FAQs
Notice/Ordering
Freshness and Product Info
Locations/Payment
Delivery
Products
Fun Facts
CakeLove Creative Credits
CakeLove Suggests
Products and services CakeLove does not provide
Handling Instructions
Notice/Ordering
Can I order in advance?
Yes, we gladly take advance orders. Call us today for your next party!
Do you take same-day orders?
For pick-up only. A $5 surcharge will apply. Some cakes may not be available for same day pickup due to ingredient availability.
Can I order online?
Not yet. We expect to have our online store up and ready to go by the end of summer 2005.
How much notice does CakeLove need for a pick-up order?
24 hours notice is requested. Rush order service is available for SAME DAY ORDERS. Rush fee may apply. Some cakes may not be available for same day pickup due to ingredient availability.
How much notice does CakeLove need for a delivery order?
The order must be placed at least one business day in advance.
Can I pick-up a cake if I order it today?
Yes! Please call the bakery for same-day orders. Rush order service is available for same-day service; rush order fees may apply. Some cakes, however, may not be available for same day pickup due to ingredient availability.
In DC 202.588.7100 / 866.708.7100
In MD 301.565.2253
coming soon in VA
Do you have cakes-to-go available for walk-in customers?
Yes! We always have cakes-to-go available for walk-in customers.
I forgot to order the cake for my party and it's today! Can you help me out, CakeLove?
Sure can. Call us or walk-in during business hours. Rush order fees may apply.
Are there any items that require more than one days notice?
Yes, we need three days notice for 14” cakes, cheesecakes and our Sassy pound cakes.
Freshness and Product Info
Is my cake fresh?
Yes. CakeLove bakes fresh and from scratch everyday so that each customer has the freshest cake possible to guarantee satisfaction in every bite. Our mission is to make every calorie and dollar that you spend with us memorable 
and pleasurable - so we focus on keeping everything fresh and made from scratch.
When was my cake baked?
Cake, like wine, needs a little time before its prime. We give our cakes a day to rest in the fridge. Just like leftovers at Thanksgiving, cake also tastes better once the flavors in our premium ingredients have had a chance to marry overnight. There's a lot of action going on with our cakes!
Will my cake spoil?
Follow our handling instructions and your cake will not spoil. Cake should be served at room temperature - so store in the fridge but remove at least 60-90 minutes prior to serving. For maximum effect, you can remove the cake up to four hours before serving, but note that warm weather can make some of the cakes become too soft to serve.
Why do you refrigerate your cakes?
Because of the fresh ingredients, health-code regulations require that we refrigerate our cakes prior to selling them to you. We use perishable ingredients and safe handling practices require that, after we assemble your cake, we hold it in the refrigerator until pick-up or delivery. The same rules apply for cupcakes and pastries.
Do you use lard?
Absolutely not.
Do you use vegetable shortening or vegetable oil?
Absolutely not.
What types of buttercreams we have available?
We have a variety of flavored buttercreams including: Amaretto, chocolate, dark chocolate, key lime, lemon, orange, New German Chocolate, raspberry, strawberry, vanilla and now banana and peanut butter too.
Location info/Payment info
Where is CakeLove?
CakeLove bakeries are now located both in Downtown Silverspring and at our U Street location. Love Café is right across the street from the U Street bakery. Please see the directions page for more information.
What forms of payment do you accept?
Cash/Visa/Mastercard/American Express are accepted. No personal checks accepted, sorry.
Is Love Café affiliated with CakeLove?
Yes. Find our desserts and baked goods for sale and available by the slice at Love Café. Please remember - if you need a whole cake, come to CakeLove. Love Café sells slices of cake.
Delivery
Does CakeLove deliver?
Yes, one business day notice is required. We partner with Direct Delivery Systems to bring the celebration to your home or office Monday–Friday, 11am–3:30pm.
What are the delivery terms?
- Please order in advance. Same-day delivery service is NOT available.
- Order products from our menu for delivery.
- Payment is required at the time of ordering. Delivery drivers do not carry cash or accept payment.
- Point-of-contact (recipient) must know about the delivery and be present for the delivery.
