Custom Cake Ordering Guide: From Design to Delivery

Top TLDR:

The custom cake ordering guide at Kelly's Kitchen walks you through every step — from submitting your design details to scheduling delivery or pickup. Custom cake orders require advance notice, flavor and design decisions, and a deposit to hold your date. To get started, contact Kelly's Kitchen directly or submit an order inquiry through the online form.

Ordering a custom cake should feel exciting, not overwhelming. Whether it's a milestone birthday, a wedding, a graduation, or just a reason to celebrate, a custom cake from Kelly's Kitchen is made specifically for you — your flavors, your vision, your occasion. This guide walks you through every step of the process so you know exactly what to expect from the moment you reach out to the moment your cake arrives.

Why Order a Custom Cake

A custom cake is more than a dessert — it's the centerpiece of your celebration. Unlike off-the-shelf options, a custom cake is built around your event's aesthetic, your guests' dietary needs, and the specific flavors you actually want. At Kelly's Kitchen, every custom cake is baked to order, decorated by hand, and made with the same quality ingredients found across our full bakery menu.

No two custom cakes are exactly alike, and that's the point. When you order custom, you're not choosing from a limited selection — you're building something from the ground up.

Step 1: Start With Your Timeline

The single most important thing to know about ordering a custom cake: lead time matters. Most custom cakes require a minimum of two weeks' notice, and for highly detailed designs, tiered wedding cakes, or large event orders, four to six weeks is strongly recommended.

Rush orders may be available depending on our current schedule, but they're not guaranteed. The earlier you reach out, the more options you'll have — especially during peak seasons like spring wedding season, graduation weekends, and the November–December holiday stretch.

If you're not sure whether your timeline works, the best move is to contact us as early as possible. We'd rather tell you we can make it work than have you miss the window.

Step 2: Choose Your Size and Serving Count

Before any design decisions happen, we need to know how many people you're feeding. Custom cakes at Kelly's Kitchen are sized by estimated serving count, and the right size affects both cost and design structure.

Here's a general starting point:

Round cakes are the most common and versatile, available in 6", 8", 10", and 12" tiers. Sheet cakes are ideal for larger casual gatherings where slicing efficiency matters more than presentation. Tiered cakes combine multiple rounds for dramatic visual impact and larger guest counts.

If you're unsure what size you need, tell us your headcount and we'll recommend the right configuration. You can also browse examples of past orders in our custom cake gallery to get a sense of scale before you decide.

Step 3: Select Your Flavors

This is where most people spend the most time — and for good reason. Kelly's Kitchen offers a rotating selection of cake flavors, fillings, and frosting options. Your custom cake can be a single flavor throughout or layered with different fillings between tiers.

Cake flavors include options like classic vanilla, rich chocolate, lemon, red velvet, carrot, and seasonal specials. Fillings range from buttercream and ganache to fruit preserves, pastry cream, and flavored curds. Frosting options include Swiss meringue buttercream, American buttercream, whipped cream, and fondant for fully sculpted designs.

Seasonal flavors rotate throughout the year — check our seasonal menu to see what's currently available. If you have a flavor combination in mind that you don't see listed, ask. We can often accommodate requests with advance notice.

Step 4: Share Your Design Vision

Custom cake design ranges from simple and elegant to fully sculpted and elaborate. You don't need to be a designer to communicate what you want — you just need to give us enough to work with.

When submitting your design request, the more specific you can be, the better. Helpful details include:

Color palette — Is it soft pastels, bold jewel tones, black and white, or matched to a specific event theme? Style — Are you thinking minimal and modern, maximalist with sugar flowers, textured buttercream, or something hand-painted? Personalization — Text, names, dates, logos, or characters that need to be incorporated. Reference images — If you've saved inspiration photos, share them. Even if we can't replicate a design exactly, references help us understand the direction you're going.

Our cake decorators work with you through the design process to make sure the final product matches your vision. You can submit photos and design notes directly through our custom order form or email them to our team.

