FAQs & Important Information
Cupcakes ORDERING
Do I need to order my cupcakes in advance?
Not at all! We are happy to serve walk-in customers. Only Special Order Cupcakes need to be placed in advance. If you will be needing more than 2 dozen assorted, or if you want 6 - 12+ cupcakes in only one or two particular flavors, it is recommended that you place your order in advance so that we can be sure we have enough product to accommodate you. We bake from scratch every morning - we don't freeze our cupcakes (with the exception of gluten free), so we generally bake enough to fill the orders and to accommodate walk-in customers. For our store location and hours, please click here.
Can I phone in an order for pick-up?
Of course! The best way to contact us is by phone, although 24 hours’ notice is required. We are not currently accepting email orders just yet. Flavors are subject to the flavors offered on the date you are picking up.
What items are available by Special Order only, and what is meant by “Special Order”?
A Special Order is considered to be anything other than our daily menu of flavors. If you need cupcakes in a particular color(s), you can place your order by 3:00 p.m. the day prior to your pickup date - flavors are subject to the menu on the date of your pickup. However, if you require Specialty Cupcakes in a particular theme/flavor/design, please place your order at least one to two weeks in advance so that we can better accommodate you. Likewise, if you want an off-menu flavor, advanced notice of at least 24 hours is required, and a minimum order of one dozen per flavor would apply.
Gluten Free cupcakes are also available by Special Order, except on Saturdays when we offer a large variety for those wanting individual GF cupcakes.
Do you accept call-ahead orders for same day pick-up?
Because we receive a large volume of order requests and bake from scratch (we never freeze our cupcakes), we request that all call-ahead orders be placed at least 24 hours in advance. However, please know you may always come into the shop during our regular business hours and purchase cupcakes as a walk-in customer. If you will be needing more than 2 dozen assorted or if you are wanting 6 - 12+ cupcakes in only one or two particular flavors, it is recommended that you place your order in advance so that we can be sure we have enough product to accommodate you, as well as our other customers.
Will I need to wait in line if I have pre-ordered?
Not at all! If you placed a pre-order, you can walk into the store and any of our employees will be happy to assist you!
Can I order a flavor that is not available on the day of the week I will be picking up my cupcakes?
Unfortunately, we are only able to offer the selection of flavors available on the day of your order. We can accommodate off-menu flavors, though a minimum order of one dozen per flavor applies, and we do make exceptions for large catering orders. Please contact us for more information.
How much lead time is required to place an order for a Specialty Cake or Wedding Cake?
It is recommended that you provide at least two weeks' notice for a specialty cake. For extreme cakes (i.e. wedding cakes, 3-D cakes, sculpted cakes), we urge you to give us as much advance notice as possible, so that we can order any necessary materials for your design and plan accordingly. The months of April - May are particularly busy due to graduations, birthdays, and holy communions, so it is recommended you place your order a minimum of 3 weeks to one month in advance during these months.
PRODUCTS
Does BitterSweets only serve cupcakes?
Not at all! Although our menu includes over 60 flavors of cupcakes, we regularly add exciting new flavors. We also create stunning Wedding Cakes, amazing Specialty Cakes for all occasions, in addition to serving cookies, lemon bars, fresh fruit tarts and other desserts. We will make and bake anything you desire from scratch with enough advanced notice.
DELIVERY, PACKAGING, & SHIPPING
Does BitterSweets deliver?
Yes! We deliver cakes and cupcakes to Albuquerque's west side, the Albuquerque metro, & Rio Rancho! A minimum order of 2 dozen cupcakes applies. A delivery charge of $25.00 applies for regular deliveries; the delivery charge for wedding cakes will be quoted on an individual basis. Deliveries must be pre-arranged at least one day prior to your scheduled delivery date. *Please note that deliveries are currently not available Sat thru Monday, though some exceptions apply for large and/or corporate orders. Delivery is otherwise available on Tues - Friday from 10:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. Please understand that our ability to deliver depends on our delivery schedule for the date of your order and may not always be possible.
Does BitterSweets offer special packaging or do anything special for birthdays?
We absolutely do! We believe that a box of cupcakes – or even a single boxed cupcake – makes the perfect gift for any occasion.
Does BitterSweets offer shipping?
We are currently looking into this and hope to offer shipping very soon.
