When Small Cake Isn’t Always Cheaper: The Truth About Small Custom Cakes

 

When you're planning a small celebration with just a handful of people, it makes perfect sense to want something just as special, just in a smaller size. 

Maybe it's a romantic celebration for two, a cozy family birthday, or a heartfelt surprise for someone close. And naturally, you might want a custom cake to match that sentiment.

At Amour Desserts, we absolutely understand the desire to personalise and make even the smallest gathering feel significant.

But you may have noticed that we have a minimum requirement of 12 servings for our custom cakes.

If you're wondering why that is, this post is here to walk you through the reasons - and to offer thoughtful alternatives for your small celebration.

What Counts as a Custom Cake?

Before diving into the "why," it's important to define what we mean by a custom cake.

A custom cake is a fully tailored creation designed just for your occasion. This includes:

• A design consultation (either through messages or email)

• Specific choices including flavour, size, shape, theme, colours, & decorations

• Handmade details like sugar flowers, fondant characters, edible prints, or textured finishes

• Tiered construction or sculpted shapes (depending on the brief)

Each custom cake we make is built from scratch - not just in terms of baking, but also in terms of design and decoration.

That means each one requires careful planning, attention to detail, and a fair amount of hands-on time.

And here's the truth: whether a cake is made for 5 people or 50, much of the preparation work is exactly the same.

The Work Behind a Small Cake Isn’t As Small As Most Think

It might seem like a smaller cake should cost less because it's using fewer ingredients.

And while that’s true when it comes to butter and flour, the time and labour involved in creating a custom cake is largely unaffected by its size when it comes to smaller cakes.

In fact, smaller cakes can sometimes be trickier to decorate:

• Less space to work with means greater precision is needed for intricate designs

• Certain structural or design elements don’t scale down well

• The usual processes remains the same, i.e planning, baking, chilling, frosting, decorating, and boxing etc.

Even when we receive a request for a small 5-serving cake for example, our process remains the same:

• Design confirmation and admin

• Preparation of cake batter and fillings

• Cake stacking, smoothing, chilling

• Custom decoration and finishing

That’s why a custom cake for 5 people often ends up being nearly the same price as a cake for 12–14 servings.

And most customers, understandably, find that surprising when they receive the quote.

Why We Set a 12-Serving Minimum

We've learned over time that it makes the most sense - both for customers and for us - to set a minimum of 12 servings for custom cake orders. Here's why:

1. Value for Your Investment

With a 12-serving cake, you're getting better value per slice. Since the cost of the design, labour, and packaging is already factored in, the price per person becomes more reasonable.

2. Design Room

Many custom designs simply require more physical space to execute well. There’s more surface area to place florals, text, toppers, and textures.

3. Resource Efficiency

We’ve found that custom orders below 12 servings can disrupt our production flow, often needing the same attention - and sometimes more time - than larger cakes.

Smaller cakes often require extra precision and planning, which makes it harder to maintain a smooth schedule.

4. Avoiding Sticker Shock

We don’t want you to feel surprised or disappointed when a tiny cake ends up costing nearly as much as a full one.

By setting a size minimum, we reduce misalignment between expectations and reality.

What If I’m Only Celebrating With a Few People?

Don’t worry, you’re not out of options! We have several beautiful and budget-conscious alternatives that still feel thoughtful and celebratory:

1. Our Signature Cakes (Pre-Designed)

Throughout the year, we release a range of small, elegant cakes in standardised designs. These are perfect for:

• Birthdays

• Anniversaries

• Festive celebrations

While they’re not customisable, they are thoughtfully designed and made with the same high quality ingredients.

2. Cupcake Flower Bouquet

Our Flower Cupcake Bouquet offer a lovely way to celebrate without needing a full-size cake. Perfect for smaller celebrations & gifting!

3. Get Cake Slices instead of Whole Cakes 

If your celebration is super intimate, consider ordering individual cake slices instead of a whole cake.

This way, you can still enjoy variety, flavour, and a beautifully made treat - without the need for a full-sized cake.

4. Or Go Big and Make It Last

If you’ve got your heart set on a custom cake, go for the minimum 12-serving option. 

Yes it may be too much cake for a day, but with this you get to extend your celebration and can enjoy your custom designed cake over a few days! (some of our regulars do this!)

Custom cakes keep well when stored properly, and you’ll get more value per slice while still having something meaningful for your celebration.

We’re Here to Help You Celebrate (Big or Small)

We truly love helping people celebrate all of life’s moments - whether it’s a big wedding or a simple Tuesday birthday.

That’s why we focus on making the right product for the right occasion. For large celebrations, a fully customised cake makes perfect sense.

For smaller ones, our curated options give you the same joy without stretching your budget or compromising quality.

So if you’re planning a small celebration, here are some thoughtful ways to make it special:

• Explore our ready-made mini cakes and cupcake sets

• Consider cake slices or other giftable desserts

• Or simply opt for the larger custom cake (min 12 servings) - message us & we’re always happy to help you find something that suits your plans beautifully

TL;DR: Why No Small Custom Cakes?

• Labour and time taken to create them don’t shrink with cake size

• Smaller custom cakes often cost nearly the same as regular ones

• We want to offer reasonable pricing and great design value

• Better-suited alternatives for small gatherings

Final Thought

We know it can feel disheartening to hear "no" to a custom idea you were excited about.

But hopefully, you now understand the reason behind this, and more importantly - you see that you still have some delightful ways to celebrate.

Thank you for supporting small businesses like ours. We appreciate your understanding, and we’re always here to help you celebrate meaningfully.