To order, see cake boxes. This guide covers the four decisions that produce a working cake box: size, strength, moisture, and whether it has a window.
Size from the board up
Cakes sit on a board, and the board is larger than the cake. Retail rounds are commonly sold at 6, 8 and 10 inch diameters, and the board under them is cut wider so it can be handled, so measure your actual board rather than the cake. The internal footprint has to clear the board plus enough room for fingers to get under it, otherwise the decorator damages the icing every time they lift one out.
Height is where most orders go wrong. Measure the tallest point of the finished cake: a topper, a tall drip, a buttercream crown, or the full stack on a tiered cake. Then add clearance so nothing contacts the lid on a bumpy car journey. A box that is slightly too tall costs nothing. A box that is a quarter inch too short ruins the product.
Strength and the bottom
| Cake | What the box needs |
|---|---|
| Cupcakes and small cakes | A light board box and an insert tray to stop movement |
| Single layer round or sheet | Folding carton or E flute, with a flat, rigid bottom |
| Tall or tiered cakes | Corrugated, a reinforced base, and a tall four corner or lock style |
| Transport over distance | Corrugated outer, non slip base, and a stable footprint |
Grease, moisture and coatings
Buttercream, ganache and warm product all attack plain board. A grease resistant coating or a laminated inner face keeps the box looking new until the customer opens it. Refrigeration adds condensation, which softens uncoated board, so if your cakes go into a chiller, say so on the brief. Window film also fogs in a chiller, which is worth knowing before you commit to one.
Windows
A window sells the decoration, and it costs you two things: some rigidity in the panel it is cut into, and a film that has to be specified. PET reads clearer, and an open window with no film is cheapest but leaves the cake exposed. Because the cutting die is included, a shaped window costs no more to tool than a plain square one.
Food contact: what to confirm
Ask for food grade board and a food safe coating, and get the suitability for your specific product and contact conditions confirmed in writing on your quote. Direct contact with a wet or fatty product is a different question from contact with a wrapped or boarded cake, and it is worth stating which applies to you. We supply to the specification agreed on the quote, and we do not issue certifications.
Ordering
The minimum is 100 boxes. Pricing starts from about $0.48 per unit at bulk volumes and is confirmed on your written quote. Turnaround is quoted per product in three lanes: rush, which is expedited production plus air freight, standard on air, and cost saver on sea, from about 7 business days in production plus 2 to 5 days for delivery. The die, the plates, design support, US shipping and a digital proof are included, so a box sized to your board and your tallest cake costs no more to tool than a stock size.
To order, see cake boxes. If your range includes smaller baked goods, the pastry box guide covers grease resistance and inserts in more detail. Send your board size and cake height with a quote request.
