Custom Printed Cake Boxes for Celebration Cakes and Bakery Counters

What makes a good cake box?

A cake box has one job above all: get a finished cake from your counter to the table with the icing untouched. That means a firm base, straight walls and a lid well clear of the decoration.

The photos show the range of styles. A red and white patterned box sits beside a drip cake topped with macarons. Others include a handle-top box with script lettering and a floral box with a large top window. A pink box closes with a pale blue ribbon.

Which cakes and businesses need cake boxes?

Any baker who hands over a whole cake needs one. Boxes printed with your name also travel to the party, where every guest sees them.

For slices, cupcakes and tall tiers, our cake and cupcake box range has a style for each.

• Birthday and anniversary cakes from home bakers
• Victoria sponges, carrot cakes and coffee cakes from cafés
• Drip cakes and buttercream cakes from specialist cake makers
• Cheesecakes and tortes from restaurant pastry kitchens
• Whole cakes sold from farm shop chillers

How big should a cake box be?

Size the box to the board, not the cake. An 8 inch sponge usually sits on a 10 inch board, so it needs a box at least 255 mm square inside.

Then add height. Measure from the board to the highest point, including toppers, candles in holders or piped rosettes. Allow 15–20 mm above that.

Square boxes suit round cakes as well as square ones. The corners give your fingers room to lift the board out without touching the icing.

Our UK food packaging size guide lists more common box sizes.

Which lid style suits your cakes?

The lid decides how the cake goes in and how the box is carried. Pick it before you think about print.

Can a cake slide into the box without touching the sides?

It can with the right style. A box that opens on the front and top lets you slide the cake in on its board, flat, instead of lowering it in from above.

Lowering a heavy cake into a closed box is where most buttercream gets smudged. If you decorate the sides, ask for a front-opening style and leave 10 mm of space each side.

A cake with fresh flowers or tall sugar work may need a taller box than the cake itself suggests. Send a photo of a typical finished cake and we size the box around it.

Board, grease and chiller conditions

White folding board takes print brightly and suits most cakes up to 10 inches. For larger or heavier bakes, E flute corrugated board, about 1.5 mm, gives a stiffer base and walls.

Buttercream, ganache and fruit glazes can mark plain board, so ask for a grease-resistant lining if your cakes are rich. Leaving the cake on a cake board inside the box helps too.

Cakes moved straight from a fridge can gather moisture inside a closed box. Let a chilled cake rest a few minutes before closing the lid.

How should a printed cake box look?

Full colour CMYK lets you repeat a pattern across every panel, like the red wave design in our photos. One or two colour print on kraft looks clean and costs less to set up.

Put your name on at least two side panels, since the lid is often hidden by a carrier bag. Inside print is possible too, so the first thing a customer sees on opening can be a thank-you line. Matte or gloss varnish finishes the outside.

Seasonal designs work best as a printed sticker or band on your everyday box. Easter, Halloween and Valentine's orders then need no separate box run.

Do cake boxes suit weddings and events?

They do, though event cakes bring their own needs. A cutting cake for a small wedding, an engagement cake or a christening cake often travels further than a birthday cake.

For these, ask for corrugated board and a front-opening style, and plan the box around the heaviest tier you deliver yourself. A plain white box with a small logo on one side suits most venues.

Caterers handing out boxed portions after a reception can match their cake boxes to smaller slice boxes in the same print. Guests then carry home the same design as the main cake.

Packing and collection tips

Fold a batch of boxes before a busy weekend and keep them stacked lid-open on a clean shelf. Folding while customers wait leads to dented corners.

Tape the base flaps on a large cake if the box is not a lock-bottom style. Carry it flat, from underneath, never by the lid.

Tell customers to put the box in a car footwell rather than on a seat. Seats slope, and a cake slides on a slope.

On delivery runs, line the van floor with a non-slip mat and keep boxes in a single layer. Stacked cake boxes crush the lower lids.

What mistakes do bakers make with cake boxes?

Each one shows up on the proof if you tell us your board size and tallest cake.

• Ordering a box to fit the cake instead of the board
• Forgetting the height of toppers and candles
• Choosing a window lid for a tall drip cake that touches the window
• Lowering a side-iced cake into a top-opening box
• Printing the logo only on the lid

How do you order custom cake boxes?

Cake boxes start from £0.25 per unit, with your price confirmed on a written quote. Quantities are quoted per order, and you can split one order across several sizes.

1. Note each board size you use and your tallest cake height.
2. Choose a lid style, and decide on a window or handle.
3. Send your logo and colours, or ask for a free layout from our designers.
4. Check the free proof and approve it.
5. Boxes are made in 4–6 business days and sent by free tracked UK delivery taking 2–3 business days.