Frequently Asked Questions
Ordering
We accept a limited amount of orders per week. Rick’s schedule fills up quickly. Ideally, 4-6 weeks advance notice, however you may check our availability for dates with less notice. For last minute cake requests 1 week or less, we will only accept orders by phone, and will not hold a space without a full, non-refundable payment, required immediately upon booking. Cake requests with more than 1 week advance notice, may use our cakelava online inquiry form, or give us a call.
RUSH ORDERS: Any cake ordered 21 days or less before the event date is a rush order and requires a full, non-refundable payment to secure it. Cake orders without an accompanying payment will be cancelled. Design and decoration restrictions may apply for any rush order.
If your event date is more than 1 week in advance, you can submit your request through our cakelava online inquiry form or contact us by phone. If your event date is 1 week or less in advance, you must call us at 702-979-8010 to place an order. Our cake studio is private, except for clients picking up a cake, though we are happy to consult with you through email, or by phone during normal business hours. Our hours are listed below. When inquiring about a cake, please fill in all requested fields on the contact form, including a budget. Since our budget range is very broad, we’ll need to know the cake budget before discussing options. See the “Pricing” section below. It is the client’s responsibility to inquire with the venue about their outside vendor cake policy and confirm their cake can be delivered there. Please allow up to 48 hours for us to respond to your inquiry form.
SUN: CLOSED, EXCEPT FOR CAKE DELIVERIES. NO CAKE PICK UPS.
MON: CLOSED, EXCEPT FOR CAKE DELIVERIES.
TUE: 9:00AM – 4:00PM
WED: 9:00AM – 4:00PM
THU: 9:00AM – 4:00PM
FRI: 9:00AM – 4:00PM
SAT: 10:00AM – 4:00PM
RUSH ORDERS: Any cake ordered 21 days or less before the event date is a rush order and requires a full, non-refundable payment to secure it. Cake orders without an accompanying payment will be cancelled. Design and decoration restrictions may apply for any rush order.
RETAINER/DEPOSIT – MORE THAN 21 DAYS IN ADVANCE OF EVENT DATE: We only accept deposits/retainers for cake orders more than 21 days in advance of the event date, and the non-refundable retainer amount is 50% of the estimated cake cost. cakelava reserves the right to cancel the order if payment is not made within 24 hours.
FINAL PAYMENT: The final payment for your cake is due and collectable 3 weeks before your event date. Returned checks are charged $25.
RUSH ORDERS – 21 DAYS OR LESS ADVANCE OF EVENT DATE: We require a full, non-refundable payment by credit card invoice at the time of booking. Cake orders without an accompanying payment will be cancelled. Design and decoration restrictions may apply.
Any request to cancel a cake order must be submitted by email by the client and confirmed it was received by cakelava LLC. Any retainer(s) paid on a cake order are non-refundable and date specific (non-transferable). For all fully paid cake orders, if a client cancels more than 21 days before their event date, cakelava will refund 50% of their full or final payment. If the client cancels 21 days or less before their event date, the full amount or balance of their order is non-refundable. We recommend purchasing event insurance for unexpected circumstances that could arise.
Pricing
Our cakes are custom designed by Rick, and priced by the project. Prices are determined by the artistry and labor required and number of servings. We make all our own handcrafted florals and decorations. Delivery throughout Las Vegas is additional, as is any added flavor charges. We limit the amount of cake orders we accept per week. When you inquire with us about pricing, please include a budget for the cake, as we have a wide range of budgets we design around. We work solely in custom cakes – no ready made cakes, cupcakes, cookies, or other pastries are offered.
Deliveries and Scheduled Pick Ups
DELIVERIES
We offer a delivery option for all custom cake orders. Please contact us for pricing. Delivery is available throughout Las Vegas and Henderson. We are willing to deliver to any area where our cakes can be safely delivered.
PICK UP AT OUR STUDIO
Cake pick ups are by appointment only and available Mon – Sat. Pick up hours are 9am to 11am and 1pm to 4pm. cakelava LLC does not guarantee the safety of any cake we don’t deliver.
