Cake Boxes and Cupcake Boxes for UK Bakers

What is in the cake and cupcake range?

This range is for decorated cakes and the smaller bakes that go with them. It covers eight items, including the board a cake sits on.

Cakes are taller, heavier and more fragile than most bakery items. Buttercream marks at a touch, and a cake that slides in a car is ruined. Every box here is built around those two facts.

The comparison below lists all eight.

Who uses cake and cupcake boxes?

Cake shops and home bakers are the main buyers. Cafés selling slices and cupcakes, wedding cake makers and party caterers order too.

Home bakers often start small, with one cake box size and one cupcake box. Cake shops tend to need a full set, from slices to tall tiers.

For most first orders, a square cake box with a lift-off lid in two or three sizes covers the bulk of celebration cakes.

Seasonal peaks matter in this trade. Easter, Mother's Day, Valentine's and the summer wedding season bring much busier weeks for most cake shops. Plan box orders around those dates.

• Cake shops and cake studios
• Home bakers selling from a kitchen or market stall
• Cafés with a cake counter
• Wedding and celebration cake makers
• Party caterers and dessert tables

How do you size a cake box?

Size the box from the cake board, not the cake. The board is the widest point, and it is what sits on the floor of the box.

Add 10 to 20 mm to the board width so fingers can lift it out. For height, measure from the board to the highest point of the decoration, including toppers, then add 20 mm.

Square boxes are the safe default for round cakes, as they are easy to fold and stack in a car boot. The spare corners also give your fingers room to reach the board.

The table shows common starting points. Every box is made to your size in millimetres or inches.

What makes a good cupcake box?

The insert matters most. Each cupcake sits in its own hole so it cannot slide into the next one and smudge the icing.

Hole size follows your cupcake case, and box height follows your piped swirl. A tall buttercream rose needs a deeper box than a flat iced top.

Boxes for 1, 2, 4, 6, 12 and 24 are all common. Cupcake boxes with a fitted insert can be white board with full colour print or a window.

Think about how cupcakes are sold at your counter. If most customers buy two or four, a box of six that travels half empty lets the cakes rock. A smaller box with a snug insert keeps them steady.

Kraft or white for cupcake boxes?

White board shows bright colours and suits pastel branding. It also shows marks more easily if a box is handled with buttery fingers.

Kraft board gives a natural, homemade look. One colour black or white print sits well on it. It hides small marks better, which helps at busy markets.

Many bakers use both: white for weddings and parties, kraft for everyday sales. Kraft cupcake boxes with a window are a common choice for market stalls.

How do you transport a tall or tiered cake?

Tall cakes fail in transit because they tip, not because they are crushed. A box that is tall enough but too wide lets the cake slide and hit a wall.

Size the floor closely to the board so it cannot move. Use a firm board underneath. Keep the box flat on a car floor or in a footwell, never on a seat.

Tall and round cake boxes add the height for tiers and toppers. Round styles hold a round cake closer, with less empty space at the corners.

1. Chill the cake so the buttercream is firm before boxing.
2. Place it on a board 1 to 2 inches wider than the cake.
3. Lower it into the box from above, holding the board.
4. Close the lid without touching the top decoration.
5. Carry it flat and place it on a level surface in the car.

When should you use a cake carrier box?

A carrier box has a handle built into the top. The customer can carry a cake with one hand and open a door with the other.

Carriers suit cakes up to a medium size that leave the shop in someone's hand. They are less suited to very tall or heavy cakes, which are safer in a box carried from underneath.

Cafés selling whole cakes for birthdays often choose cake carrier boxes with a handle because customers walk out with them rather than drive.

A carrier also looks good on a counter. Lined up with your logo facing out, a row of carrier boxes shows customers that whole cakes are for sale, not just slices.

What packaging suits slices and cake pops?

Slices are the most common cake sale in a café. Each one needs its own small box so it reaches the customer's table at home without the icing touching the lid.

Cake pops are smaller still. They need an insert that holds each stick upright, so the pops do not roll and knock together.

Cake slice boxes for single portions come in wedge or square shapes. Cake pop boxes suit gifts, party favours and wedding tables.

• Slices: wedge for round cakes, square for traybakes and layer cakes
• Cake pops: insert for 1, 3, 6 or 12 sticks
• Both: a window on suitable styles shows the decoration
• Both: inside print suits a short message

Why do cake boards matter?

A board is the floor the cake stands on. It keeps the cake flat, lets you lift it without touching the sides and stops it flexing when the box is moved.

Boards are usually cut 1 to 2 inches wider than the cake, so there is a rim to hold. Thicker boards suit heavy cakes and tiers.

Cake boards cut round or square can be printed with your name on the visible rim. It is a small detail, but it shows on every photo of the cake.

How should cake boxes be printed?

Cake boxes often end up in photos at parties. A clean logo on the lid and a short line on one side is usually enough.

Print can be one colour, two colour or full colour CMYK, with matte or gloss varnish. A window cut-out on suitable styles reduces the print area, so plan your logo around it.

Inside print under a lid is a nice surprise for gift cakes. A short message or your social handle is ideal there. Our designers give free layout help with any of this.

Small gift boxes need simpler artwork than big cake lids. Cake pop boxes for party favours often carry just a name and a date, because the front panel may be under 80 mm wide.

Where do cake orders go wrong?

Most cake box problems only show up on delivery day. These are worth checking before you order.

The most expensive mistake is a box that is a few millimetres too small. A cake that will not go in on the morning of a wedding has no quick fix, so measure twice and send us real figures.

• Sizing the box from the cake rather than the board
• Forgetting the height of toppers and candles
• Using a carrier box for a cake too heavy for its handle
• Ordering a window on a box where the logo needs that space
• Skipping a board, so the cake flexes when lifted

How do you order cake and cupcake boxes?

Send the box styles you want, your board or cake sizes and rough quantities. Mention any toppers or tall decorations.

You will get a written quote from £0.25 per unit, with quantities quoted per order. Food-contact materials available on request. A free design proof comes before anything is printed.

Production takes 4 to 6 business days after approval, then free tracked delivery to any UK address in 2 to 3 business days. Boxes arrive flat, ready to fold.