Cake terms explained
Understand custom cake terms before you order
Use our plain-language glossary to compare finishes, structure, tiers, toppers, flavours and other terms that may appear in a custom cake discussion.
20 cake termsSearchable A–Z definitions
B
- Brief
- The set of details you send to start a custom cake: date, suburb, servings, flavour, theme, reference photos, and the personal touches that matter most.Brief builder
- Butter cake
- A classic cake with a tender, buttery crumb, sturdier than a sponge and lighter than a mud cake. Marble and lemon butter cakes are common examples.Marble cake
- Buttercream
- A soft, whipped icing made from butter and sugar, used to fill and coat a cake. It suits piping, texture, soft colour, and flavour-led designs, and softens in heat.Buttercream custom cakes
C
- Cake board
- The sturdy base a cake is built and presented on. It carries the weight, protects the cake in transit, and gives you a safe surface to lift and move it by.
- Crumb coat
- A thin first layer of icing that traps loose crumbs and seals the cake. The final, neat layer goes on top of it. It is a step in the build, not a finish you see.
D
- Dowels
- Food-safe internal supports placed inside a tiered cake so the upper tiers do not sink into the lower ones. They are hidden inside the cake and removed before eating.
- Drip cake
- A cake finished with controlled drips of ganache or chocolate down the sides. A popular modern look that pairs well with toppers and fresh decoration.
E
- Edible image
- A photo, logo, or pattern printed with edible ink onto a thin icing sheet and applied to the cake. It is a quick, clean way to add a character, face, or brand mark.Personalisation guide
F
- Fondant
- A smooth, rollable sugar paste laid over a cake for a clean, sculptural finish. It holds sharp edges, bold colour, and character detail better than buttercream, and needs more lead time.Fondant custom cakes
G
- Ganache
- A firm coating of chocolate and cream set around a cake. It is the most heat-stable finish we make, which is why it is recommended for carved designs, hot days, and long Melbourne drives.Chocolate mud cake
- Gula Melaka
- Malaysian palm sugar with a deep, smoky caramel flavour. We fold it through cream cheese to pair with pandan sponge in our most well-known cake.Pandan and gula Melaka cake
L
- Lead time
- How far ahead you order. We recommend ordering about one month ahead. Peak-season and popular-date production spots can be taken earlier, so please order as soon as your celebration date is known.Lead-time guide
M
- Mud cake
- A dense, moist, fudgy cake. Its firm crumb carves cleanly and supports tall tiers and heavy decoration, making it the go-to for sculpted and structured designs.Chocolate mud cake
N
- Naked and semi-naked cake
- A style where the cake sides are left bare (naked) or only lightly coated (semi-naked), showing the layers. It gives a soft, rustic look that suits some themes more than others.
P
- Pandan
- A fragrant South-East Asian leaf used in baking for its vanilla-coconut-grassy aroma and distinctive pandan character. A signature flavour base in our sponge cakes.Pandan and gula Melaka cake
S
- Sculpted cake
- A cake carved into a three-dimensional shape, such as an object, animal, or character. It needs a firm cake, careful structure, and extra lead time.Design limits
- Servings
- The number of standard slices a cake yields. It depends on cake size and how it is cut. Our smallest custom cakes serve about 12 to 15 guests.Servings guide
- Sponge cake
- A light, airy cake with a soft crumb. It suits delicate, flavour-led designs but is less sturdy than a mud or butter cake under heavy structure.Cake flavours
T
- Tier
- A separate stacked layer of a cake, each often its own size. A two-tier cake has two stacked sections. Tiers add height and serving capacity but need internal support.Size and tier guide
- Topper
- A decorative piece that sits on top of a cake, such as a name, age, figure, or motif. Toppers can be handmade from sugar, printed, or crafted from other materials.Toppers and personalisation
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Next step
Contact us about your custom cake
Send your date, servings, suburb, preferred flavour and the cake style or references you like. Peak-season and popular-date production spots can fill early, so ordering ahead is recommended.
- Custom cakes from $150
- 12–15 serves minimum
- Melbourne delivery & pickup