Custom Cake Boards in Round, Square and Mini Sizes

What is a cake board for?

A cake board is the base a cake is built on and carried on. It lets you lift a finished cake off the turntable without a knife under the sponge.

It also gives the cake a clean edge in the box and on the table. A board that matches the cake makes a home bake look like a shop bake.

Boards are not decoration first. If the board bends when you lift it, the icing cracks, so thickness matters more than colour.

Which shapes and edges are there?

Our photos show gold-coloured rounds in several forms. There are smooth-edged rounds stacked in fours and scalloped rounds nested in three sizes.

A thin scalloped board sits under a cut cake with fruit on top. There are also mini rounds with a small tab on one side, so a bento cake or mousse can be lifted without touching it.

Round boards cover most celebration cakes. Squares and rectangles suit anything baked in a tin and cut into portions, from traybakes to a sheet cake for an office party.

How much bigger than the cake should the board be?

For most cakes, choose a board about 2 inches, or 50 mm, wider than the cake. That leaves about 25 mm all round for fingers and a piped border.

A board the same size as the cake is hidden underneath, which some decorators prefer for stacked tiers. Each tier then sits on its own board, cut to the cake exactly.

Remember that the box has to fit the board, not the cake. Measure your box before you settle on a board size.

1. Measure the cake diameter after crumb coating.
2. Decide whether the board shows as a border or hides under the cake.
3. Add about 50 mm for a border, or nothing for a hidden board.
4. Check that the board fits flat in your cake box with a few mm spare.
5. Send the size in inches or mm and we confirm it on the proof.

Which board thickness carries which cake?

Weight decides the board. A light mousse or single slice sits well on folding board, which is thin and easy to slide under a small bake.

A two-layer sponge with buttercream needs more support. Corrugated E flute, about 1.5 mm, stays flat under most everyday celebration cakes.

Dense fruit cakes, cheesecakes and tall layered cakes are heavier again. Corrugated B flute, about 3 mm, resists bending when you lift from one side.

If you are unsure, send us the cake size and roughly what it weighs. We suggest a board on the quote, and you can compare two thicknesses before committing to a full run.

Will buttercream and fruit mark the board?

Butter, cream and fruit juice can seep into plain board and leave a dark ring. A grease-resistant coating or lining on the top surface is available on request.

Food-contact materials are available on request as well, and the board for your order is confirmed on the written quote. Our guide to coated board and greaseproof linings explains the difference.

Fresh cream cakes kept in a fridge also pick up moisture at the edges. A coated top surface keeps the board looking clean when the cake comes out for collection.

Who orders custom cake boards?

Anyone selling whole cakes needs boards, and printed boards turn a plain base into part of the brand.

Smaller bakers often start with plain boards in three sizes and add printed boards once the menu settles. That keeps the first order simple.

• Cake shops and home bakers making celebration cakes
• Cafés selling whole cheesecakes and traybakes
• Dessert shops plating bento cakes and mousses on minis
• Wedding cake makers who need boards for each tier
• Caterers sending cakes to birthdays and office events

Can cake boards be printed?

Yes. The top surface can carry a full colour CMYK print, a one or two colour logo or a simple pattern. The gold look in our photos is one colour choice among many.

Print shows on the border around the cake, so a repeating logo or a thin ring of text works best. A scalloped edge with a printed border looks finished without any extra ribbon.

For cakes cut at the table, a small print in the centre is revealed as the last slice goes. It is a small touch that customers often photograph.

Packing tips for boards and boxes

Pipe a dot of buttercream on the board before placing the first layer. It stops the sponge sliding when the cake is carried.

Chill buttercream cakes before boxing so the icing firms against the board. A firm cake slides far less on a cold board than a soft one at room temperature.

Lift boards from underneath with a flat hand, never by the edge. Match each board to a cake box made for the board size so nothing shifts in the car.

Store spare boards flat, in a dry cupboard, with the largest at the bottom. Boards kept on their edge can bow over a few weeks and then rock under a cake.

What mistakes do bakers make with cake boards?

Most of these come down to choosing by look rather than by weight.

Each one is easy to avoid at the quote stage, before anything is printed.

• Using thin folding board under a heavy fruit cake
• Choosing a board wider than the cake box
• Leaving plain board under a fresh cream cake on a warm day
• Ordering one size for every cake on the menu
• Printing a busy design that clashes with the decoration

How do I order printed cake boards?

Send the shapes, sizes and quantities you need, along with the cake weights so we can suggest a board. Add your artwork, or ask our designers for layout help, and use our cake board quote request form, email or WhatsApp.

Pricing is from £0.25 per unit and set out on a written quote. Once the free proof is approved, boards take 4–6 business days to make, then arrive by free tracked UK delivery in 2–3 business days.

Wedding cake makers often order boards for a whole season at once. Give us the full set of tier sizes and we quote them together.