Step 5: Dietary Accommodations

Kelly's Kitchen takes dietary needs seriously. If you or your guests require specific accommodations, let us know at the time of ordering — not the day before pickup. We offer options for several common dietary needs, including:

Gluten-free cake bases (available for most flavors, ask about cross-contamination protocols) Dairy-free frosting and filling options Nut-free preparations Reduced sugar versions of select flavors

We cannot guarantee a fully allergen-free kitchen environment, but we take every precaution to accommodate requests safely. If you're managing a serious allergy, please discuss it directly with our team before placing your order so we can walk you through what's possible. You can also review our allergen information page before reaching out.

Step 6: Get Your Quote and Place a Deposit

Once we have your details — size, flavor, design, accommodations, and date — we'll put together a quote. Custom cake pricing is based on serving count, design complexity, and any specialty ingredients or techniques involved.

To hold your date, a 50% deposit is required at the time of booking. This deposit is non-refundable within 72 hours of your pickup or delivery date but is fully transferable if you need to reschedule with at least one week's notice.

The remaining balance is due at pickup or prior to delivery. We accept all major credit cards, cash, and most mobile payment platforms. Full payment details are outlined in your order confirmation.

Step 7: Pickup vs. Delivery

Pickup is available at our Kelly's Kitchen location during business hours. We'll coordinate a specific pickup window with you when your order is confirmed so the cake is ready and properly packaged when you arrive. We recommend bringing a flat surface in your vehicle — a trunk works well — and driving carefully. Tiered cakes especially don't love hard stops or sharp turns.

Delivery is available for orders within our service area and is subject to a delivery fee based on distance. For very large tiered cakes, delivery is often the safer choice, and our team will set up the cake on-site when possible. Delivery availability and scheduling are confirmed at the time of booking.

If you're placing an order for a venue, check whether the venue has a receiving window or requires a specific delivery time — that coordination is your responsibility, but we're happy to work within whatever window you give us. See our delivery policy for full details on service area, fees, and scheduling.

Step 8: Final Confirmation and What to Expect

About 48–72 hours before your pickup or delivery date, we'll send a final confirmation with all your order details. This is your last chance to flag anything — a spelling correction on a name, a change to the pickup time, or a heads-up about a new allergy concern.

On the day of pickup, your cake will be boxed and ready in a refrigerated holding area. We'll walk you through any care instructions specific to your cake's frosting and filling. Most cakes are best served at slightly below room temperature — we'll tell you how far in advance to pull it from the fridge and what to expect in terms of shelf life.

Frequently Asked Questions

How far in advance should I order? At minimum, two weeks. Four to six weeks for tiered, wedding, or high-detail cakes. During peak season, earlier is always better.

Can I order a custom cake for the same week? Occasionally, yes — but it depends on our current schedule. Reach out and we'll let you know what's possible.

Do you offer cake tastings? Yes. Tasting appointments are available for wedding cake orders and large event orders. Book a tasting through our website.

What if I need to cancel my order? Cancellations made more than one week in advance receive a full refund of the deposit. Cancellations within 72 hours of the order date are non-refundable. Review the full policy on our FAQ page.

Can I see examples of past cakes? Absolutely. Browse our custom cake portfolio for photos organized by style, size, and occasion.

Ready to Order?

The easiest way to get started is to fill out our custom cake inquiry form with your date, estimated guest count, and any initial ideas you have. From there, a member of our team will follow up within one to two business days to talk through the details and get your order confirmed.

Custom cake orders are how we do some of our best work. We'd love to be part of your celebration.

Bottom TLDR:

This custom cake ordering guide covers every step of the process at Kelly's Kitchen — from choosing your size and flavors to confirming pickup or delivery. Custom cakes require a minimum of two weeks' lead time, a design consultation, and a deposit to hold your date. Start by filling out the custom cake inquiry form online to lock in your date and begin the design conversation.