top of page

Cake Design Tips for Custom Cakes

If you’re looking for cake design tips and ideas for your next cakes, look no further.  The Berlin Baking Co, has five tips for coming up with a design for your next birthday cake, bridal shower cake, or event you might be hosting.  These tips will help get your creative juices flowing and ensure that you’re thinking about the right things when picking your cake design.

​

 

  1. Shape is important.  A round cake has a more traditional feel and the decor can be a bit more abstract.  A sheet cake practically requires a diorama or scene to be drawn.  I prefer a round cake.  It is the old fashioned person in me, maybe.  Also, as a general recommendation, every round cake I make has at least three layers and the sheet cakes I make are all two layers.  This detail is one way to really show your guests that you’ve chosen a premium cake.  It just takes it to the next level.

  2. Think about flavor.  This is always the first question I ask to my clients.  The Berlin Baking Co. focuses on flavor.  Sure, the cake has to look beautiful, but if it isn’t delicious, everyone will forget how it looked.  Everyone remembers a bad cake.  Of course, chocolate and vanilla cakes are the standard, but even those cake flavors can be spiced up.  Chocolate pairs well with mint, orange, and coffee.  Vanilla and a seasonal fruit is a great choice too.

  3. Pick a theme.  This is easier said than done.  For a child’s birthday party, the theme is the easy part.  Turning that theme into a custom cake design is the difficult part.  Ask yourself, is this cake going to be fun or serious?  Is it going to be cute or beautiful?  Do I want my cake to say EAT me, or be a work or art that no one will want to cut?  

  4. Find inspiration.  In today’s world of digital connectivity, it is so easy to get on Google and find a picture of a cake that looks good and make a copy.  I do that too to get ideas.  However, truly finding inspiration for a cake is the way to make it unique and truly custom.  Knowing the likes and dislikes of the person receiving the cake, the colors they like, the designs they find interesting, the

  5. Know your limitations.  Not everyone can sculpt a 10:1 scale replica of Rubble from Paw Patrol from modeling chocolate.  That’s fine.  Even someone with no artistic skill can make a cake that is beautiful.  If you’re a beginner, I recommend staying away from writing.  That is a sure fire way to scream novice.  If you can’t make flowers, don’t use a petal tip.  Focus on the things that you can do and do them well.  Practice a little before you start piping.  If its a disaster, icing can always be removed and you can try again.

​

 

I encourage everyone to try to design and decorate a cake.  I hope these five tips help you to come up with the design for your next cake.  If you need help designing or need consultation, The Berlin Baking Co. is happy to help.  The Berlin Baking Co. designs and creates custom cakes in Greenwood Indiana and specializes in premium made-to-order cakes for any occasion.

bottom of page