Custom cake orders: lead time, advance and minimum order

How much notice should you ask for?

Notice, or lead time, is how many days before the date a customer must order. It is the most important rule for custom orders, because it decides whether you shop, bake and decorate calmly or in a rush at midnight.

To set it, think about your longest order. A simple sponge cake might need one day. A tiered cake, or food for forty people, might need several: one day to shop, one to bake, one to decorate.

• Set one standard notice for most items, for example two days.
• Set a longer notice for big or detailed orders.
• Decide what happens with a rush order: say no, or say yes only when you truly have time.

Should you set a minimum order?

A minimum order protects your time. Heating the oven, buying special ingredients and cleaning up take nearly the same effort for one cupcake as for twelve.

• For cakes, the minimum is often a size, for example nothing under half a kilo.
• For party food, it is often a number of portions or trays.
• For small items like cupcakes or cookies, it is often a box of six or twelve.

Pick a minimum that makes each order worth doing. Customers rarely mind when it is clear from the start.

How much advance should you take, and when?

An advance is part of the price, paid before you start. It covers your ingredients and holds the date. Without it, a cancelled order can leave you with a cake nobody pays for.

There is no single right amount. Many home bakers ask for part of the price when the order is confirmed and the rest on pickup or delivery. A bigger advance protects you more, but some customers find it a lot to pay before they see the cake. A smaller one is easier to accept, but covers less if they cancel.

Whatever you decide, say it before the customer pays the advance, not after a cancellation. A clear rule in the confirmation avoids most arguments.

How many orders can you take in a day?

Your oven, your fridge and your hands set a daily limit. Two big cakes on the same evening may be fine; five may not. Decide your number honestly, and include time to decorate, pack and clean.

• Set a daily limit, and stop taking orders for a date once it is full.
• Mark the days you are closed: family events, festivals, holidays or simply rest.
• Keep one calendar of every confirmed order, so two people never get the same slot.

What should you ask before you say yes?

Most mix-ups come from one missing detail. Ask the same questions every time, in the same order.

1. The date and time it is needed.
2. Size or weight, or the number of people.
3. Flavour, filling and frosting.
4. Egg or eggless, and any allergies, such as nuts or milk.
5. The message to write on the cake, spelled exactly.
6. Colours or a theme, with a photo if they have one.
7. Pickup or delivery, and the full address if delivered.
8. Name and phone number of the person collecting.

How do you confirm an order in writing?

Once you agree, send one message that repeats everything, and ask the customer to reply OK. This becomes your record if anyone remembers it differently later.

How do you keep track of every order?

A notebook works for a few orders a month. Once orders overlap, keep them where you can see the date, the details, the advance and the balance together.

In HomeTiffin, Made to order lets you set the notice and the minimum for each item and, if you want, a daily limit. You confirm each request with a final price, track the advance and the balance, and mark the days you are closed. Customers pay you directly, at 0% commission. For more, read how to take orders for cakes and party food.