Straight answers to the questions we’re asked most often. If yours isn’t here, get in touch — we’d rather you asked.

Pricing

How much does a bespoke cake cost?

Our bespoke cakes start from £250. As a rough guide: buttercream cakes from £250, fondant-covered cakes from £350, three-tier wedding cakes from £800, and royal-iced showstoppers typically £3,000–£4,000 and above. Branded corporate cupcakes start at £3.50 each, with a minimum order of 24.

Because every cake is made to order, the final figure is built around your design rather than a fixed menu.

Why do custom cakes cost more than shop-bought?

You’re not comparing like for like. A supermarket cake is mass-produced, full of preservatives and fillers, and built to sit on a shelf. Ours is baked from scratch to order — eggs, butter, sugar, flour, nothing you can’t pronounce — then trimmed, filled, stacked, crumb-coated, ganached and finished by hand. Some designs take days to decorate.

What makes the price go up?

Mainly the finish and the detail. Royal icing sits at the top of the price ladder — it’s hugely time-consuming and very few makers are still classically trained in it. Fondant sits in the middle, buttercream at entry level. Beyond that, hand-sculpted sugar models are around £100 each, sugar flowers are priced by type and intricacy, and elaborate designs often need hidden internal engineering to stand up. Special effects such as LEDs, colour-changing lights or water atomisers require planning and testing, which adds to the cost.

Do you charge more for rush orders?

Yes. Tight timelines usually mean late nights and overnight shifts, so urgent commissions carry a premium.

Ordering and payment

How do deposits work?

Once a design is finalised we take a deposit to secure it. For wedding cakes and larger commissions that’s a 50% non-refundable booking deposit, deducted from your total, with the balance due one month before your event. Smaller cakes are payable in full at the time of ordering.

Can I taste the cake before I order?

Yes. Order a wedding cake tasting box — the £55 fee is redeemable against your order.

How far in advance should I order?

We’d suggest getting in touch at least six months ahead, particularly for weddings and peak dates — the more ambitious the design, the earlier we need to start.

That said, please don’t rule us out if you’ve left it late. When the calendar is lighter we can often accommodate much shorter notice. It costs nothing to ask.

What should I have ready before asking for a quote?

Your event date and venue, the number of guests you need to serve, your budget range, flavour preferences and any dietary needs, some design inspiration, and whether you’re open to dummy tiers.

Do I really need to share my budget?

It genuinely helps. A clear budget lets us design something we can actually deliver, rather than dreaming up a concept only to discover it’s twice what you hoped to spend. Share it early and you’ll get our best thinking pointed in the right direction.

Design and portions

What’s the difference between royal icing, fondant and buttercream?

Royal icing is the traditional finish — crisp, formal and the most labour-intensive. Fondant is the most popular choice and keeps a cake fresher for longer. Buttercream is beautiful and softer-looking, but it needs refrigeration, which can be difficult in summer heat, warm venues or direct sun.

Can I have a tall cake without feeding hundreds of people?

Yes — using dummy tiers. These are styrofoam forms that, once decorated, are indistinguishable from real cake. You can mix a few dummy tiers into a display cake, or make the whole showpiece from dummy and serve guests from cutting cakes kept in the catering kitchen. It’s a smart way to get the height and drama while managing budget and portions.

How many portions will I need?

That depends on the size and shape of each tier, and on how the cake is cut. We quote in dessert slices — a generous, plated portion rather than a thumb-width finger slice — so our figures aren’t directly comparable with quotes calculated the other way. Our cake portion guide sets out the numbers for every tier size and explains the difference.

Do you cater for dietary requirements?

We can make most of our flavours gluten free, and nut free is usually straightforward. We also offer dairy-free cakes, and xylitol in place of sugar if that’s what you need.

Vegan and eggless cakes aren’t something we make. We’ve tested a great deal over the years, and we’ve yet to find a plant-based recipe that gives us both the flavour we want and the structure a tiered cake needs to hold its shape through a long day. Rather than serve something that isn’t our best, we’d sooner point you towards makers who have made it their speciality — do ask, and we’ll happily suggest a few.

None of our cakes contain pork products. Our traditional fruitcake usually contains brandy, so do let us know if alcohol needs avoiding. We aren’t certified halal or kosher — if formal certification matters for your event, talk to us early and we’ll be straight with you about what we can and can’t guarantee.

Delivery and setup

Do you deliver and set up at the venue?

Yes. Larger multi-tiered cakes need internal supports and specialist delivery and assembly on site, which is a service in itself. Your venue and its access arrangements affect the quote, so tell us where you’re celebrating early on.

Alongside our own commissions, we make cakes ordered through the Harrods concierge team for their clients — so everything leaves us boxed and finished to a standard built to travel, whether it’s collected, couriered or set up at a venue.

Which areas do you cover?

We’re a London atelier delivering throughout the United Kingdom. We work regularly with Harrods, Claridge’s, The Savoy, The Dorchester, The Ivy, Annabel’s and Arundel Castle, and just as often with private homes, country estates and marquees far outside London.

Destination and international commissions are considered by arrangement. If you’re planning something abroad, start the conversation early — the logistics shape the design, and they’re worth getting right from the outset.

Still deciding?

Have a look at our wedding cakes, or check availability for your date.