How to Write a Cake Brief That Works (Without a 40-Page Mood Board)

There is a moment in nearly every cake enquiry when the message goes something like: 'Hi, can I order a chocolate cake for Saturday?' It is friendly, it is enthusiastic, and it is almost impossible to quote for. Not because chocolate is a problem — chocolate is never a problem — but because the details that turn a good idea into a great cake are still missing.

At Cakes by Dawn, we bake in small batches from a home kitchen. That means every order is planned rather than plucked from a shelf. It is a lovely thing for flavour and a slightly less lovely thing for guesswork. So here is a gentle guide to writing a cake brief that gives your baker what they need without turning your kitchen table into a project management hub.

Start with the occasion, not the colour

The occasion sets the tone more than any colour chart. A 40th birthday in a village hall has a different energy from a christening at the local church, and a cake for a quiet anniversary tea is not the same beast as one for a classroom full of eight-year-olds. Tell us what the day is, who it is for, and how you want the room to feel when the cake comes out. 'Fun and a bit loud' is useful. 'Elegant but not fussy' is useful. 'Make it nice' is, sadly, a riddle.

The guest count is the plot twist

Most people underestimate how many slices a cake will give. A 20cm round looks generous on the kitchen counter until 25 people arrive with forks. Tell us how many guests you are expecting and whether the cake is pudding, a mid-afternoon slice with tea, or one of several puddings. We will do the maths and suggest a size. If you are planning a party where half the guests are children who only eat the icing, say so — that changes the brief too.

Flavour: a shortlist, not a spreadsheet

Three flavours is plenty. One favourite, one maybe, and one absolutely not. 'Chocolate, please' is a start, but which chocolate? A deep, dark ganache? A soft chocolate sponge with vanilla buttercream? A salted caramel situation? If you love lemon, tell us whether you mean sharp and zesty or soft and sweet. If you hate fruit in cakes, say it now rather than discovering it at the tasting. A shortlist helps us steer you towards something that will actually get eaten.

Allergies and dietary needs: tell us early, plainly

If someone at the party has a nut allergy, a gluten intolerance, or follows a vegan diet, tell us at the enquiry stage. We are a home kitchen, not a factory, and we need to be honest about what we can and cannot guarantee. We can talk you through cross-contact risks and suggest flavours that work within your limits. What we cannot do is promise a 'free-from' cake if we only find out the day before. Early, plain information is worth more than a nervous email later.

Design inspiration without the contradictions

Pinterest is a wonderful place to start and a terrible place to finish. Send two or three images, not twenty. Tell us what you love about each one: the colours, the texture, the flowers, the handwriting on the board. A mood board that combines buttercream roses, a minimalist drip, and a fondant unicorn is not one cake; it is three cakes arguing. If you have a colour palette, share it. If you have a venue with a very specific tablecloth, mention it. If you have no idea, say so — we can work with a feeling.

The words on the cake

Inscription wording causes more last-minute panic than anything else. Check the spelling of names, the punctuation, and the capitalisation. 'Happy Birthday, Nana' and 'Happy Birthday Nana' look different, and both are correct depending on your family. Keep it short if you can. A long message in icing can look cramped, and a tiny piped font is harder to read from across a room. If you want a message inside the cake, tell us that too. Handwriting is not a design flaw; it is part of the charm.

Collection time and the handover

Tell us when you need the cake and who is collecting it. A cake that leaves the kitchen at 2pm for a 2.15pm party is a cake that will be cut in a hurry and possibly in the car. Build in a buffer. Think about the weather — a warm July afternoon and a buttercream cake are not always best friends — and bring a flat, cool space in the car. If you are sending a friend or a grandparent, make sure they know the address and the collection window. A quick text on the day helps everyone.

What you can leave to us

You do not need to specify the exact buttercream consistency, the number of piping swirls, or the precise shade of sage. Give us the feeling and the practical details, and let us do the making. 'A bit like that one on Instagram but not exactly' is a harder brief than 'soft green, fresh flowers, nothing too tall'. Trust is part of the recipe.

A simple checklist

Before you hit send, check you have covered: the occasion and date; the guest count and how the cake will be served; a flavour shortlist; allergy and dietary notes; two or three design references and what you love about them; the inscription wording; collection time and collector; and your budget. That is it. You do not need a forty-page document. You need a few thoughtful details, a clear date, and a conversation. The best cakes start there.