CLEAN MADE BAKES FAQ
When's your next Clean Made event?
We're no longer doing lifestyle events but you can find our past event content including our 2018 speaker talks and interviews here on our website.
What is Clean Made Bakes (CMB)?
I’m a Los Angeles based hospitality industry vet, gluten free recipe developer, content creator and sometimes bespoke cake shop that was born during the pandemic out of my inability to find a beautiful and delicious, gluten free, dairy free and refined sugar free cake that also used organic produce and wasn’t full of preservatives, stabilizers and other junk that I could trust was free from cross contamination – unlike cakes made in kitchens that also handle gluten. Cake is a treat, but it shouldn’t make you sick! Read more about my journey here. I create my own recipes regularly and share them here and in my newsletters and I love to adapt recipes to make them gluten and dairy free too.
Do you take cake orders?
We periodically open up the bake shop for charity bakes and custom cake orders, time allowing and will take cake orders until we are fully booked. We’re currently booking weeks to 1-2 months in advance. All of our bespoke cakes are designed and handmade to order and require at least a few days notice. For more info, check out this page here.
Where is Clean Made Bakes (CMB) located?
We do not currently have a brick and mortar location open to the public. Our kitchen is based in Pasadena and Clean Made Bakes special order cakes are available for pickup in the Pasadena area.
Do you deliver?
Cakes can be delivered in the LA metro area. Delivery fees start at $30 depending on location and distance from our kitchen in the Pasadena area.
Do you ship cakes?
We do not currently ship our bespoke cakes.
What flour do you use in your cakes?
Our gluten free cake flour blend is imported from Europe and contains rice, potato, tapioca, maize and buckwheat, plus raising agents (baking powder and baking soda) and xanthan gum (a naturally occurring binder for gluten free baked goods). Some of our cakes include oat, millet and nut flours.
What other ingredients go into your cakes?
Other ingredients I regularly work with include organic pastured eggs, organic cane sugar or monk fruit, organic grass fed butter or palm, soy and hydrogenated oil free vegan butter, avocado oil, olive oil, coconut oil, Valrhona chocolate, Callebaut chocolate, dried organic fruits, raw nuts, and seasonal organic produce. I also incorporate specialty artisan items like local small production jams and preserves, hyper local honey, aged vinegars, truffles and macarons. I avoid industrial seed oils, hydrogenated oils, and palm oil and keep things as clean and nutritious as we can, however we can. I use plant based colorants for our buttercream (matcha, spirulina, raspberry, blueberry, ebony carrot, beet, butterfly pea flower, black cocoa, charcoal, etc). For clients who’d like a more vibrant range we also use some Colour Mill products from Australia by request.
What medium do you work in?
We work primarily in buttercream. We use marshmallow fondant on our Traditional Christmas Cakes.
What is your aesthetic?
Our cakes have been described as bohemian with a very West Coast vibe.
What is the Cake of the Week?
When the Bake Shop is open, the “Cake of the Week” is what I happen to be baking any given week based on seasonality, market availability, custom orders and whatever else caught my fancy that I wanted to try. Custom order cakes outside of the Cake of the Week can be made in any flavor or format with a $100 minimum order ($150 minimum on holidays). Check our social media, subscribe to our newsletter, or drop us a note to find out what I’m currently working on.
What I want isn’t currently on your menu. Do you take special requests?
If there’s a flavor combo you love that’s in season or a recipe you’d love to see adapted and I can make it happen, I’m happy to.
Can you make me a character cake or recreate a cake from an image?
We love to take your theme or inspiration and turn it into one of our bespoke boho cakes, but we don’t work with fondant or moulding chocolate to create character cakes or recreate cake images.
Are your cakes safe for Celiacs?
Yes. All of our cakes are baked in a dedicated gluten free kitchen on dedicated gluten free equipment by a celiac baker. All of my recipes are developed with food allergies and sensitivities in mind.
Are all of your cakes Dairy Free?
All of our cakes can be made dairy free with vegan butter. For those who can tolerate dairy, I use a combo of vegan butter and grass fed butter in our recipes.
Are your cakes Nut Free?
Some, but not all of our cakes are nut free or can be made nut free. Cakes containing nuts are noted in our current cake menu.
Are your cakes Paleo or Keto?
While all of our cakes are gluten free made with organic cane sugar and can be made dairy free, they are not all paleo. We do have some paleo cake specialities including our paleo chocolate cupcakes and paleo carrot cake. Some of our cakes can be made with monk fruit and nut based flours for those who need a lower carb keto alternative.
Are your cakes Sugar Free?
We use unrefined and organic cane sugar in our cakes. Some of our cakes can be made with monk fruit for those avoiding sugar entirely.
Are your cakes Vegan?
We are not an exclusively vegan bakery but many of our recipes can be easily be made vegan. Send a request to hi@cleanmade.com and we're happy to make you what you’d like if we can.
Are the cake decorations edible? Are they also gluten free?
We only use sprinkles and metallic dragées that are gluten free and celiac safe. Ditto the macarons found on some of our cakes. Gold (14k) and silver (mother of pearl) accents are real and edible – provided you are not allergic to gold or mother of pearl! Smaller flowers (the type that are hard to pick out of icing!) will always be edible and organic. Some decorations, like wafer paper butterflies, could be eaten but we don’t suggest it. Things like large fresh flowers, dried flowers and botanicals, palm leaves, fans and other decorative cake toppers obviously are not for eating so please don’t try!
How should I store and serve my CMB cake?
We recommend storing your cakes in the refrigerator in the box they came in until about an hour prior to when you’re ready to serve. They’re most delicious at room temp, but are best stored cold. Once your cake is chilled you can cover it tightly in cling film and store it in the refrigerator. A properly stored cake is best enjoyed in the first 48 hours. Leftover slices can be wrapped and frozen to be enjoyed later.
What’s the best way to cut a tall cake?
Great question! There are a few ways to go about it but this is one of our favorite video explainers. Note, if you’ve ordered a tiered cake there will be dowels in the center of the base cake to support the upper layers. The dowels are food safe so just remove them from your cake when you come across them and enjoy!
Do you have a minimum order?
When the Bake Shop is open, there’s no minimum order for the “Cake of the Week.” We have a $100 minimum order for custom orders ($150 minimum for holidays) outside of the Cake of the Week.
Do you have a payment policy or other terms?
Yes. All cakes are handmade to order so we ask that all cake orders be paid for in advance at the time of ordering. A non-refundable 50% deposit will be accepted for larger cakes including tiered cakes at the time of ordering. We do not offer refunds and we cannot replace cakes damaged in transit or by the recipient after they’ve left us.
Do you do brand partnerships, collaborations or accept site contributors?
Yes! Contact us through the Contact Form here on our website or email us at hi@cleanmade.com
I have a media request. Who should I contact?
Press and PR requests can be directed to saucy@saucela.com
Is Clean Made Bakes a licensed and permitted business?
Yes. Clean Made Bakes is a Class A cottage food operation which requires us to hold a current Food Handler’s certificate. We also carry liability insurance. CFO Permit Issued in LA County · Registration #LA19C22035