FAQs

Please fill in the ‘Cake Enquiry’ form on my contact page and I will come back to you as soon as possible with an estimate for your cake!

Try to include as much information as possible when you send your enquiry, such as an idea or theme for the design, your required number of servings, your budget, the type of occasion that it is for and the flavour/s that you would like.

If you are interested in one of my Cakes to Order, please specify this in your enquiry along with your desired flavour, any personalisation notes and the size of cake that you require.

The Merrycaker specialises in sculptural and hyper-realistic cakes which may require the production of custom moulds, cake boards and templates, and a bespoke internal support structure. These types of cakes also differ from standard buttercream or fondant covered cakes in terms of complexity and the amount of detail that goes into each design. We therefore recommend giving a minimum of 3 months’ notice for bespoke cakes and a minimum of 2 weeks’ notice for our customisable Cakes to Order.

The cost of a bespoke cake will vary depending on size, complexity and whether moulds or a custom internal structure would need to be produced. Generally speaking, prices would start at around £160 for a simpler cake for a smaller celebration.

If a bespoke cake does not align with your budget, why not take a look at my customisable Cakes to Order? I have created a more accessible range of hyper-realistic cakes that are ideal for celebrations and gifting to loved ones. This range is gradually expanding so please check back from time to time or follow me on Facebook or Instagram to discover new designs! If you have any ideas for something that you think would be rad to have made out of cake, feel free to contact me and it might just join the range one day.

Please visit my flavours page for a list of some of the delectable flavour combinations we can offer!

Of course, my bespoke service is truly bespoke and therefore if there is a flavour combination that you would really love in your cake that isn’t shown above, I will try my best to make it a reality.

Please see the below cake portion guides for an idea of how many 1”d x 2”w x 4”h servings can be obtained from a 4” deep cake and how the cake would need to be cut to obtain that number of portions:

Due to the sculptural nature of 3D and novelty cakes, the design of the cake may limit the number of servings that can be produced. If you are advised or believe you may need additional servings, cupcakes or an undecorated cutting cake can be provided at an additional cost which is designed to stay in the kitchen and be cut along with your main cake.

If you have a food allergy, intolerance, or coeliac disease, please contact me regarding the ingredients in your cake before you order. We may sometimes be able to remove an ingredient from a recipe. However, please be aware that your cake has been prepared in a kitchen where allergens are present and ingredients may be used that are produced in factories where allergens are present. Your cake may therefore contain traces of cereals containing gluten, peanuts, nuts, celery and celeriac, mustard, sulphur dioxide, eggs, milk, sesame, fish, soya and lupin.

Please inform me of any other dietary requirements in advance of placing an order as some cake decorating techniques are not suitable for all diets (e.g. dairy in the modelling chocolate used to cover cakes or the use of gelatine in the production of some edible plastics and fabrics).

Your cake should be stored in cool, dry, hygienic conditions and is not suitable for refrigeration (unless I advise you otherwise!). Please be aware that the vast majority of my cakes are decorated with chocolate modelling paste rather than fondant and are therefore susceptible to melting in hot temperatures or if left in direct sunlight. Caution should therefore be exercised when ordering a cake decorated with chocolate between the months of May – September.

Your cake is baked to order for the date of your event. As my cakes are baked using fresh ingredients and do not contain many of the preservatives and additives contained within “off the shelf” baked goods, they are best consumed within 24 hours for optimum quality.

The Merrycaker is based in her home studio in Sutton town centre (SM1), which is in easy reach of the surrounding areas of South London and Surrey.

Your order can be collected from my home studio in SM1 at a pre-arranged time between Monday and Friday 9:00am to 15:00pm. If you wish to collect outside of these times, please contact me and I will do my best to accommodate your request.

If you are collecting a larger celebration cake, please be aware that you may want to bring a vehicle as cakes can be surprisingly heavy (a 10kg+ cake is not unheard of) and bulky! To prevent any accidents due to bumps along the way, it is best to pop the cake box on a flat surface such as in the front passenger footwell or on a non-slip mat in the boot of your car. Don't forget to pop the air conditioning on if it's a hot day!

We offer local personal delivery on Saturdays and Sundays between 9:00 AM and 1:00 PM for a fee of £13. Delivery times must be arranged in advance and are subject to availability. For delivery outside of these times, or to a mainland UK address outside of a 5 mile radius of SM1 4RA, we can arrange a specialist cake courier on your behalf.