How Far in Advance Should You Order a Custom Cake in Bangalore?

Most cake panic happens in the 48 hours before a party. Someone realises the design they saved needs a few days, or that the bakery's closed on the day they need it. Here's how to get the timing right, whoever you order from.

The quick version

For our bakehouse:

• A cake from the menu: order before 12 noon and it reaches you the same evening, between 4 and 5 PM. Order after noon and it goes out the next working day.
• A custom cake with a simple design: give us as much notice as you can. If the date is close, WhatsApp us as well as filling in the form, so it doesn't sit in a queue.
• A detailed design: a few days' notice.
• Two or three tiers: a few days' notice, and remember the minimums: 3kg for two tiers, 4kg for three.
• Bread with the order: a day ahead, always. Bread is baked to the next-day schedule.
• Mondays: we're closed.

For deliveries to far-off parts of Bengaluru, or for big cakes, order a day ahead even if it's off the regular menu.

Why a custom cake needs notice

We bake everything the day it reaches you. Nothing is made in advance and kept aside. So the notice isn't about baking early. It's about everything that has to happen before the baking.

A custom order involves working out the design with you, agreeing any dietary swaps, confirming the price, and then fitting the decoration into a day that already has other cakes in it. A simple cake with a message is quick. Hand-finished figures, a detailed theme or a stacked cake take real hours of work on the day, and we can only take on so many of those at once.

Weekends, festivals and Mondays

Weekends are when most birthdays get celebrated, so Saturdays and Sundays fill first at most bakeries. The same goes for the weeks around big festivals. If your date falls on one of these, add a few days to whatever notice you'd normally give.

We're closed on Mondays. If your celebration is on a Monday, plan for a Sunday delivery. A cream cake kept boxed in the fridge overnight is usually fine the next day. Or move the cake-cutting to Tuesday evening.

What to send us

The more of this you send in the first message, the fewer messages go back and forth.

• Date and time you need it, and whether it's delivery or pickup.
• How many people, or the weight you have in mind. Single-tier cakes start at 500g.
• Flavour and flour: maida, atta or gluten-free.
• Dietary needs: eggless, gluten-free, vegan, sugar-free, or an allergy we should know about.
• A reference photo. One picture explains more than a paragraph.
• The exact message for the cake, spelt the way you want it to appear.
• Colours or a theme, if there's no photo.
• The delivery address and the name and number of whoever will receive it.
• Whether it's a surprise, so nobody spoils it.

The custom cake form asks for all of this, and lets you attach a photo. It also asks whether you want a snacks box with the cake, if you're feeding people anyway.

What happens after you send it

We come back to you on the design, any swaps and the final price, and nothing goes in the oven until you've agreed. Some choices change the price: whole wheat adds ₹200 per kg, gluten-free and vegan each add ₹250 per 500g, and sugar-free (made with egg) adds ₹200 per 500g.

For delivery, you'll choose between a bike, which suits 500g cakes best, and a cab, which is the safest way to move anything larger, taller or tiered. Custom deliveries are charged at actuals. You can also collect it from the bakehouse in Kasavanahalli.

If you've left it late

It happens. Don't give up on a nice cake.

• Check the classic cakes on the menu. Order before noon and one can reach you the same evening.
• Ask for a simpler version of the design you wanted. A good cake with a clean message beats a rushed complicated one.
• Get in touch through the contact page or WhatsApp, and tell us the date straight away. We'll say honestly whether we can do it.

A simple rule

A few days' notice for anything with a design, a day for anything big or far away, and never a Monday. Follow that and the cake will be the least stressful part of the party.