CATERING
Does BitterSweets cater for weddings, baby showers, and other events?
Yes! We offer personal consultations for weddings, anniversaries, baby showers, and other special events. For information, please contact us by email or by phone to arrange for a consultation.
Can you put my company logo on a cupcake?
Yes! With two weeks’ notice and an additional cost per dozen for the logo, we can have a custom stamp made to decorate cupcakes for your company event.
Color Matching and Variables:
Color matching and variables: BitterSweets always does their very best to match custom color swatches provided by our customers. However, as with many artisan efforts, matching colors presents many variables as the color ingredients cool, harden, and set for periods of time in various environments. While our success rate is very high, guarantees of consistent color matching 100% of the time are unrealistic. For this reason, there is no way to guarantee exact custom color matching. To improve the probability of matching specific colors desired, we have developed the following Do's and Don'ts list:
1. Live swatches only– no emailed, verbally communicated or internet sample colors – we suggest we develop agreements in person to help assure we “see” the actual colors together;
2. Purple, Navy Blues and other similar colors can change ‘shades’ when exposed to differing weather, sunlight, heat, humidity, moisture, etc.; but we will give these colors our best efforts. Purple has extreme difficulty in UV light and will fade when exposed to direct sunlight due to the nature of the red food coloring.
3. We recommend that colors always be kept in as stable an environment as possible from the time of production to delivery, presentation and consumption.
TERMS & CONDITIONS
Changes and Cancellation Policy (Specialty Cakes and Cupcakes):
Any guest request changes to confirmed Specialty Cake and Cupcake orders require 7 business days. Any cancellations to Cupcake retail order are accepted until 72 hours prior to scheduled pick up time. No refunds will be provided for orders that are cancelled with less than 72 hours notice. Cake orders cancellations will be accepted a week prior to the scheduled pick up date and time. No Refunds will be provided for Cake orders that are cancelled with less than a weeks notice. All cupcake cancellation refunds prior to the 72 hours are subject to a 10% fee: Bittersweets Bakery will retain 10% of the price of the cake to cover costs incurred to initiate your order if fondant work has been started even if it is a week prior notice .
Bittersweets Bakery is not responsible for any damage done to the product after it has been delivered and set-up or picked up by the customer. The client assumes full responsibility arranging for the caterer/servers to cut, serve and remove all existing supports inside of the cake. All cake supports used are made of non-toxic products. Bittersweets Bakery is not responsible for any injuries that may occur due to failure to remove the necessary supports. Bittersweets Bakery is not responsible for any damage the product may suffer due to the environmental conditions in which the cake is stored or displayed (location, temperature, weather, etc). An extended period without refrigeration will deteriorate the cake as well as the decoration.
Bittersweets Bakery reserves the right to use pictures of any cake created by Pastries by Design in any way it deems fit, including, but not limited to, postings on social media and advertisement.
Gluten-Free and Food Allergies:
We are not a "Gluten-Free environment. All of our cupcakes, cakes, and pastries including fillings and frostings, may contain, or come into contact with, soy, wheat, dairy or nuts.
Only those items designated as "Gluten-Free" are wheat-free products; but still will come into contact with wheat products produced in our bakery.
Please Note: Any concerned customer is welcome to view our gluten-free flour nutritional content upon request. At this time, it is posted at our retail counter.
By purchasing products from BitterSweets Bakery, the customer assumes responsibility for informing their guests of this allergy information.
Customer Satisfaction:
At BitterSweets Bakery, we strive to provide high-quality gourmet products and personal service to our customers. If a customer is unhappy with one of our products for any reason, he or she should contact us within one day (or two if over the weekend) by calling (505) 899-3018 to make arrangements to return the uneaten portion the product. We will make every effort to resolve the issue to the customer's satisfaction.
Edible Images:
It is the customer's responsibility to obtain the desired picture to reproduce for printing images.
Photographs:
BitterSweets Bakery reserves the rights to all published photographs of our products. The use of photographs of any of our products in any publication without prior written permission from BitterSweets Bakery is prohibited.
Acceptance of Terms & Conditions:
Confirmation of an order is considered the customer's acceptance of these Terms and Conditions.
For more information, call (505) 899-3018
Tuesday through Friday, 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.
Saturday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Closed Sunday & Monday