- A 60-minute delivery window is required.
- Delivery is available Monday-Friday, 10am–4pm.
- Orders must be placed before 5pm the previous business day (Mon-Fri) for deliveries.
- Delivery fees range from $18-$45.
- For weekend delivery, please see the Wedding & Commitment Ceremony page.
- Additional charges may apply for multiple boxes, delivery returns, and re-delivery attempts.
Does CakeLove ship (mail) cakes out of state?
No. (We are looking for a space to coordinate this service. Please inquire again in the future.)
When does CakeLove deliver?
Monday-Friday, 10am-4pm. Orders must be placed before 5pm the previous business day (Mon-Fri) for deliveries.
Do you charge for delivery?
Yes. Delivery fees range from $18-$45. The fee depends on the distance traveled and quantity of boxes for each order. Please inquire for a delivery fee quote.
Where do you deliver?
CakeLove delivers to the local Washington, DC area only. Our delivery range is basically within the I-495 Capitol Beltway. There are some exceptions, so please inquire if you are interested in delivery.
Products
Does CakeLove make birthday cakes?
Yes. Our main product is cakes. Any of our cakes are perfect for birthday parties.
Will you decorate the cake?
We're big on flavor and minimalists on decoration. We like to let the featured item in the cake take center stage and include a short inscription.
Will you personalize the cake for me?
Absolutely. Please specify your desired inscription when you place your order. We write inscriptions such as “Happy Birthday (insert name here)” or “Congratulations” or something else to your liking (up to four words normally fit on cakes) at no additional charge.
Does CakeLove make wedding cakes?
Yes. Please see our section on Weddings & Commitment Ceremonies for more information.
Do you really bake from scratch?
Absolutely. Our ingredients include butter, sugar, eggs, flour, milk, cream, baking powder, salt, baking soda, chocolate, whole nuts, fresh fruits, etc. We bake in the old-school style, from scratch, everyday, with love.
What's up with the funky and weird names for CakeLove products?
Well, we like to have fun at work and this makes us happy.
What are Crunchy Feet®?
Crunchy Feet are mini pound cakes baked in brioche pans. They look like this. The fluted edges of brioche pans are known as toes. They are called Crunchy Feet because the toes get crunchy edges and, when you place one on a plate or table, it looks like the cake will scurry around. It's total CakeLove 101 to have a Crunchy Foot if you haven't already. They're fun and tasty!
What are Buzz Balls™?
Buzz Balls are creamy filled pastries - just like éclairs. An idea was hatched to make a coffee pastry cream and fill it in a smaller éclair. The first Buzz Ball was filled with coffee pastry cream, hence the buzz. The shape of the pastry dough prior to baking is round like a ball, hence the ball…Buzz Balls. Today we carry Buzz Balls with a variety of flavor pastry creams including chocolate, mango and lemon. Enjoy!
What are Bedrolls?
Bedrolls are awesome walnut cakes rolled up with cream-cheese icing and dusted with cinnamon. We created them to be a breakfast pastry and now carry them throughout the day.
What are Flatbeds?
Flatbeds are a flat stack of almonds delightfully combined in cake, amaretto buttercream, and toasted almonds drizzled with a touch of chocolate ganache. CakeLove has a weakness for almonds, so you may see them in lots of our products. The Flatbed is our tribute to one of our favorite ingredients!
Fun Facts
How many cakes do you make a day?
We sell between 20 and 40 cakes per day!
How much butter do you use?
In 2004 we used over 19,000 lbs of butter!
How much sugar?
We used over 29,000 lbs of sugar in 2004! We don't bake with artificial sweeteners.
How much chocolate?
About 6,000 lbs. last year. But I think that someone stashed some, melted it, and bathed in gluttony with it!
How many eggs?
Around 331,000. That's enough to make an omelette the size of the Nationals baseball diamond!
What time do you start baking?
Before the sun comes up. Bakers are early risers!
CakeLove Creative Credits
Who comes up with the recipes at CakeLove?
