Frequently Asked Questions

How is my cake shipped?

We ship our cakes via UPS for 2 day or 1 day delivery. Please call us at 888-801-CAKE (2253) with any special requests for shipping providers or for hand delivery within the Spartanburg, SC area.

Is my shipment guaranteed to arrive on time?

If you place your order on our website or by phone before 3:00pm EST, we can guarantee to have your package shipped out that same day (with the exception of major holidays).

Although shipping errors are rare, UPS may delay shipment due to inclement weather or other unforeseen circumstances. We do our best to alert our customers affected with by any UPS delays or shipment errors. Please review UPS' shipping policy as well as our shipping policy. We recommend allowing a "grace day" and scheduling your shipment to be received at least 1 day before your big event, birthday, special occasion or holiday just in case there are any unforeseen errors or delays.

What time will my cake be delivered?

This depends on your local UPS delivery route and schedule. UPS guarantees delivery time for ground packages and 2 Day Air packages before end of day, up to 7:30pm, local time. Business addresses will normally receive packages before 5:00pm, local time

When shipping Next Day Air, UPS guarantees delivery time by end of day, up to 7:30pm, local time. We do offer the option, upon request, to ship your package Early AM and Next Day Early AM, which UPS will guarantee delivery before 10:30am, local time. For Early AM delivery please call us at 888-801-CAKE (2253).

We recommend scheduling your shipment to be received at least the day before your event, birthday, special occasion or Holiday. This allows a "grace day" just in case there are any unforeseen errors or delays.

What if no one is home to receive the cake?

There is no signature required for delivery of our cakes and packages. Please be aware that it is solely at the UPS driver's discretion on whether or not a package can be safely left outside the recipient's address. Locations where the package would be left in which public display and accessibility to the package is apparent are not deemed "safe to leave" by UPS standards. This mainly includes certain offices and apartments in larger cities. For these locations the UPS driver will leave a door notice to communicate a delivery attempt and a second attempt will be made the following business day. The recipient may also schedule a pick-up at their local UPS facility.

What do I do if I need to change the shipping address after ordering?

If you have entered incorrect shipping information or realize the recipient will not be available to receive the cake, you may call us at 888-801-CAKE (2253) or e-mail us at caroline@carolinescakes.com to change the address.

We try to provide the best customer service when reviewing your online order, if there are any evident errors or discrepancies we will contact you before your cake ships out. If we do not receive a response or cannot determine the correct address we may hold shipment on your package or your package may be delayed by UPS due to incorrect address. It is very important to provide proper physical UPS shipping addresses (no P.O. Boxes or APO addresses) along with your best contact information.

If you need to change the address of a package that has already been shipped out, you may call us to either reship your package or reroute your package. Rerouting may delay the initial delivery date.

May I send a cake to a school, business, hotel or a non-residential area?

We can certainly ship our cakes and other items to schools, businesses and hotels! Businesses, hotels and most schools do not allow access for UPS to deliver to specific rooms or suites and normally have a central location for UPS and drop offs. Once received by this central mail location, it is up to the center to either contact or deliver to the intended recipient. Remember that most business and school mailrooms are closed on the weekends and holidays. Due to the perishable nature of our products it is important to determine the best delivery date.

For schools, we recommend checking their website or contacting their mailroom to determine the proper UPS shipping address. Each school is a little bit different and may require specific information such as the student's dorm, hall or mailbox number on the UPS label. Feel free to call us at 888-801-CAKE (2253) or e-mail us at caroline@carolinescakes.com with any questions, or if you would like us to determine the best way to ship to a specific school. Some school mailrooms may also have limited hours during the week and we recommend either shipping to arrive before Friday or to let the student know that they have a surprise coming and to head to the mail room as soon as possible!

For other non-residential addresses such as businesses or hotels please provide the company name, suite number or room number. Also, please include the recipient's name or who the package should go to, along with any other required information such as a department name and telephone number.

Will my cake stay fresh during shipping?

We ship all of our cakes frozen and packed with dry ice in our customized cooler to guarantee freshness. If the recipient is not home at the time of delivery, the package may sit for up to 12 hours before proper storage is required.

What do I do if the cake that I ordered arrives late or damaged?

Customer service is of the utmost importance to Caroline's Cakes and our delivery service, UPS. Please call our bakery at 888-801-CAKE (2253) or e-mail us at caroline@carolinescakes.com to report any damages or issues. Please feel free to share any pictures of your damaged item or share your experience with us. We strive to provide the best customer service and we appreciate your input.

If you experience complications please call our Bakery at 888-801-CAKE (2253) as soon as possible.

After opening the box, I didn't notice any dry ice. Where did it go?

Dry ice is actually a gas (CO2) and dissipates to stay cold over time. We include approximately 5 pounds of dry ice with each of our cakes and other perishable items. It is perfectly normal to have very little to no traces of dry ice, especially shipping to warmer climate regions. If you cannot find the bag that contained the dry ice or if the tin feels warm to touch after opening your package, please call us at 888-801-CAKE (2253) or e-mail us at caroline@carolinescakes.com to determine a proper solution.

How should I store my cake?

We recommend storing our cakes in the freezer immediately after the cake is received. All of our packaging is clearly labeled "It's a Cake Y'all! Freeze upon arrival". You may freeze and re-freeze all of our cakes for up to six months!

Each cake contains a serving and storing instruction card inside the tin.

When should I take my cake out to thaw?

All of our signature cakes take about 3 to 4 hours out of the freezer to thaw at room temperature. You may also put your cake in the refrigerator the night before and take it out the day of serving.

Each cake contains a serving and storing instruction card inside the tin!

How long will my cake last in the refrigerator?

We recommend storing your cake or any leftovers in the freezer, well wrapped in Saran. This will prevent the cake from drying out or from absorbing any odors from other foods. For our coconut cake varieties, we only recommend storing in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. This is due to the perishability of the fresh coconut that we use in our delicate icing.

May I re-freeze the cake that's leftover?

You may freeze and refreeze all of our signature cakes for up to six months! We recommend wrapping your cake in Saran and storing it in a freezer safe Ziploc bag. We have heard from many of our customers that their favorite midnight snack is a tiny sliver of Caramel Cake from the freezer. The trick is to use a hot knife and to be very quiet!

May I custom order a cake flavor or order a seasonal cake off season?

You may certainly call us at 888-801-CAKE (2253) or e-mail us at caroline@carolinescakes.com with any special requests! We love hearing all your suggestions and try our best to provide any special orders. You might just see your suggestion on our menu soon!

If you miss the time period to order your favorite seasonal cake and do not have an extra stored in the freezer (remember all our cakes can be stored in the freezer for up to six months) you can special order our off season cake selections! Please allow 3 business days for baking and shipping on any special or custom orders.

Can you write on my cake?

Due to the delicacy of our icing and our packaging methods we are unable to write on your cake. You are able to include a personalized gift message that is included with the package. Feel free to mail, e-mail at caroline@carolinescakes.com or drop off a custom note, card or picture that you would like us to include along with your shipment!

Remember that this message is the only way that your recipient can determine who sent their delicious surprise! We recommend that you always include your name along with your gift order.

How can I determine the sender of my mail order cake?

Each gift message is enclosed in a plastic sleeve right on top of your cake! If your sender chose not to include a gift message or provide a name on the note, you may certainly call us at 888-801-CAKE (2253) or e-mail us at caroline@carolinescakes.com to determine who sent you your sweet treat!

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