Whether it is for a birthday, wedding, anniversary or welcoming a new addition to the family, a custom cake is a wonderful way of celebrating any occasion.

If you’re used to picking a cake off the shelf at the local supermarket, ordering a custom-made cake may sound daunting, but we’ve put together five handy hints to help you order the perfect show-stopping cake!

1. Order in as much time as possible

Baking and decorating a delicious cake takes time, so you need to give your bakery as much notice as possible. If you leave it until the last minute, there is the risk that your bakery will not be able to slot you in.

For a smaller cake, we would recommend that you give at least two weeks’ notice, but if you need a larger cake we advise you get in touch as soon as you start planning the event.

 

2. Calculate how many people you are catering for

There’s nothing worse than going to a party and finding out that there is not enough cake to go round! When you order your cake, you need to tell your baker how many people are attending your event so they can create the right size cake for your needs.

Our handy hint is to plan for a couple of extra guests. That way, you are not caught short if unexpected people turn up or if some guests want to help themselves to seconds!

 

3. Know what you want

The more details you can give your bakery, the more perfect your cake will be! Think about the following:

  • What flavour do you want your cake to be?
  • What shape do you want your cake to be and how many layers?
  • Do any of your guests have any dietary requirements
  • Does your party have a colour theme?

If you have a photo of a cake that you like, take it with you, and your bakery will be able to use it as inspiration!

If you’re not sure about what you want, don’t worry too much! Your bakery will be able to sit down with you and talk you through some ideas you may like.

 

4. Decide your budget

You need to have a rough idea of how much you want to spend on your cake when you visit your bakery. Your bakery will provide you with a quote before they get to work.

The larger and more ornate your cake, the more it will cost. If you have your heart set on a specific type of cake, but your budget is lower, your bakery will be able to work with you to make some changes that will reduce the cost.

 

5. Plan how you will get your cake home!

Your bakery will arrange it so your cake is ready as close to the event as possible, either on the day or the day before. You need to plan how you will get your cake home and where you will store it before the big celebration.

You will need to store your cake in a cool dry place, ideally in the refrigerator if it has buttercream or cream cheese frosting.

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