Frequently Asked Questions
Can you make this cake I found on Pinterest EXACTLY like the photo?
No - I do not recreate other cake decorators' work. Feel free to show me what you're going for, but know that the cake I design for you will be unique and CUSTOM made!
I just need to ask you a quick question - how come you won't give out your phone number or answer text messages or DMs?
Talking about dessert is one of my all-time favorite things (the others being my husband Greg, the JK mascot Fergus, Disney World, and Latin!) However, I am a one-woman show, and sometimes my brain gets a teensy bit scattered. Limiting contact to email is the best way for me to give your questions the attention they deserve. I do not want to miss you, and often texts and DMs get lost in the shuffle. Additionally, if you've ever baked ANYTHING, you know that a great deal of what I do is time-sensitive. I can't stop in the middle of frosting a cake, tempering chocolate, or rolling out a pie crust - not even for a second.
Do you make Gluten Free cakes/cupcakes? Why can't you just change your regular ones into GF?
While I do offer a few Gluten Free items, I do not at this time offer GF cakes or cupcakes. Generally speaking, recipes cannot be changed from regular to GF without some serious testing.
Can I leave my cake in the car while I run errands? Can I bring it to Boston/NYC/some place hours away from pickup?
For the most part, this is not a good idea, and I generally do not recommend it.
1. Even when it feels nice and pleasant outside (or even cold!) to us, it can still be too warm for cakes to make long trips or wait outside the fridge. That delightful sunbeam that comes through the car window? It's like a heat ray to your cake. The car's heaters keeping your toes toasty? They're melting your cake. This can cause sinking, bulging, and collapsing, at the very least rendering your edible artwork unattractive, or at the worst inedible.
2. Most cars are not temperature controlled - even if you've got the AC blasting in one space, it can be an oven in another, ESPECIALLY in the summer!
If you MUST travel a long distance, I highly recommend choosing cupcakes or other confections (pies, Bundt cakes, and tray cakes can all be made celebratory!) which travel MUCH better and can be packed in coolers if necessary. Ask me for recommendations!
Why don't you do characters (like Batman) or logos and mascots?
Because copyright law is a serious thing, my friends! (I like playing with fire ONLY when it's my kitchen torch and I'm toasting my homemade marshmallows.) Additionally, my creative style has come a long way to the point that I really only take on designs that I enjoy doing, and characters are not it for me. I am happy to add cake toppers and touches that make your theme stand out, but I am not a character gal.
I heard that all bakeries make their cakes way ahead of time and freeze them, so the cake isn't really fresh!
I can't speak for everyone, but I am OBSESSED with freshness. (It's the farm girl upbringing!) At Jessica's Kitchen, your cake is baked to order no more than 48 hours prior to delivery (and in the case of cupcakes, I try for no more than 24 hours; cookies and brownies I try to do on the same day.) I am very proud of the fact that my products go out as close as possible to coming out of the oven, so they stay fresh for as long as possible.
I don't like sugary frosting, can you make it less sweet?
Short answer: no, I cannot.
Longer answer: sugar is both what stabilizes and preserves frosting so that your cake stands up nice and tall and doesn't start to get gross and crusty. Cutting down on the sugar content does not actually make the frosting less sweet, it just makes it greasier and less stable. If you aren't a huge fan of American Buttercream, try Cream Cheese or Swiss Meringue instead.