School Fundraiser Questions

Decorating By T-CreativeCakes Updated 23 Sep 2013 , 12:15pm by MustangMollie

T-CreativeCakes Cake Central Cake Decorator Profile
T-CreativeCakes Posted 22 Sep 2013 , 8:44pm
post #1 of 18

I've been asked to donate baked good for my boys schools Fall Festive as a fundraiser.  I of course think of small cakes or cupcakes.

My questions are :

1. Would you attach a business card in the hopes of getting my name out there?

2. Just donate as a parent of boys who attend the school?

3. Either way, I use almond in my buttercream, so what type of "warning" would you put on the cupcakes to let people with allergies know, and how would you attach it?

Thanks

17 replies
dessertnetcafe Cake Central Cake Decorator Profile
dessertnetcafe Posted 22 Sep 2013 , 8:57pm
post #2 of 18

Hi Tiffany,

Always remember you are a Mom, with boys who attend the school, that has a business. Therefore, you should always market your business whenever possible.  In delicate situations you may want to be "slight" in your advertising so you may want to add a ribbon to each cupcake, box, etc. that has your business name on it.

 

Visitors may not notice your until they have their item hand, eating it, or have taken it home.

 

Nothing wrong with that.

 

Good Luck!

T-CreativeCakes Cake Central Cake Decorator Profile
T-CreativeCakes Posted 22 Sep 2013 , 10:30pm
post #3 of 18

Thanks for the response.

 

How do you all let people know about the almond in the buttercream?  Or do we assume people with allergies don't buy things from school bake sale fundraisers?  I hate to assume anything :)

But not sure if I should put a little sticker with "I contain nut byproducts" on the bag/box of each cupcake.

still_learning Cake Central Cake Decorator Profile
still_learning Posted 22 Sep 2013 , 10:37pm
post #4 of 18

ADo you use almond extract? I read on here that many times they are not actually made from almonds and are actually nut-free. You should check the label/manufacturer.

sixinarow Cake Central Cake Decorator Profile
sixinarow Posted 22 Sep 2013 , 10:38pm
post #5 of 18
Quote:
Originally Posted by T-CreativeCakes 
 

Thanks for the response.

 

How do you all let people know about the almond in the buttercream?  Or do we assume people with allergies don't buy things from school bake sale fundraisers?  I hate to assume anything :)

But not sure if I should put a little sticker with "I contain nut byproducts" on the bag/box of each cupcake.

 

Did they give you any guidelines? Some schools that are "nut-free zones" don't allow any products containing any nuts (even if you use imitation flavoring) to be sold at their bake sales and fundraisers. You may want to talk to the person in charge of organizing the fundraiser to find out what you should do. HTH

sixinarow Cake Central Cake Decorator Profile
sixinarow Posted 22 Sep 2013 , 10:41pm
post #6 of 18

Quote:

Originally Posted by still_learning 

Do you use almond extract? I read on here that many times they are not actually made from almonds and are actually nut-free. You should check the label/manufacturer.

 

Most imitation almond extract is made from peach or apricot pits, but the compounds released from them are almost identical to those in almonds. So if someone had a tree nut allergy, it could be possible for them to still have an allergic reaction. I'm not an allergist.. here's an article on the subject. :)

 
 

http://foodallergies.about.com/od/nutallergies/f/almondextract.htm

T-CreativeCakes Cake Central Cake Decorator Profile
T-CreativeCakes Posted 22 Sep 2013 , 10:48pm
post #7 of 18

I use Almond Emulsion from my local cake supply store.  It's packaged in their bottle with their label...not a lot of info on the bottle and no full list of ingredients to double check.

T-CreativeCakes Cake Central Cake Decorator Profile
T-CreativeCakes Posted 22 Sep 2013 , 10:50pm
post #8 of 18

Quote:

Originally Posted by sixinarow 
 

 

Most imitation almond extract is made from peach or apricot pits, but the compounds released from them are almost identical to those in almonds. So if someone had a tree nut allergy, it could be possible for them to still have an allergic reaction. I'm not an allergist.. here's an article on the subject. :)

 
 

http://foodallergies.about.com/od/nutallergies/f/almondextract.htm

 

Thanks for the article, I'll go read it now.

sixinarow Cake Central Cake Decorator Profile
sixinarow Posted 22 Sep 2013 , 10:57pm
post #9 of 18
Quote:
Originally Posted by T-CreativeCakes 
 

 

Thanks for the article, I'll go read it now.

 

Sure! I didn't know until I had a question from a client this summer. I googled it and came up with a bunch of articles. I ended up just leaving the extract out for that order, better safe than sorry!

T-CreativeCakes Cake Central Cake Decorator Profile
T-CreativeCakes Posted 22 Sep 2013 , 11:48pm
post #10 of 18

Quote:

Originally Posted by sixinarow 
 

 

Sure! I didn't know until I had a question from a client this summer. I googled it and came up with a bunch of articles. I ended up just leaving the extract out for that order, better safe than sorry!

 

That's probably what I will end up doing as well.

 

Thanks again to everyone for all the suggestions and help. I'm new to this website and it's been a big help in the last few weeks.

kikiandkyle Cake Central Cake Decorator Profile
kikiandkyle Posted 23 Sep 2013 , 12:56am
post #11 of 18

AWhenever I make items for a school bake sale I provide an ingredients list with the delivery, in case anyone asks the person selling them. I've never donated anything with nuts in though, just because it's such a big deal for those who are allergic.

