Online ordering for cake shops: pre-orders with the right lead time
Updated October 25, 2026
A cake shop sells two things at once: slices and traybakes off the counter today, and celebration cakes booked days ahead. Menuthere handles both from your own ordering link. Counter items are ordered for pickup now; a tiered birthday cake can require, say, 48 hours' notice before anyone can book it, with the pickup date, flavour and message captured at checkout. You keep 0% commission and the money lands in your own Stripe account. This page is honest about one thing most cake tools gloss over: deposits.
In short
- Lead time per cake. Require notice on the dishes that need it (a custom cake needs 2 days; a brownie doesn't), so nobody books a wedding cake for tomorrow.
- Pre-order a pickup date. Customers pick a future collection date and time, booked while you're open or closed.
- Flavour, size and message captured. Add-on groups take the sponge, filling, size and the message to pipe.
- Honest on deposits. Menuthere doesn't take a part-payment at checkout. You either take the full amount online, collect on pickup, or send a Stripe deposit link yourself. The section below explains the trade-off.
Counter items and celebration cakes, one link
Your online menu can hold both kinds of product side by side:
| Product | How a customer buys it | How you set it up |
|---|---|---|
| Slice of cake, brownie, cookie | Pickup "as soon as possible" | A normal dish, no lead time |
| Dozen cupcakes for Friday | Pre-order with a pickup date | Dish with a minimum notice (e.g. 1 day) |
| 8-inch birthday cake | Pre-order, choose sponge, filling, message | Dish + required add-on groups + 2-day lead time |
| Wedding cake enquiry | A conversation first | Link out to a quote/consult; see limits below |
Everything except the wedding-cake consult is a standard product on your menu. The celebration cakes just carry a longer notice and more choices.
Lead time: stop next-day wedding cakes
The feature that makes a cake shop work online is minimum notice per dish. On a celebration cake you set how far ahead it must be ordered, for example 48 hours, and how many days ahead a customer may book. Checkout then only offers pickup dates that respect it. A brownie stays "pickup today"; the tiered cake can't be booked for tomorrow.
A worked example. You require 2 days' notice on custom cakes and allow bookings up to 30 days ahead. A customer ordering on a Monday sees the earliest pickup as Wednesday, and can book any date up to roughly a month out. The order lands with the pickup date on it, and waits in your bookings list until it's due.
Capture the cake details at checkout
Use required add-on groups so the kitchen never has to chase the customer:
- Size (6", 8", 10") as variants, each with its own price.
- Sponge (vanilla, chocolate, red velvet) as a required single choice.
- Filling (buttercream, jam, ganache) as a required single choice.
- Message on the cake as a free-text note the customer types, so "Happy 30th, Sam" prints on the ticket.
- Allergen note so a customer can flag a nut allergy.
Mark each cake's allergens on the dish too, so customers see them before they order. If your brand has 20 or more locations under the same name, US menu-labeling rules apply to online menus as well; see FDA menu labeling requirements.
The deposit question, answered honestly
This is where to be straight. Menuthere doesn't split a payment into a deposit and a balance at checkout. You have three honest options:
- Take the full price online when the cake is ordered. Simplest, and it kills no-shows. The money lands in your Stripe account.
- Order online, pay on collection. Good for regulars, but you carry the risk if they don't turn up for a made-to-order cake.
- Take a deposit outside checkout. After the order comes in, send the customer a Stripe payment link for the deposit yourself, and collect the balance on pickup.
If taking a deposit at checkout is essential to your business, know that going in. For printable custom-cake request forms you can hand out or email, the free cake order form helps, and the cake price calculator sets the prices behind all of this; see also how to price cakes.
What the booking looks like on your side
- A bookings list holds every pre-ordered cake by pickup date, so you can plan the week's bakes.
- A "due soon" view flags cakes due within the next window, so nothing is forgotten on the day.
