It can take hours to bake, layer and frost a cake, and then it's delivered in a simple, non-marked container to the customer. More bakeries are beginning to understand that packaging is not just an afterthought, it's a product. When a custom cake box arrives at the doorstep or countertop, customers can tell the difference and a bakery is as polished on the outside as it is on the inside, which is a result of the time spent building it.
Whether you're a home baker who wants to start a business, or a small bakery that is a competitor to grocery store bakeries, the box is one of the first things your customer will notice before opening the lid.
What's Holding Small Bakeries Back From Better Packaging?
Most conventional box manufacturers require a high order quantity before giving a price for custom boxes. This is fine for a national chain of bakeries but this does not apply to a bakery making a few hundred cakes per month. This leaves an abundance of bakeries with boxes that don't even look like their brand.
It's not a bigger budget that's the real answer. It's getting a manufacturer to do a custom run that isn't as big but will not cost so much.
How Cake Box Packaging Protects the Product Itself
Great cake box packaging is more than just good looks. It will keep sensitive cakes from collapsing during delivery, will not allow frosting to get smudged onto the top and will hold its shape when stacked with other orders.
- The corners are solid so boxes don't fall apart easily.
- Lock tabs to prevent the lid from opening with tape
- The box is greaseproof which prevents buttercream and oil from dripping through it.
- With proper ventilation condensation will not soften the cake
Custom Cake Boxes With Logo: Turning Packaging Into Marketing
Custom cake boxes with logo printing turn a simple container into a marketing tool. All boxes go out of the shop, and they are mini billboards, particularly when customers share photos of their cut cakes on social media.
This used to involve minimum orders of fairly large quantities, but now there are many manufacturers that will do logo printing on a smaller custom run. There's no need for a bakery to have thousands of boxes in storage just to have their name on the box.
Are Printed Cake Boxes Worth the Extra Cost?
While printed cake boxes tend to be more expensive than plain stock boxes, the return is usually seen in repeat business. Presentation is important when customers are deciding between their local bakery and the supermarket bakery counter and a well-branded box can do this.
Printed packaging is also worth a higher cost for those venues that are selling custom orders or wedding cakes. When spending more money on a cake, customers will expect nicer packaging.
Cake Boxes With Window: A Simple Upgrade With a Big Impact
Whether customers want to preview a cupcake or a cake slice before opening the lid or even if it's a cake with decorations that will get noticed on a display, there is nothing more effective than a cake box with a window. A clear window also minimizes the chance that a customer will open and re-close a box before leaving the store, thus ensuring that the product remains unharmed.
Where Window Boxes Work Best
- Cupcake and pastry cases for exhibition
- Cake Slices for Breakfast or Afternoon at a Cafe
- Cake releases for the season or holidays
Where a Solid Box Still Makes Sense
- Whole cakes requiring complete protection (wedding or tiered).
- Baked goods that need to be sent a long way, or to be sent by courier.
- Fondant work for custom orders with fine decorations
What to Look for in a Cake Box Manufacturer
Not all packaging suppliers are fit-for-purpose in a bakery. There are a few parameters that make the difference between a Dependable manufacturer and a Frustrating one
- The company is not adding a markup to the price, it is simply selling directly to the public.
- Eco-friendly, food safe board (standard)
- The ability for smaller bakeries to order in smaller quantities can be more flexible. Smaller bakery businesses may have more flexible minimum order quantities.
- In-house printing for quicker turnaround time for branded runs.
A few manufacturers' names will be considered by bakery comparison shops before they make a decision. Smaller bakeries have an opportunity to experiment with packaging before buying in large quantities, as Kwick Packaging works directly with them for custom box runs.
USA's Leading Bakery Packaging Brands: Kwick Packaging and Others
Bakeries are more inclined to narrow down the options to a few well-known US suppliers when searching for packaging companies. Other terms that come up frequently in that research are “Packlane” and “PakFactory”, known for being able to deal with smaller custom print runs without long production times.
Who Actually Orders Custom Cake Packaging?
It's not just large bakery chains that see demand for branded cake boxes. These days, an array of businesses is ordering custom runs:
- Individuals baking at home and selling products via social media and/or local pick-up services.
- Cafes and coffee shops are adding cake slices to their display case
- Wedding & event bakers require packaging matching a theme.
- Specialty and grocery food stores that have a bakery counter.
These are all different kinds of sellers who have varying volume requirements, and that's why the flexibility of order sizes is more important than flashy features.
Getting Started With a Packaging Upgrade
Redesigning a brand overnight to change into a custom box is not necessary. Generally most manufacturers will give you samples to test the quality of the boxes, window placement and print quality before placing an order.
Final Thoughts
Custom cake boxes are no longer for the big budget bakery chains. Even the local bakery can make their cakes look the same as the top brands with logo printing, window options and manufacturers now making smaller custom runs. With the growing number of small bakeries vying for attention in terms of presentation rather than taste, custom packaging is likely to be the norm rather than the exception for orders.