I have seen items donated from businesses, they put a label on with the name of the product and their logo on it, I would say put something on the bottom rather than slap bang up front.

jason_kraft Cake Central Cake Decorator Profile
jason_kraft Posted 23 Sep 2013 , 1:17am
post #12 of 18

AEven if the products do not contain nuts, you should include on the label that they are made in the same facility or processed using the same equipment as nuts (if applicable).

jason_kraft Cake Central Cake Decorator Profile
jason_kraft Posted 23 Sep 2013 , 1:22am
post #13 of 18

A

Original message sent by sixinarow

Most imitation almond extract is made from peach or apricot pits, but the compounds released from them are almost identical to those in almonds. So if someone had a tree nut allergy, it could be possible for them to still have an allergic reaction. I'm not an allergist.. here's an article on the subject. :)

To clarify, most real almond extract is made from peach or apricot pits. Imitation almond extract contains water, alcohol, and benzaldehyde, a synthetic ingredient that smells like almonds but is not related to almonds in any way.

So real almond extract may or may not cause an allergic reaction in someone with an almond allergy, but imitation almond extract is safe.

RubinaD Cake Central Cake Decorator Profile
RubinaD Posted 23 Sep 2013 , 2:31am
post #14 of 18

I donated cupcakes and small cakes for my son's school as well. I attached a small note on the box, with my name and my son's division number on it. I described what the cupcakes and cakes were made from and wrote "this item does not contain nuts" Maybe make some with the almond extract and some without, and just attach a sticker or label with it, that explains that.

jason_kraft Cake Central Cake Decorator Profile
jason_kraft Posted 23 Sep 2013 , 2:37am
post #15 of 18

A

Original message sent by RubinaD

I donated cupcakes and small cakes for my son's school as well. I attached a small note on the box, with my name and my son's division number on it. I described what the cupcakes and cakes were made from and wrote "this item does not contain nuts" Maybe make some with the almond extract and some without, and just attach a sticker or label with it, that explains that.

Note that people with food allergies can still have a deadly reaction from cross contamination if you are not extremely careful with sanitizing utensils and surfaces. Your suppliers need to exercise the same level of care. If you aren't very confident in your production processes and those of your suppliers, I would say "may contain traces of nuts" even if the product does not contain nuts.

RubinaD Cake Central Cake Decorator Profile
RubinaD Posted 23 Sep 2013 , 4:12am
post #16 of 18

Quote:

Originally Posted by jason_kraft 
 

Quote:

Originally Posted by RubinaD 

I donated cupcakes and small cakes for my son's school as well. I attached a small note on the box, with my name and my son's division number on it. I described what the cupcakes and cakes were made from and wrote "this item does not contain nuts" Maybe make some with the almond extract and some without, and just attach a sticker or label with it, that explains that.

Note that people with food allergies can still have a deadly reaction from cross contamination if you are not extremely careful with sanitizing utensils and surfaces. Your suppliers need to exercise the same level of care. If you aren't very confident in your production processes and those of your suppliers, I would say "may contain traces of nuts" even if the product does not contain nuts.

 

Good point Jason, I need to be more diligent and look at the individual ingredient containers. I don't use nuts and nothing I bake with comes in contact with nuts, but definitely need to check further than my kitchen. Thanks.

Rosie93095 Cake Central Cake Decorator Profile
Rosie93095 Posted 23 Sep 2013 , 10:56am
post #17 of 18

I attach an ingredient label that says "this product is made in a kitchen that also produces products with nuts, shellfish and other ingredients that may cause allergic reactions"

MustangMollie Cake Central Cake Decorator Profile
MustangMollie Posted 23 Sep 2013 , 12:15pm
post #18 of 18

AI always display an ingredient list (which my children's school requires). FWI any product you use that is manufactured in the same equipment as nut bearing equipment (i.e. chocolates) can cause a problem. Read labels carefully. If it says "may contain nuts" or "may contain traces of nuts" or "made in equipment that also processes nuts" it IS NOT SAFE for someone who has a nut allergy. My husband has a severe nut allergy so I diligently read labels. If any of the above phrases are on the packaging, the item doesn't enter my home. For this reason I also include at bake sales "this product was made in a nut free kitchen." Something as innocent as one of our kids having a bit of chocolate that contains traces of nuts and then touching the door knob and then if my husband touched it there could be a major problem.

In fact, we spent last New Years Eve in the hospital. We had gone out to dinner at an Italian restaurant and informed the waiter of my husband's nut allergy. We ordered a chocolate milkshake to share and instead of making it with chocolate ice cream the easier made it worth bacci ice cream ... which has nuts in it!!! My husband had the first sip and ingested nuts. When I told the waiter he said "oh, sorry. Do you want me to re make it? " I told him he needed to call an ambulance instead and I wound up administering his epi pen while waiting for the ambulance.

I've had some parents complain to me that they should be able to send their kids to school with peanut butter or a granola/museli bar and just because some kids have allergies their child who doesn't shouldn't have to suffer. They didn't know about my husband's allergy and bit did they get an education! Yes, I'm sure it's annoying, but a small inconvenience could save a child's life!

Quote by @%username% on %date%

%body%