How to Order a Bespoke Celebration Cake

A cake is often the centrepiece of all manner of special event, so it’s understandable that many people order from a specialist baker. But if you’ve never gone down that route, it may seem a little daunting, but it’s really not. Here are my top tips on making sure you get a cake to make your special event even more special.

Book Early!

It’s never too soon to make an enquiry. As soon as you have your venue booked and the date is agreed, contact your chosen cake maker. Even if you don’t know exact details, such as design or size, most bakers will hold your booking until you can firm up the particulars.  Make sure you get them to email a confirmation of your booking. You may need to pay a non-refundable deposit to hold the date.

What size should I order?

You should consider the number of guests you’re inviting, are they all adults or some children, will it be in place of a dessert or just a small piece at the end of the event? And, as is often the case, would you like to be able to take some home for friends or family that couldn’t attend?

Given the current fashion for extra height, barrel cakes, you might wish to have a smaller diameter cake if it’s extra tall, your baker will be able to suggest what size will serve what number of portions. 

Also think about whether a particular shape of cake compliments a particular design, for example a football pitch design would be better as a rectangle, but a golf themed cake could be any shape. And if you will need to cut the cake up quickly, say for party bags, square cakes tend to be easier.

How Much Do I Need to Spend?

With cakes, it is often the case that you get what you pay for. The reason supermarkets can sell celebration cake for £10 is because they are mass produced and don’t use the best quality ingredients. They are also very limited in their design. If you order a bespoke cake, you will get exactly what you want, with name, age, all kinds of personalisation. And the cake will be painstakingly created for you by hand.

If you are worried about your cake costing too much, most bakers will give an indication of starting prices on their website or social media and will be happy for you to give them a budget to work within.

Who Shall I Use?

As with many things, a personal recommendation is best. Ask friends and family or post a question on your local social media pages. 

Alternatively, go online and search for local businesses, you will be able to find examples of their work and see if their style is a good fit for you. If there are no or few images, be wary.

Flavour

You might think it’s my party, so I’ll have what I want. That’s fine, but will most other people like it? By far the most popular cake flavour I make is vanilla sponge with vanilla buttercream and jam filling.  You might think that’s a bit boring, but most people will eat that. If you are having a cake with more than one tier, keep to a simple tier and maybe go crazy for another one. 

Also think about allergies and intolerances or if you will have vegans. I don’t suggest you should have a big vegan cake if you have one vegan attending, but maybe add a few specialist cupcakes so everyone can enjoy the treat.

Details

When you make your booking, ensure you give your baker ALL the details; date (both the event date AND the date you would like the cake – which may be the day before if the event starts early), time of day you would like delivery or to collect and the location – I’m sure your baker will be happy to deliver to the venue for you, but don’t spring on them the week before that doing that will involve a 50 mile journey in rush hour.

Design

This is the fun bit. You might have a firm idea of what you want, or have seen something similar online, your baker will welcome as much information as you can give them. I’ve had quite a few drawings from young children showing how they would like their cakes to look – not only is that incredibly sweet, but it’s also very helpful. Try and have at least some ideas before you speak to them such as style and colour palette.

So, as you see, with a little thought and forward planning, you can have the cake of your dreams for your perfect party.