15 MINUTE APPOINTMENT POLICY
Please note, we have no walk-in traffic at our studio and are frequently out. We have a 15 minute policy for all cake pick ups. Clients arriving more than 15 minutes late will need to reschedule.
Flavors
We include 2 flavor choices from our menu for multi-tiered cakes sized 40 servings and above. If your multi-tiered cake is less than 40 servings, there will be a $25 charge for a second flavor. Single tier cakes and Sculpted cakes are 1 flavor. You are welcome to order as many flavors as you like for your tiered cake, but there will be a charge of $25 for each additional flavor.
PREMIUM and HIGH ROLLER flavors:
Some of our flavors are called PREMIUM or HIGH ROLLER and have more expensive ingredients or more labor involved. PREMIUM flavors cost $.50 and HIGH ROLLER flavors cost $1.00 per serving extra and they are indicated on the FLAVORS page menu.
No, we use only buttercream fillings for sculpted cakes, because carved cakes require more stability than non-sculpted cakes. Red Velvet flavors and Neon Lights are not an option for sculpted cakes or non-sculpted cakes that are carved into. We will provide a list of cake and buttercream filling choices. You may inquire with us at the time of your order for the flavor choices.
We offer very limited design options with buttercream icing, and no buttercream decorations. We will do buttercream icing for indoor events only. Our buttercream is made from real butter that can melt in the heat.
We firmly believe in using the highest quality of ingredients in our cakes and least amount of preservatives, so we use real butter, eggs, sugar, and other products that unfortunately, do not accommodate those with dietary restrictions.
Consultations and Tastings
Yes, we offer cake consultations by email or phone with our shop manager Sasha. After discussing your requests with Rick, our designer, she can then get back to you with a price estimate.
Yes, we offer a cake tasting box for pick up with a minimum of 1 week’s advance notice for wedding cake clients only. Due to the labor involved with making the made to order tasting box, we don’t offer tastings for any celebration cakes. Please send us an inquiry using the form on our website email cakelava.
Our cake tasting box is available for pick up Thursday through Saturday based on our availability. Prior to scheduling your tasting appointment, you must have a firm wedding date and approximate reception time to check availability. We will confirm that your venue or hotel allows cakes from an outside vendor into their venue, as many do not. We’ll also go over pricing so you know if your request works with the budget.
Our wedding cake tasting box serves up to 4 guests and consists of 3 freshly baked mini cakes in any 3 flavors from our menu (see: FLAVORS page). We will collect your flavors and a $75 plus tax fee, both due within 24 hours of scheduling. You may choose a maximum of 4 flavor choices per tasting, and the charge for the 4th flavor is $25 + tax. If after tasting, a wedding cake is booked at $1000 (cake only) or above, a $50 credit will be applied towards your final balance. If you are securing your date prior to tasting for a cake priced at $1000 or higher, your (optional) tasting box is complimentary. Booking your wedding cake requires a 50% non-refundable retainer based on your estimated cake price.
15 MINUTE APPOINTMENT POLICY
Please note, we are frequently in and out of our studio and have a 15 minute policy for all cake pick ups. Clients arriving more than 15 minutes late will need to reschedule.
If you need to cancel your appointment, we require written notice. You may cancel a cake tasting appointment as late as 1 week before your pick up date. Wedding cake tastings cancelled more than 1 week in advance will be refunded $50 of their fee. Cancellations 1 week or less before appointment are non-refundable.
Cake Designs and Decorations
No, we take great pride in offering our clients original one-of-a-kind designs by Rick. Out of respect for other cake designers in our industry, we do not duplicate other people’s work or provide a quote for it. That said, it is helpful to see photos of cakes you like to get a better sense of your style. It may be used as inspiration.
We work with all handcrafted flowers on our cakes. These are made in-house and not purchased. We don’t handle any fresh flowers, but they can be arranged directly with your florist.
Rick taught classes internationally for several years and may teach again as his schedule allows. For beginners looking to pick up some useful decorating techniques, there are some great examples in our book, Extreme Cakeovers.