Boards and Boxes

For a single-tier cake without heavy decoration, a board 2" (5 cm) larger than the cake diameter gives a clean edge and space for a ribbon. If you're adding thick borders, sugarpaste ruffles, or serving the cake on a display board, go up to 4" (10 cm) larger. Square cakes on square boards follow the same rule — the board should clear all four sides equally.

Drum boards (sometimes called cake drums) are 12 mm thick and very sturdy — ideal as the base board for a finished cake that needs to be transported or displayed. Masonite boards (also called thin boards or hardboards) are 4–5 mm thick and are commonly used as internal separator boards between tiers in a stacked cake, or as a lightweight base for smaller single-tier cakes.

Match the box size to the drum board size, not the cake itself. The drum board sits inside the box, so a 10" board needs a 10" box. The cake on the board will sit comfortably inside with clearance around the sides. If you've added a ribbon or thick border decoration that extends beyond the board edge, size up by 1" to allow clearance.

A standard box suits most single-tier cakes up to around 4–5" (10–13 cm) in height with simple decoration. Use a tall box if your cake is taller than 5" (13 cm), heavily decorated with tall flowers, or if you're stacking two tiers inside one box. We stock tall boxes in 8", 10", 12", and 14" sizes, with heights of 10" or 12" depending on the size. Box extensions are also available if you need extra height for a standard box.

Each tier sits on its own drum board (the board matches the tier's cake size). The bottom tier board is then placed on a larger display drum board — typically 2–4" wider than the bottom tier — which is what goes into the box. Choose a box to match that display board size. For very tall stacked tiers, tall boxes or box extensions will give you the headroom you need.

Our Round Cake Drums and Square Cake Drums both run from 4" to 20" (10–51 cm). Coloured drum boards — available in gold, rose gold, white, pink, red, and more — are stocked in round sizes from 8" to 16" and square sizes from 8" to 14". Rectangle drum boards are available in a range of sizes from 8" × 10" up to 18" × 30" for slab and sheet cakes.

We stock flat cupcake boxes in 2, 4, 6, and 12-hole options, plus corrugated and seasonal designs. For tall swirled frosting or fondant decorations, a flat cupcake box may be too low — consider our Crystal Cake Boxes or the CupCake Bouquet Box Kit for display-style presentation.