How much does a birthday cake cost in 2026?

The number of guests is usually the best place to start.

A cake for eight people and a creation for fifty guests obviously need neither the same quantities nor the same amount of work.

Estimate for a custom cake

Important: this table is a simulation, not an official national price list. It simply applies a per-serving price range, observed on several public price lists from French bakers, to different numbers of guests. Complex decoration, a multi-tier structure, delivery or handmade elements can push the quote up significantly.

🧮 Know how many guests you're expecting?

Use the Taasty Cakes calculator: Calculate the number of servings

Then:

Not all custom cakes involve the same amount of work.

And that is where the price differences really begin.

A layer cake is made of several layers of sponge and filling, then decorated on the outside.

It is one of the most popular formats for birthdays.

The public price lists we looked at include:

• €5.50 per serving at some artisan bakers;
• €6.50 per serving for some single-tier layer cakes;
• around €7 per serving for some multi-tier creations;
• €7.50 and more depending on the decoration at other professionals.

For 20 people, a guide price of €110 to €150 is therefore consistent with this range of €5.50 to €7.50 per serving, before any extras.

Read next: Layer cake prices: how much should you budget?

A number cake usually takes the shape of a number: 1, 18, 30, 40…

It is particularly popular for birthdays.

Several artisan bakers currently charge around €5 to €6 per serving, although the decoration and the number of digits can change the price considerably.

A "3" is one thing.

A "30" loaded with macarons, fresh fruit, flowers and personalised details is quite another.

Read next: Number cake: prices, sizes and number of servings

A bento cake is a small cake for one person or just a few.

So the point is not necessarily to get the lowest price per serving.

People mostly choose it for:

• a small birthday;
• a surprise;
• a couple;
• a humorous decoration;
• a personalised message.

Read next: Bento cake: price, size and number of servings

You would like:

• a 3D car;
• a princess's castle;
• a modelled character;
• handmade sugar flowers;
• several tiers;
• a very precise reproduction of a theme?

The price then no longer depends on the ingredients alone.

You are also paying for several hours of artistic work.

Two cakes serving exactly 20 people can therefore have completely different prices.

This is the most obvious factor.

The more people you need to serve, the more you need:

• sponge;
• cream;
• filling;
• decoration;
• sometimes a more complex structure.

But the price does not necessarily rise in a perfectly straight line.

Imagine two orders.

Cake A

White layer cake, smooth finish, "Happy birthday Emma" written on top.

Cake B

Same number of servings, but with three colours, sugar flowers, a modelled character, macarons, gold details and a fully bespoke design.

They feed the same number of people.

They do not represent anything like the same number of working hours.

It is often the personalisation that explains the biggest differences between quotes.

Chocolate, pistachio, fresh fruit, vanilla, praline, exotic fruit…

Not all raw ingredients cost the same.

Some recipes also require more intermediate preparations.

The quote can change with:

• macarons;
• fresh flowers;
• sugar flowers;
• edible prints;
• figurines;
• modelled pieces;
• toppers;
• gold leaf;
• chocolate decorations;
• fully handmade elements.

Some bakers include a simple decoration in their base price; others charge for it separately.

So always ask what the quote includes.

Beyond a certain number of guests, a cake may need several tiers.

That sometimes adds:

• supports;
• cake boards;
• dowels;
• assembly time;
• transport constraints.

A tiered cake is not simply one cake placed on top of another while you keep your fingers firmly crossed.

A custom cake is fragile.

Very fragile.

Driving it across Paris on a Saturday afternoon is not quite the same as posting a parcel of socks.

Depending on the professional and the distance, delivery may therefore be charged separately.

To keep your budget down, check whether collection from the baker is possible.

For 20 people, applying an indicative range of €5.50 to €7.50 per serving gives roughly:

€110 to €150

for some types of custom layer cake.

A simple design may sometimes cost less, while complex cake design can go well beyond that amount.

Before asking for a quote, have ready:

• the number of guests;
• the date;
• your town or city;
• the theme;
• one or two inspiration pictures;
• the flavours you'd like;
• your maximum budget.

→ See our guide: Which cake for 20 people?

→ Find a cake designer near me

With the same indicative calculation:

30 × €5.50 = €165

and:

30 × €7.50 = €225

That gives a guide figure of around €165 to €225 for some creations within this range.

But for 30 people, the structure can become more substantial.

Depending on the design, the professional may suggest:

• one large layer cake;
• two cakes;
• a multi-tier cake;
• a number cake;
• a main cake served with cupcakes.

→ Read: Which cake for 30 people? Size, servings and budget

For 50 guests, the question of structure matters even more.

Still applying our illustrative range:

50 × €5.50 = €275

50 × €7.50 = €375

But at this scale, the professional may need to make several tiers or several cakes.

The actual quote may therefore differ from this simple multiplication.

For a big party, ask the baker for several set-ups:

Option A: one large centrepiece.

Option B: a smaller cake + extra portions.

Option C: cake + cupcakes.

You could get an equally spectacular result with a different arrangement.

Good news: cutting the budget doesn't have to mean ending up with three candles stuck in a fairy cake.

A beautifully smooth finish, a little fruit or a few flowers and some lettering can look very elegant.

A minimalist decoration generally takes less work than a fully sculpted world.

Characters, sugar flowers and complex modelling take time.

If your budget is tight, ask the cake designer which decorations give the best result for your budget.

Where possible, collecting it yourself can save on delivery charges.

Do check with the baker that the cake can be transported easily, though, and ask for their advice.

Instead of asking:

"How much does this cake cost?"

try:

"There are 25 of us and my maximum budget is €160. What can you suggest in this style?"

The baker can then adjust:

• the size;
• the decoration;
• the make-up of the cake;
• the personalised details.

It is far more effective.

Don't leave it until the night before.

Lead times vary enormously between professionals and depending on the time of year.

Some bakeries accept orders fairly close to the date for simple creations, while a much sought-after cake designer or a complex creation may need booking much earlier.

As an example, professionals currently quote lead times ranging from 48 hours for some orders to around two weeks or more for custom creations.

For an important or highly personalised cake, contact the professional as soon as you know your date.

Especially for:

• weekends;
• wedding season;
• May–June;
• September;
• December.

→ Read: How far in advance should you order a cake?

Price matters.

But it is not the only criterion.

Also look at:

Their portfolio

Does the professional regularly make the style you are after?

Reviews

Look at feedback on:

• taste;
• communication;
• how faithfully the design was followed;
• punctuality;
• delivery.

Their specialities

An excellent traditional baker does not automatically specialise in 3D cake design.

And vice versa.

Order terms

Check:

• deposit;
• cancellation;
• collection;
• delivery;
• lead time;
• possible changes.

Gut feeling

For a highly personalised order, the professional's ability to understand what you want counts for a great deal.

You now know your number of guests, your budget and the style of cake you are looking for.

That leaves the nicest part:

finding the person who will make it.

On Taasty Cakes, browse bakers and cake designers, their creations, specialities, prices where available and reviews, then send your request.