FAQs

 
 
 

Where are you located?

Do you have a storefront?

Do you deliver?

How much are your wedding cakes?

Do you charge for a tasting?

What should I bring to the tasting?

I am having my event outside and I think it'll be hot that day.  Will that be a problem?

I want to order wedding cupcakes.  Do you provide cupcake stands?

I read/someone told me that it was cheaper to get a small display cake with a bunch of sheet cakes to save money on my wedding.  Do you do that?

Do you make fake cakes (i.e. Styrofoam decorated to look like a real cake for display purposes only)?

How do you suggest storage of your cakes/cupcakes?

Can you make a cake that looks like a 3D monkey / car / teddy bear etc.?

Can you make Gluten-Free?

What's the best way to get a hold of you? 

What is your cancellation policy?

What is your refund policy?

Q.  Where are you located?

A.  We do not have a storefront location, but pick-up can be arranged if you do not want delivery.  

Q.  Do you have a storefront?
A.  Not yet, but we are working towards it.


Q.  Do you deliver?
A.  Delivery is offered for a fee in the City of San Francisco, with additional charges incurred once we leave the city limits. 

Q.  How much are your wedding cakes?
A.  Cakes start at $8 per serving, but please visit our Couture Cake page located under “Menu” for answers to this question.

Tasting platter

Q.  Do you charge for a tasting?
A.  A fee of $20 will be collected at the time of scheduling your consultation. You can expect 6-8 full sized cupcakes with at least 12 different fillings/buttercreams, and a to-go box will be provided.   If you choose to book with us, that charge will be deducted from the total of your order.  Samples are baker’s choice and will be offered based on fresh cake we have available.

If you have a specific cake and buttercream flavor you want to taste that is not available at the time we've arranged, Beyond Buttercream would be more then happy to make the flavor of your choice for an additional $20 (total consultation fee is $40), which will be deducted from your final total if you choose to book your event with us.


Please keep your tasting to 2 people maximum in attendance.  Others are welcome to observe but their participation will be $20 per additional person with no exceptions.  Bringing additional people without informing Beyond Buttercream makes for an uncomfortable tasting, so please let us know in advance. 

Q.  What should I bring to the tasting?
A.  Any and everything you have that is an inspiration to you for your event.  Pictures of the bridal gown, centerpieces, invitations, save-the-dates, swatches of fabric, and anything else you have in your wedding folder… in fact, bring the whole folder for us to look at and discuss.  Also, feel free to bring pictures of cakes you’ve looked at online, be it here or other sources.  We use Pinterest, we love when you do too! Having as much information about you and your day will greatly help Beyond Buttercream design a truly unique couture cake. 


Q.  I am having my event outside and I think it will be hot that day.  Will that be a problem?
A.  Regular bakery icing is generally made with shortening, which makes it more stable in hot temperatures.  Beyond buttercream only uses 100% real European butter in our buttercream, so our cakes are affected by heat.  It is never recommended to have any Beyond Buttercream cake left at an outside venue in temperatures above 74 degrees or in direct sunlight for any period of time, and if you are going to be serving your cake outside it is recommended that it is kept inside somewhere cool and presented to your guests just before serving.

Q.  I want to order wedding cupcakes.  Do you provide cupcake stands?
A.  Not at this time, but check back in the future for possible cupcake stand rental.

Q.  I read/someone told me that it was cheaper to get a small display cake with a bunch of sheet cakes to save money on my wedding.  Do you do that?
A.  Short answer, no. 


At Beyond Buttercream, we have based our business model on creating edible art that tastes as delicious as it looks.  Besides being meticuliously decorated, each and every cake we make has 4 layers of cake with 3 layers of filling. In addition, fondant cakes have an outer layer of dark chocolate or white chocolate ganache. Your final cake can have up to 2 cake flavors to go in each tier with 3 different complimentary fillings, creating a unique flavor profile and tasting experience that your guests will not only actually eat, they will be talking about for years to come.

