What does 'vegan' mean?
Vegan means plant-based. Vegan foods are free of any animal products. That means vegan food contains no meat, fish, shellfish, gelatin, honey, shellac, milk, butter, dairy, eggs, or anything else made from a sentient animal or insect. We even insure that the sugar we use is not processed with bone-char.
Are vegan foods Gluten-free?
Not usually. Veganism has nothing to do with gluten. Most vegans will happily eat gluten as it is plant-based. However, there are many individuals who follow a gluten-free diet in addition to their vegan diet. Since both diets have grown significantly in popularity in recent years they often get confused for one another, or lumped together. Almost all of our vegan baked goods do contain gluten.
Do you make anything that is gluten-free?
Sort-of. We do not have a dedicated gluten-free area or dedicated gluten-free equipment. This means we cannot guarantee there won't be any cross contamination in our products whose ingredients are free from gluten. It is therefore up to the individual and how sensitive they are to gluten to decide if they can safely eat these products.
We do have some products that are made without gluten, and are often willing to make our other products with gluten-free ingredients for a small fee. The reason we have to charge more to make our product gluten free is the steep price difference between traditional and gluten-free flours.
We do have some products that are made without gluten, and are often willing to make our other products with gluten-free ingredients for a small fee. The reason we have to charge more to make our product gluten free is the steep price difference between traditional and gluten-free flours.
Do you make non-vegan things?
No. Everything we make is vegan and will always be vegan. We pride ourselves in offering products that taste as good as their non-vegan counterparts, and believe in a vegan future. We promise you will not be disappointing by our vegan offerings; products that you can enjoy without guilt knowing you are consuming local, animal products free, cholesterol free treats.
How do you make a cake with no milk or eggs?
Its easier than you light think. There are plenty of vegan alternatives to use in baking readily available today. Soy, nut, oat, pea, hemp and other varieties of non-dairy plant milk can be used in place of cows milk. Oil based margarines, shortenings and spreads can be used in place of butter. Chia, flax, egg-replacer, starches and the chemical reaction between baking soda and vinegar or lemon can be used in place of eggs.
are your products safe for those with dairy/egg allergies or the lactose intolerant?
Yes! By nature vegan products are dairy and egg free, making them a great allergy-safe food for those with sensitivities to dairy or eggs. A large portion of our customers come to us because a family member is either lactose intolerant or has an allergy to dairy.
will it really just taste like a 'normal' cake?
Yes. The bulk of the flavour in traditional baked goods comes from the sugar, flavouring and fat used, something you aren't loosing in our cakes.
We once had a vegan customer come to order a cake from us who saw a cake in our example book that they recognized as the cake from their cousins birthday. Their cousin was not vegan, and didn't know that her cake had been vegan, and all of the non-vegan guests enjoyed her cake without complaint. Meanwhile the one vegan at the party didn't have a piece, because no one knew it was vegan! Luckily she ordered her cake from us for her birthday and was ecstatic when she finally got to enjoy a piece of our vegan cake with her non-vegan family, who already loved our product.
We once had a vegan customer come to order a cake from us who saw a cake in our example book that they recognized as the cake from their cousins birthday. Their cousin was not vegan, and didn't know that her cake had been vegan, and all of the non-vegan guests enjoyed her cake without complaint. Meanwhile the one vegan at the party didn't have a piece, because no one knew it was vegan! Luckily she ordered her cake from us for her birthday and was ecstatic when she finally got to enjoy a piece of our vegan cake with her non-vegan family, who already loved our product.
are your products nut-free?
No. Similar to gluten, we use a variety of nuts, including peanuts in some of our products and so our products that do not contain nuts are not safe from cross contamination. We can make most of our products without the use of nuts on request, but cannot guarantee trace amounts from our kitchen and equipment.
Are your products soy-free?
No. Again, soy is present in our kitchen, and so cross contamination is possible. We can however make some our products without the use of soy ingredients for a small fee.
