Custom Printed Cake Slice Boxes: Wedge and Rectangular Portions

What is a cake slice box?

It is a single-portion box shaped around one piece of cake. The wedge style has a triangular base and lid, so the slice sits snugly with its point in the narrow end.

Our photos show several takes on it. White and pink wedges have a scalloped edge like piped icing, and a cream wedge carries a line-drawn floral print with a small label. Kraft wedges open from the back to show chocolate slices, and pale pink rectangular boxes read 'Cake' on the lid.

Who uses single slice boxes?

Anywhere cake leaves in portions rather than whole. A slice box keeps the cut faces from drying and the icing off the inside of a carrier bag.

Slices also sell well in pairs, so some cafés keep a double-width wedge for a customer taking cake home to share.

For fruit pies and tarts, which are shallower and heavier at the crust, our boxes for pie and tart slices are a better fit.

• Cafés selling cake to take away with a coffee
• Wedding cake makers sending each guest home with a slice
• Party hosts handing out birthday cake as guests leave
• Caterers serving dessert portions at outdoor events
• Bakeries selling slices of celebration cake from a chiller

What angle should a wedge box be?

The angle comes from how many slices you cut from each cake. Eight slices from a round cake makes each wedge 45 degrees; twelve slices makes each one 30 degrees.

The long side of the wedge matches the cake's radius, plus a little room. Tell us your cake diameter and portion count and we work out the rest.

How tall should a slice box be?

Measure the slice from the base to the top of the highest decoration. A classic two-layer sponge is often 70–80 mm, and a four-layer celebration slice can pass 120 mm.

Leave about 10 mm of space above the top. A rosette or a strawberry pressed against the lid ruins the look of a slice more than any other fault.

Wedge or rectangular slice box?

Wedges suit slices from round cakes, because the shape matches and the slice cannot slide. They also look like cake, which makes them popular as party favours.

Rectangles suit traybakes, cheesecake squares and wedding cake cut into fingers. They stack flat in a chiller and pack tightly in a crate, which wedges do not.

Many cafés use both. Wedges go on round cakes sold by the slice, and rectangles take brownies and bars.

Rectangles are also faster to fold on a busy shift, since there is no angled panel to line up.

How does the lid open?

The kraft wedges in our photos open on a hinge at the wide back end. The lid lifts away from the cake and the slice can be eaten straight from the box with a fork.

Tuck-end wedges close at the wide end, so the slice slides in from the back. They suit chiller displays where the box stays shut until it is sold.

If you plan to serve with a wooden fork, ask for a little extra length so it fits alongside the slice.

Hinged lids suit eating on the spot; tuck ends suit slices going home in a bag.

Do slice boxes need a grease-resistant lining?

Cut sponge has open crumb on two faces, and those faces press against the board. Cream cheese icing, ganache and buttercream can all mark plain board.

A grease-resistant coating on request keeps the box clean, especially for slices that sit boxed in a chiller all day. Kraft board hides light marks better than white.

For more on coatings and liners, our guide to greaseproof paper and coated board explains what each one does.

Printing ideas for slice boxes

A scalloped top edge printed in white, like icing on a sponge, is a popular design and costs nothing extra to print. Pastel full colour suits party favours, and black and white stripes look smart on a café counter.

For weddings, a small line-drawn floral print with the couple's names suits the occasion. Keep the design light so the box looks good beside a dessert plate.

The lid is the main panel on a wedge. Put your name there and a short line on the long side.

How do slice boxes work at a wedding?

Couples often keep the top tier or a cutting cake for guests to take home. Slices are cut late in the evening, boxed by the venue or caterer, and set out by the door.

Fold all the boxes before the day and pack them flat-side up in a crate, ready to fill. Folding hundreds of wedges at midnight is where things go wrong.

Rectangular boxes are quicker to fill than wedges when the cake is square or cut into fingers. For a round cake, wedges still make the neater keepsake.

Common slice box mistakes

Send your cake sizes and how you cut them, and we check the box shape on the proof.

• Ordering one wedge angle when you cut cakes into different numbers of slices
• Measuring a two-layer slice and then boxing a four-layer cake
• Packing wedges in a crate with points facing the same way, wasting space
• Pressing cut faces into plain board on a warm day
• Leaving no room for a fork when serving from the box

How do you order printed cake slice boxes?

Slice boxes are quoted from £0.25 per unit, and the written quote gives your exact price. Quantities are quoted per order, which suits a single wedding as well as a café's regular run.

1. Tell us your cake diameter and the number of slices you cut.
2. Measure your tallest slice from base to topping.
3. Choose wedge, rectangle or both, and white or kraft board.
4. Send artwork, or get a free layout from our designers.
5. Approve the proof; your boxes are made in 4–6 business days.
6. Your slice boxes come by free tracked UK delivery in 2–3 business days.