Frequently Asked Questions

We recommend placing celebration cake orders at least 2–4 weeks in advance whenever possible. For weddings, large-scale celebrations, and corporate events, we recommend reserving your date 9–12 months ahead to ensure availability.

During peak celebration seasons — especially April–June and September–December — our calendar tends to fill quickly, as we intentionally take on only a limited number of orders each week in order to give every cake the time, care, and attention it deserves.

For last-minute inquiries, we may still be able to accommodate your order depending on our availability. Please note that orders placed with less than two weeks’ notice may be subject to a 25% rush fee.

How do I begin the ordering process?

To begin the ordering process, please submit an inquiry through the form on our website with as much detail as possible about your celebration. This allows us to review your request, confirm availability, and provide the most accurate estimate for your order.

Once your inquiry is submitted, we will respond via email in the order inquiries are received. Please allow approximately 2–5 business days for a response depending on our current workload and seasonality. During especially busy periods, communication and design planning may take additional time, so we encourage clients to keep this timeline in mind when planning ahead for their event.

After discussing your order details, we will provide your estimate and next steps for securing your date. Orders are officially reserved only once your invoice deposit has been paid.

Betty’s Cakery is a private, fully licensed, and insured celebration studio based in The Woodlands, Texas (Alden Bridge Area). At this time we operate by custom order only and do not offer walk-in service or ready-made cakes.

At this time, in person consultations and tastings are reserved for weddings, large-scale celebrations, and corporate events. Because we are a small custom studio with a highly limited production schedule, this allows us to dedicate the appropriate time and attention to larger events while still serving our celebration cake clients with care and efficiency.

Can I make changes after booking?

Yes — changes can absolutely be made after booking whenever possible. We kindly ask for at least 2 weeks’ notice for any size adjustments, design updates, order additions, pickup/delivery changes, or event date changes.

Please keep in mind that availability for new dates is not guaranteed, especially during busy seasons when our calendar may already be at full capacity. The sooner we are informed of any changes, the better we can accommodate your request and ensure everything is prepared smoothly for your celebration.

Yes — delivery is available for all cake and dessert orders based on our availability and delivery schedule. Delivery fees are calculated based on location and trip distance and will always be included in your estimate before booking.

Our standard delivery pricing is a $25 flat delivery fee plus $0.70 per mile roundtrip from our studio. Clients are always welcome to opt for complimentary pickup instead.

Orders not being delivered must be collected from our licensed home studio during the scheduled pickup window provided to you. Because we operate from our family home and have children on the property, we kindly ask that all pickups remain timely and respectful of our pickup procedures.

Upon arrival, please park in the driveway and text us to let us know you have arrived. We will always bring your order out to your vehicle curbside. For safety, privacy, and licensing purposes, we kindly ask that clients do not knock on the door or ring the doorbell.

PICKUP SCHEDULING:

Pickup appointments are scheduled through our Calendly system once your order balance has been paid in full, and each appointment includes a 15-minute arrival window.. Because we operate from a licensed home studio, all pickups must arrive during their scheduled pickup window and follow our pickup instructions carefully.

We will always do our best to accommodate your preferred collection time whenever possible.

If you are running late, arriving early, or need to make a quick change, please notify us by text with your name and order type as soon as possible.

Because we operate from a licensed home studio and coordinate our baking schedule, deliveries, family responsibilities, and personal events around the pickup times selected by our clients, last-minute schedule changes are not always possible. Late arrivals can significantly impact other scheduled deliveries, appointments, and family commitments.

If your pickup window is missed and we are required to return to the studio to meet you later, a $25 late pickup fee will apply. In some situations, if we are unable to coordinate a new collection time, your order may unfortunately no longer be available for pickup that day.

Studio Pickup Hours

Monday–Friday: 9:00 AM – 5:45 PM
Saturday: 9:00 AM – 12:00 PM
Sunday: Closed — we do not offer Sunday pickups or operate on Sundays.

HOW TO PREPARE:

Transporting a cake safely requires preparation. We strongly recommend clearing a completely flat surface in your vehicle before pickup — ideally the floorboard, trunk space, or flat cargo area of an SUV. Cakes should never be placed on seats whenever possible, as angled or soft surfaces can cause shifting and damage during transport. We also do not recommend holding cakes by hand in the car unless absolutely necessary.

Especially during warmer months, please cool your vehicle before arriving by running the air conditioning ahead of time. Cakes and desserts travel best in a cool environment with minimal direct sunlight.

When driving, take turns slowly, brake gently, and avoid sudden stops whenever possible. Tall cakes and tiered cakes require especially careful handling during transport.

PICKUPS BY THIRD-PARTIES:

If someone else will be collecting your order on your behalf, it is the client’s responsibility to ensure the pickup person has received all pickup instructions and transportation guidelines ahead of time.