cakeWe make every effort to try and carefully determine the servings you'll need for your day using industry standard cutting charts stating that a wedding cake tier is at least 4" tall (ours are actually 5"), and a wedding cake serving is a piece of cake 1" x 2" (about the same amount of cake as 2 cupcakes per guest). A "sheet cake" is maybe 2" tall, is a single cake flavor, and may or may not have filling. That means a "sheet cake" has 1/2 the servings as a standard wedding cake! Think about how strange it looks for a few guests to get a serving of cake that has 4 layers of beautiful cake with 3 delicious fillings and the rest of the guests to get a slab of cake with no filling and a glob of icing on it.  
A sheet cake, when made with 4 layers of cake and 3 fillings like we construct our wedding cakes (in the industry we call them "kitchen cakes") has 96 servings, so if your reception only has 60 or so people you are essentially asking for a small, 6" birthday cake as your "display" wedding cake with a 96 serving kitchen cake to be served "in the back" - obviously way too much cake. 



We do understand that other bakeries will sell you wantever cake you ask for just to get your business without caring about how the cake will look on the plate or what it will taste like to your guests.  We are not those bakeries.



The only time Beyond Buttercream does suppliment cakes is if your reception has 300 people or more, since a tiered cake in that size weighs in excess of 200 pounds. We'd make a 200-300 person tiered cake for display and we'd supplement the rest of the servings required with identical kitchen cakes. Since our big rectangle cake has as many layers, fillings, is as uniform in size and height, and has the same quantity of ingredients as a big round cake, it is priced the same per serving as the main cake.

Q.  Do you make fake cakes (i.e. Styrofoam decorated to look like a real cake for display purposes only)?
A.  Adding a single artificial tier to a cake to add height and drama is acceptable, but we at Beyond Buttercream are prideful bakers that have spent years refining our skill to make exquisite cakes from scratch without the aid of starter mixes or Betty Crocker. As such, we are unwilling to make a full, inedible Styrofoam fake cake for display purposes. If you choose to add a single additional artificial tier, your cost will only slightly be discounted from what a real tier would cost as it takes the same mount of time, skill and quantity of ingredients to decorate Styrofoam as a real cake.

Q.  How do you suggest storage of your cakes/cupcakes?
A.  All confections are to be kept refrigerated but enjoyed at room temperature with a 3 day shelf life.   
Sculpted cake
Q.  Can you make a cake that looks like a 3D monkey/car/teddy bear etc.?
A.  Yes!  Basic sculpting starts at $250 regardless of the servings needed and the price increases based on the complexity of the design requested.  Extreme cakes start at $400 regardless of the servings needed and the price increases based on the complexity of the design requested.


Q.  Can you make Gluten-Free cake?

A.  After lots of trial, error, blood, sweat and tears, Beyond Buttercream is proud to offer Devil's food,  vanilla bean, red velvet and lemon cake made with our special wheat-free flour blend.  We believe they are so good they are almost indistinguishable in flavor and texture from our regular wheat flour cake.


Please note: Our wheat-free cakes are preparred in kitchens also using wheat. All efforts are made to prevent cross-contamination but are not guaranteed. If you have a severe allergy or sensitivity to wheat, we will refer your order to a reputable baker that is more suited to your dietary needs.


Q.  What's the best way to get a hold of you? 
A.  Call  415-754-0184 during normal business hours or you can  send an email.  Please allow a few hours for a response.

Q.  What is your cancellation policy?
A.  All orders need to be paid in full per contract terms for Couture Cakes.  All other cakes and cupcakes must be paid in full at least 24 hours in advance via credit card.  Other payment arrangements can be made if a credit card is not an option, but please call us to discuss.

Q.  What is your refund policy?
A.  If you are unsatisfied with your cake (it hasn't happened yet!), please let us know so that we can work something out, but please do so within 24 hours of receiving your order and please be prepared to return the uneaten cake you are unsatisfied with.


NOTE:  All chargebacks claimed with your credit card company will be reported by Beyond Buttercream to all three credit reporting agencies as a delinquent account and will be turned over to a collection agency for prompt payment.   This will have an adverse effect on your credit report.








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Beyond Buttercream
SOMA San Francisco, CA 94107 US
Phone: 415-754-0184 Website: http://www.beyondbuttercream.com/