- New orders ring on the Menuthere app until accepted, and can auto-print with the size, sponge, filling and message.
- The pickup date and time are on the ticket, so the cake is ready when the customer arrives.
The fee math on a $55 cake
An 8-inch custom cake at $55, paid online:
| Channel | How it's charged | What you keep |
|---|---|---|
| Your own link + Stripe | 2.9% + 30¢ = $1.90 | $53.10 |
| A delivery app at 25% | $13.75 commission | $41.25 |
On a made-to-order cake, a delivery app's cut is money off a product you've already priced tight. Your own link costs the card fee only, and the customer's details stay with you for next year's birthday. Delivery apps also rarely suit cakes, which are collected, not couriered.
Honest limits
- No deposit or part-payment at checkout. Take the full amount, collect on pickup, or send a Stripe deposit link by hand.
- No built-in custom-order enquiry form inside the store. The product takes orders for items on your menu; for bespoke "tell me what you want" requests, use the free cake order form template or a note field, then quote the customer.
- No ready-made Square, Toast or Clover link. Orders arrive in the Menuthere dashboard and print from there.
Home-based cake makers should also read online ordering for home bakers and how to start a home food business. For broader bakery ranges, see online ordering for bakeries.
Set up cake-shop ordering with lead time
- Create your store and add counter items and your cakes.
- Set lead time on the cakes that need it, such as 2 days' notice, up to 30 days ahead.
- Add required choices for size, sponge and filling, and a message field.
- Mark allergens on every cake.
- Connect Stripe so card payments land in your own account, and decide pay-now or pay-on-pickup.
- Turn on order alerts or auto-print so each booking reaches the kitchen with its pickup date.
- Share the link on Google, Instagram and a QR code in the window, then place a test order.
Cake pre-orders with real lead time, 0% commission.
Frequently asked questions
Can I stop customers ordering a custom cake for the next day?
Yes. Set a minimum notice on the cake, for example 48 hours. Checkout then only offers pickup dates that respect it, so a tiered cake can't be booked for tomorrow while a brownie stays available today.
Can customers choose a future pickup date for a cake?
Yes. Cakes are pre-ordered with a pickup date and time, booked while you're open or closed, up to the number of days ahead you allow. The pickup date shows on the kitchen ticket and in your bookings list.
Can I take a deposit on a cake order?
Not at checkout. Menuthere doesn't split a payment into a deposit and a balance. You can take the full price online, collect on pickup, or send the customer a Stripe payment link for a deposit yourself after the order comes in.
Can customers add the sponge, filling and message when ordering?
Yes. Add required add-on groups for size, sponge and filling, and a free-text field for the message to pipe, such as "Happy 30th, Sam". The choices and message print on the ticket.
How much does online ordering cost a cake shop?
The Free plan takes up to 50 orders a month at 0% commission; Lite is $17 a month for unlimited orders and lead-time pre-orders. On top you pay only the card fee, about 2.9% + 30¢ per online order, so a $55 cake nets about $53.10.
Sources (4)
- Stripe US standard pricing, 2.9% + 30¢ per successful domestic card charge (Stripe pricing page), accessed 26 Oct 2026.
- 21 CFR 101.11 (covered establishment = chain with 20 or more locations under the same name; online menus covered), eCFR, accessed 26 Oct 2026.
- Menuthere Docs: Create your store; Variants and add-on groups (Required, free-text note); Minimum notice and days-ahead per dish; Pre-orders and scheduled pickup; Bookings / due soon; Allergens; Payment options for each order type; Connect Stripe; New order alerts and ringing; Kitchen tickets (KOT); Free plan limits (50 orders/month); Plans compared (Lite $17) (read 26 Oct 2026).
- Menuthere product facts confirmed in code (26 Oct 2026): no deposit/part-payment at checkout; scheduled orders/pre-orders and per-dish minimum notice on Lite; no Square/Toast/Clover POS link; free standalone tool /tools/cake-order-form.