Uber pickups are permitted for select orders. If arranging an Uber collection, we are happy to provide our phone number so we can be added directly to the ride booking and coordinate with the driver if needed. Pickup details may also be texted to us in advance. However, we do not recommend Uber transport for tall cakes, tiered cakes, or heavily detailed designs due to the increased risk of shifting or damage during traffic and transport.

No — we no longer offer exact replications of previous cakes, whether they are our own past work or images submitted from other artists and bakeries.

When you book with us, you are investing in a custom design experience created specifically for your celebration. Every cake we create is approached as its own unique piece, and all inspiration images submitted through our inquiry form are used simply as visual reference points to help us understand your style preferences, color palette, mood, or overall vision.

One of the things most important to us creatively is ensuring that every cake feels personal and original, which is why we intentionally do not recreate the exact same design twice. Your final cake design and sketch will always be thoughtfully customized for your event while still reflecting the overall aesthetic inspiration you shared with us.

At this time, we do not offer cake stand or dessert display rentals, and we currently do not plan to add rental inventory to our services.

However, we are always happy to recommend trusted places to source beautiful stands, display pieces, and event styling items for your celebration. We can also guide you on the appropriate stand size based on your cake dimensions and cake board size to help ensure the best presentation for your event.

No — our studio is not a gluten-free, egg-free, dairy-free, or nut-free kitchen. We regularly work with common allergens including wheat, dairy, eggs, peanuts, tree nuts, soy, and other allergen-containing ingredients throughout our kitchen and baking process. Because of this, we cannot guarantee that any product will be completely free from cross-contact or allergen exposure.

At this time, we have chosen not to specialize in allergen-free baking, as we want to ensure we can confidently maintain the quality, consistency, and safety standards required for those specific dietary needs.

Clients are responsible for informing us of any known allergies before placing an order. However, by ordering from our studio, clients acknowledge and accept that all products are prepared in a shared kitchen environment where cross-contamination is possible. For those with severe allergies, sensitivities, or medically necessary dietary restrictions, we kindly recommend working with a bakery that specializes specifically in allergen-free products and dedicated preparation environments.

To officially reserve your order date, we require a non-refundable 50% deposit at the time of booking. Because we take on a limited number of orders each week and begin planning, scheduling, purchasing, and preparing materials well in advance, deposits secure both your event date and the production time dedicated to your order.

We understand that plans can change, and we always aim to handle adjustments as fairly and compassionately as possible while also protecting the time, labor, and preparation that goes into every order.

Making Changes to Your Order

Changes to your order may be possible depending on our schedule and how far along we are in the design and production process. We kindly ask for at least 2 weeks’ notice for any changes involving:

• Event dates

• Cake size or serving adjustments

• Flavor selections

• Design updates

• Pickup or delivery changes

• Additional desserts or add-ons

Please note that new event dates are subject to availability and may already be fully booked, especially during peak seasons. The sooner we are informed of changes, the more likely we are to accommodate them smoothly.

Design Changes After Production Has Started

Once production has begun — including sketching, ordering specialty materials, baking, structure preparation, or decorating — significant design changes may no longer be possible. In some situations, additional fees may apply if changes require extra materials, labor, or redesign work after production has started.

Cancellations

Cancellations More Than 7 Days Before Pickup or Delivery

If an order is canceled more than 7 days before the scheduled pickup or delivery date, the 50% deposit will be retained and is non-refundable.

Cancellations Within 7 Days of Pickup or Delivery

Orders canceled within 7 days of the scheduled pickup or delivery date will forfeit all payments made, including the remaining balance if already paid. At that stage, ingredients, materials, scheduling, and production time have typically already been committed specifically to your order.

If you wish to place a future order after canceling, a new payment and booking process will be required to secure a new date.

We truly appreciate our clients’ understanding and support, and we always strive to approach each situation with fairness, professionalism, and kindness whenever unexpected circumstances arise.

Cakes are delicate, temperature-sensitive creations and should always be transported carefully to ensure they arrive safely at your celebration.

Before You Leave

Please make sure your vehicle is clean, cool, and prepared before arriving for pickup. During warmer months, we strongly recommend blasting the air conditioner ahead of time so the interior of the car is already cool before the cake is loaded in.

In colder months, avoid directing heat toward the cake whenever possible, as excessive warmth inside the vehicle can soften buttercream and compromise structural stability during transport.

Packaging & Placement

All cakes leave our studio packaged in an enclosed cake box and secured on a cake board for transport.

For the safest possible travel, place the boxed cake on the front passenger-side floorboard of your vehicle where the surface is flat and stable. Cakes should never be placed on a car seat, lap, or any sloped or uneven surface, as this greatly increases the risk of sliding or tipping during turns and braking.

