' brides and grooms are normal people with jobs and budgets and sometimes have kids/car payments etc. We try to make it as easy as possible and try to help the best we can.
This website is created for Cake Dots wedding cake information, party cake information and for fun. There are lots of dancing smilies etc. on here for two reasons:
1. Parents look at this website with their
children and the children love them.
2. We like them too.
First things first:
IMPORTANT UPDATE ON THE COLUMBUS BETTER BUSINESS BUREAU: Due to the high cost of everything and especially the price of gas, Cake Dots must cut costs and instead of using cheaper ingredients which we have stated 15 million times that we will NOT do, and not increasing our prices, we have decided not to renew our membership with the Columbus Better Business Bureau. This was a sad decision but we had to do it . . .
We are not sure how this will work but please know that we have an outstanding A+ rating with them and is/was extremely important to us. In order to keep from increasing our prices, something had to go. We are hoping the good information will be passed on to you from the Bureau and we also want you to know that we are also extremely proud of being on Angie's list.
Thank you.
I love this home and the neighbors are so nice and friendly :)
What about cake plates/boards and other "special" equipment? Cake Dots wedding cakes are placed on a beautiful white or occasionally a foil-covered cake plate/board. We also have plateaus you may borrow in addition to pillars and fountains.
There is a deposit required for the structural support of our wedding cakes. This deposit is fully refundable upon return of the cake plates/boards and the structural pieces used to secure the cake.
Please note, Cake Dots will cash the equipment check if the equipment is not returned in a timely manner. Also, if the returned items are NOT CLEANED, we will cash the deposit check and depending on the condition of the equipment, mail a portion of the deposit back to you. (Note: if you borrow a casserole dish from a neighbor and use it, do you return that dish back to your neighbor dirty? No, of course not.)
Pictured here is the structural support that a bride returned and for some reason, the bride was not embarrassed in the least to give this to Cake Dot. Cake Dot, however, was fuming but kept her mouth shut (amazing). Ya know, Dottie has problems with hot flashes now and then but nothing compared to the hot flashes she had when she saw this.
Good grief -- this was filthy and can you believe the nerve?? Grrrrrrrr.
Can you tell we are still upset? Grrrrrrrr again.
Anyway, this structural system works extremely well and does cost $$$$. Cake Dots are very happy with the system. However, the company we got the cake structures from are no longer in business so it is EXTREMELY important to have the equipment returned. We are now in a frantic search for another structural system that is as good as this but so far, no luck. We continually research and do everything possible to make your wedding cake secure and beautiful and your wedding day perfect. Also, Cake Dots offers cake plateaus for you to use at no cost--Free!! Just let us know. There is, however, an additional and refundable deposit for the plateaus and other miscellaneous items needed if you want pillars, stairs, water fountains etc.
Again, if the cleaned cake plates/board and/or other structural and decorative equipment are returned to Cake Dots within one week of your event, your deposit check will be either returned to you or simply voided and shredded. Beyond that date and without special arrangements, the check is cashed.
Read our lips: if the cleaned equipment is not returned within one week (7 days maximum) the equipment deposit check will be cashed. Of course, if you make special arrangements with Cake Dots, we will happily extend that time period.
CAKE DOTS CAKE BOARDS !
If you look closely to where the arrow is pointing in this picture, you can see the bottle of Tums Cake Dot had to take by the time she unwrapped this mess, lol.
PHONE CALLS ACCEPTED BETWEEN
9 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.
Monday through Wednesday
CLOSED: THURSDAY, FRIDAY, SATURDAY AND SUNDAY
(Friday and Saturday are reserved for decorating and delivery)
The answering machine is a life-saver!
Thanks :)
$3.75