Warren Brown founded CakeLove and created many of the recipes while practicing law and moonlighting as a baker. Back then, there were more briefs and memos being written than recipes. After several years in operation, CakeLove bakers and staff contribute equally to developing recipes. We're always open to taking suggestions and ideas for developing recipes. In fact, helping people rediscover cakes and desserts from yester year is one of our favorite things to do. Send us a recipe if you want to!
Does Warren Brown do all of the baking?
No, he is helped by a fantastic staff! CakeLove founder Warren Brown jumps in to bake and assemble cakes as much as he can. A lot of his time is dedicated to developing fun and exciting new products for corporate clients or on his upcoming cookbook published by Wiley & Sons. Warren is also busier than ever begins filming and traveling for "Sugar Rush" a show on the Food Network that tours the country in search of elaborate and delicious desserts.
Who is the Cake Love staff?
CakeLove cakes are the product of a dedicated staff that works very hard to make every customer happily satisfied with a cake for each special celebration.
Who are the CakeLove taste testers?
We want to thank all of the taste testers who have helped us find our way to develop recipes and products that our customers love. New products are being developed all the time, and when we're getting creative, we ask people to sample and give us feedback right away. It's not very scientific, it's full of bias and it's never blind, but it works and it's fun. We hope that when you visit we're testing something else that is new!
CakeLove Suggests
What is the most popular cake?
It's a tie: Strawberries & Cream and My Downfall.
I am having a party. What should I get?
A cake is always a hit at a party. There is something about cutting into a cake and waiting for a short spin down memory lane with a good, fat slice of cake. Take them there with CakeLove.
What flavor should I get if I'm torn between two?
Provide your guests with two flavors if you can, because with cake, two is better than one! However, the majority of our customers are not die-hard chocolate fans, so if you only need one cake, we always suggest a non-chocolate product. If two is up your alley, then something chocolate and non-chocolate will please most of the dessert eaters in your crowd.
How do I serve CakeLove?
At room temperature. Please see our in-depth serving instructions guide.
Products and services CakeLove does not provide
Do you make CakeLove cakes that not featured on your current menu?
No, sorry. Some of our cakes have been discontinued or reserved for holidays and special occasions. We're glad you know about or love our old-time favorites - look for them, because they may reappear from time to time.
Do you make custom cakes?
No, sorry. Please see our menu of products for the selection of items we currently sell.
Does CakeLove make theme or specialty cakes?
The only cakes we make are shown on our products page. All of our cakes are round and layered. Inscriptions are available on most cakes at no additional cost.
CakeLove does not make theme cakes or put photograph images on cakes.
Do you decorate cakes with flowers?
No. We don't pipe on roses or borders because we find that our customers don't want the extra buttercream. Whether it's to keep down the calories or because they want to pretend for their guest that they made it, we're happy to keep our style simple - like it was freshly made in your kitchen, by hand, by real people.
Do you make sheet cakes?
We offer round, layered cakes only. Our products are a throwback to simpler times when cakes from scratch were a regular homemade item. That's the way cake should be made and we love to do it this way. Plus, there is a certain cake-to-frosting ratio that makes a cake taste great, and round layered cakes fit the bill just right.
Do you make adult-themed cakes?
No, sorry. That will come with a CakeLove spin-off in the future.
Do you make Red Velvet cake?
No, sorry. We are an all-natural bakery and the red dye in the red velvet cake is synthetic, so we do not use it.
Do you make sugar-free or low-carb cakes?
Nothing is Fat Free™ at CakeLove. Sugar-free and low-carb don't fit our model.
Handling Instructions
How shall I serve CakeLove products?
At Room Temperature. “CakeLove tastes 10,000 times better at room temperature,” so said one customer. Our products are butter based and hit their prime at room temperature. Remove from the fridge at least 60-90 minutes but no more than four hours prior to serving.
How shall I store CakeLove products?
Store perishable products in the fridge, covered with plastic wrap. Perishable items include cakes with buttercream, fruit, and custard-filled éclairs and Buzz Balls™.
Shelf-stable items like pound cakes, cookies, scones, and Crunchy Feet® from CakeLove should be wrapped in plastic and stored at room temperature. Warning - pound cake stored at room temperature is totally addictive.