If the passenger-side floorboard is unavailable, the next safest option is the trunk or cargo area of your vehicle on a flat, non-slip surface.

Driving Tips

Please drive cautiously while transporting your cake:

• Brake gently

• Accelerate slowly

• Take turns and corners carefully

• Avoid sudden stops whenever possible

For larger cakes, stacked cakes, or multi-tiered cakes larger than a two-tier, we strongly recommend booking delivery service to help ensure the cake arrives safely and securely at your venue or event location.

Damage Policy

Once a cake leaves our studio or has been accepted at delivery, responsibility for the cake transfers to the client.

If damage occurs during transport, we may be able to assist with repairs depending on our availability and schedule at that time. In order for us to assess and potentially repair the cake:

• The client must contact us as soon as possible

• The cake must be returned to the studio

• Repair availability is not guaranteed

• Additional repair fees may apply depending on the extent of the damage and time required

We always want your cake to arrive beautifully and encourage clients to reach out immediately if an issue occurs during transport.

Cakes are best enjoyed and displayed in a cool, climate-controlled environment whenever possible. Because all cakes are made with real buttercream and fresh ingredients, temperature and environmental conditions will naturally affect how long they can comfortably remain on display.

Indoor Events

For indoor celebrations with consistent air conditioning, cakes can typically remain on display for approximately 6–8 hours.

We do recommend taking photos and handling important cake-cutting moments sooner rather than later, especially during warmer months or crowded events where room temperatures may rise over time.

As the cake sits at room temperature, the buttercream may soften slightly — this is completely normal and expected. In fact, buttercream cakes are often at their best flavor and texture once they have had time to come closer to room temperature before serving.

Outdoor Events

We generally do not recommend displaying cakes outdoors in direct sunlight, extreme humidity, or very hot weather for extended periods of time. Heat and sun exposure can quickly soften buttercream, affect structural stability, and potentially cause decorations or tiers to shift.

If an outdoor display is unavoidable, we strongly recommend:

• Keeping the cake shaded at all times

• Displaying the cake indoors until shortly before the event or cake cutting

• Avoiding placement near heaters, windows, or direct sunlight

• Using delivery service for larger or tiered cakes

Please note that weather conditions in Texas can change rapidly, especially during spring and summer months, and outdoor cake performance cannot be guaranteed in high heat or direct sun exposure.

After Your Event

Any leftover cake should be refrigerated promptly after serving to preserve freshness and food safety. Most cakes can be enjoyed for several days when properly stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator.

Because all of our cakes are made fresh to order using real buttercream, fillings, and perishable ingredients, proper storage is important for both quality and food safety.

Refrigeration

Cakes should be refrigerated whenever they are not being displayed or served. If you will not be eating the cake on the day of pickup or delivery, we recommend keeping it refrigerated until the day of your event.

For the best flavor and freshness, we recommend scheduling pickup or delivery for either:

• The day of your event, or

• The day before your event

When properly refrigerated, most cakes remain fresh for approximately 3–5 days, though this can vary depending on the cake flavor, fillings, fresh fruit, specialty components, or decorative elements used in the design.

For serving, we recommend allowing buttercream cakes to sit at room temperature for a short period before cutting so the cake and frosting can soften slightly for the best texture and flavor experience.

Freezing

Most buttercream cakes freeze beautifully and can typically be frozen for approximately 3–6 months with minimal impact on flavor or quality when stored properly.

To freeze your cake:

1. Wrap slices or the entire cake tightly in plastic cling film

2. Place the wrapped cake into an airtight container or freezer-safe bag

3. Store in the freezer to help prevent freezer burn and moisture exposure

To serve after freezing:

1. Transfer the cake to the refrigerator and allow it to thaw overnight

2. Bring the cake to room temperature before serving for best flavor and texture

Cakes We Do Not Recommend Freezing

We generally do not recommend freezing cakes that include:

• Fondant-heavy decorations

• Fresh flowers

• Tiramisu or highly delicate fillings

• Certain textured decorative finishes

These elements can be negatively affected by condensation, moisture, and the thawing process, which may alter both appearance and texture.

For the cleanest presentation and most efficient servings, we recommend cutting cakes into rectangular slices rather than traditional triangular wedges. This method works especially well for taller cakes and helps portions stay more even and stable.

To cut your cake:

1. Start by making a full straight cut across the cake to remove a large rectangular section from the outer edge.

2. Place that section flat onto a cutting board or clean surface.

3. From there, slice the section into individual rectangular servings.

4. Continue repeating this process around the cake until fully served.

For tiered cakes, each tier should be separated and cut individually before serving. Some larger cakes may also contain internal support dowels or structure supports that should be carefully removed before slicing.

For best flavor and texture, allow refrigerated cakes to sit at room temperature briefly before serving so the buttercream can soften slightly.