What kind of payments do you accept & When do i pay for my order?
For orders totaling under $50.00 we do not require payment until delivery. When we deliver you can either pay in cash or we now accept credit using a Square Reader. You can also pay us via E-transfer before delivery if that's more convenient for you.
For orders totaling over $50.00 we require a minimum of 50% payment at the time your order is placed. This can be payed either through e-transfer or we can take credit through our Square Reader over the phone.
For orders totaling over $50.00 we require a minimum of 50% payment at the time your order is placed. This can be payed either through e-transfer or we can take credit through our Square Reader over the phone.
How does delivery work?
Once we discuss and agree on what you are ordering we will determine an hour window that is convenient for us to deliver to you. You provide us with the address you would like delivery to, an any special instructions, and we bring your finished creation to you during your time slot.
In cases where we are transporting multi-tiered cakes, depending on the cake and the distance from us to your destination we might need to transport the cake in pieces and assemble at your location. This is usually only the case for large 3+ tier event cakes, and we do charge a $30.00 fee for on-site assembly.
If you need your order at a specific time it is recommended that you place your order with at least a 2 weeks notice, as our delivery slots fill up quickly during busy seasons.
In cases where we are transporting multi-tiered cakes, depending on the cake and the distance from us to your destination we might need to transport the cake in pieces and assemble at your location. This is usually only the case for large 3+ tier event cakes, and we do charge a $30.00 fee for on-site assembly.
If you need your order at a specific time it is recommended that you place your order with at least a 2 weeks notice, as our delivery slots fill up quickly during busy seasons.
How much does delivery cost?
Summerside delivery is $5.00.
Charlottetown delivery is $20.00.
Delivery charges anywhere else on island can be calculates as $5.00 + $0.30/minute (one way) from Summerside to your address. We measure the time by typing the directions from Summerside to your given address into google maps and using their estimated time. For example Charlottetown is 50 minutes from Summerside, so 50 x $0.30 = $15.00, plus the $5.00 base rate = $20.00.
We will not deliver an order under $50.00 more than an hour away from Summerside.
Charlottetown delivery is $20.00.
Delivery charges anywhere else on island can be calculates as $5.00 + $0.30/minute (one way) from Summerside to your address. We measure the time by typing the directions from Summerside to your given address into google maps and using their estimated time. For example Charlottetown is 50 minutes from Summerside, so 50 x $0.30 = $15.00, plus the $5.00 base rate = $20.00.
We will not deliver an order under $50.00 more than an hour away from Summerside.
Do you offer taste testing for wedding cakes?
We do not offer a formal sit down taste testing. We sell a taste testing cupcake box which will contain 6 flavour combinations of your choice. Our cakes and cupcakes use the same recipes, icings and fillings so they are an accurate representation of how your final cake will taste. The cost of the cupcake taste testing box is $20.00, however if you choose to have your wedding or event cake made with us and it totals over $200.00, we will give you a $20.00 discount on your cake.
Are wedding cakes more expensive than other cakes?
No. We price our cakes based on our cost of ingredients and the amount of work that goes into making them. Many people have heard horror stories about people who mention the word 'wedding' at a bakery and all of a sudden the bill for the cake triples. At The Vegan Cauldron every cake is priced with the same system regardless of the occasion it is for. Wedding cakes often will be expensive, but that is because people tend to want fondant covered cakes, detailed sugar work, multiple tiers. In particular hand made sugar flowers and decorations will significantly raise the price of your cake because of the amount of time it takes our decorator to make them. Rest assured that if you ordered two identical cakes, one for a birthday party and one for a wedding, they would be the same price. The other thing to consider that will increase the price of large intricate cakes for weddings or special events is the cost of a cupcake tasting box ($20.00), and the cost of on-site assembly ($30.00). You do not need to order our tasting box for your wedding if you are happy to choose your flavours without it, and on site assembly is often not needed as most cakes we can transport assembled.