Cake Order Form: Orders Without 100 Chats

Below: what each field is for, how much notice and deposit to ask for, and which reminders matter. At the end, how the shop link in AQUORIA O.N.E handles most of it for home bakers and cake shops, and the one part you still do by hand.

Why cake orders get messy in chat

A custom cake ordered over chat often takes 15 to 30 messages: 'How much for 6 inch?', 'Can do chocolate?', 'Can write Happy 5th Birthday Aiden?', 'Can collect Sunday 3pm?', 'Got eggless?' Then a PayNow screenshot that you have to match to the right chat. Multiply that by 20 orders before Mother's Day and something slips: the spelling of a name, a date, a nut allergy.

An order form fixes this by asking the same questions every time, in the same order, before the customer pays. You read one complete order instead of rebuilding it from a conversation.

What a cake order form must collect

Cake and size: each cake with its sizes (6 inch, 8 inch, 1 kg) and a price for each, so the customer sees the real total.
Flavour and filling: a list to choose from, such as chocolate, pandan gula melaka, Earl Grey or salted caramel, with any extra cost shown.
Message on the cake: a short text box with a sensible length limit, and a reminder to check the spelling of names.
Date and time: the day it's needed and a collection or delivery time slot, never 'anytime Sunday'.
Collection or delivery: for delivery, the full address with postcode and the delivery fee.
Allergies and dietary needs: nut-free, eggless, less sweet. Ask every time rather than waiting for the customer to mention it.
Contact: a phone number you can reach on the day.
Payment: full payment or a deposit, how they paid, and what's still owed at collection.

Lead times: how much notice to ask for

Lead time is how many days ahead an order must come in. Set it per cake rather than one rule for the whole shop, because a box of cupcakes and a three-tier cake don't take the same time. Typical settings:

Simple cakes, tarts and bakes: 1 to 2 days.
Custom designs with fondant, figurines or printed toppers: 5 to 7 days.
Tiered or wedding cakes: 3 to 6 weeks, with a tasting or design chat first.
Festive peaks such as Mother's Day, Mid-Autumn, Christmas and Chinese New Year: close orders earlier and cap how many you take each day.

Cap your daily capacity

If you can bake eight cakes on a Saturday, your form should stop offering Saturday after the eighth order. Leaving it to you to say sorry, one chat at a time, is how home bakers end up decorating at 3am. Time slots with a limit per slot also spread collections out, so customers aren't queuing at your door.

Deposits customers accept

A deposit protects you from ingredients bought for a cake nobody collects. Common, fair settings:

Full payment up front for standard cakes under about S$80.
50% deposit for custom or large orders, with the balance at collection.
Non-refundable once special ingredients are bought or decorating has started, said clearly before they pay.
A change cut-off, such as no design changes within 48 hours of collection.

Put the policy where customers see it

Write the policy in two lines on your order page. Singapore's consumer association, CASE, tells shoppers to ask about the refund policy before paying a deposit, so a customer who has read yours before paying is far less likely to argue later. An example: 'A 50% deposit confirms custom cakes. Design changes up to 48 hours before collection. Deposits aren't refunded once we've started.'

Reminders and the day itself

When the order is placed: a confirmation with the order number, the ready date and what's still owed.
When it's ready: a message that it's ready for collection, with the balance to pay.
On the day: one list of what's going out, in time order, so collections and deliveries don't clash.
Afterwards: ask for a review while the party photos are still fresh.

How the shop link does it in AQUORIA O.N.E

In AQUORIA O.N.E your cakes go in the catalogue with photos and prices. Each cake can have options, such as Size (the customer must choose one) and Add-ons like candles (the customer can pick several), and each choice can add to the price. At checkout every item has its own note, meant for 'a name or message to add', so the message on the cake travels with the order. Each item also has a field for allergens and dietary notes.

Set 'Order ahead (days)' on each cake: the shop link shows 'Order 3 days ahead' on that cake and won't offer an earlier date. Add your collection and delivery times, such as 10:00-12:00 and 14:00-17:00, and how many orders each time can take per day, so a full slot shows as full. You can also set a minimum order and a delivery fee.

Customers choose 'I'll collect' or 'Delivery', pick the day and time, sign in with their phone number and pay. Every order shows a PayNow QR for the exact amount, paid straight to your bank, and customers can attach a screenshot of the payment. If you allow it, they can choose to pay at pickup instead.

The shop link doesn't take a part deposit on orders: online, customers pay the full amount or, if you allow it, choose to pay at pickup. If you want 50% up front for a custom cake, ask for it by PayNow yourself and record it as a part payment on the order. The order then shows the balance, and it can't be marked collected until the balance is paid.

Customers get an update when you receive the order, with the ready date and a link to track it, and another when it's ready for collection, showing the balance. These go by the SMS account or email mailbox you connect under Message channels; until you connect one, each update waits on the Messages page with a Send on WhatsApp button that opens WhatsApp on your phone with the text written. When you take payments online, an order the customer chose to pay now but didn't pay within a day is cancelled and its items go back on sale. Each morning, Today lists what's due today and tomorrow, what's ready and what's unpaid.

How it works

1Add each cake with photos, sizes and flavours as options, and its order-ahead days.
2Set your collection and delivery times and how many orders each can take.
3Share your shop link in your Instagram bio and in your WhatsApp replies.
4Orders arrive complete: cake, size, flavour, message, date and payment.
5Mark each cake ready; the customer gets the update with the balance to pay at collection.

What you'll use

Plan: Essential or Business

Sources

Published 4 November 2026

Questions

What should a cake order form include?

The cake and size, flavour or filling, the message on the cake, the date and time needed, collection or delivery (with the address), allergies and dietary needs, a contact number, and the payment or deposit. Add your deposit and change policy in two lines so customers read it before they pay, and keep every answer with the order.

How much deposit should I take for a custom cake?

Many bakers take full payment for standard cakes and a 50% deposit for custom or tiered cakes, with the balance at collection. Say clearly when the deposit stops being refundable, for example once decorating has started, and set a cut-off for design changes. Customers accept a deposit far more easily when the rule is written down before paying.

How many days in advance should customers order a birthday cake?

For a simple cake, one to two days is common; for a custom design, five to seven; for tiered or wedding cakes, three to six weeks. Set the notice per cake, not for the whole shop, and close orders earlier before festive peaks such as Mother's Day or Mid-Autumn, when your days fill fastest.

Can I use a free online order form for my bakery?

You can start with a free form tool, but you'll still copy each answer into your own list, match every payment by hand and send reminders yourself. A shop link keeps the order, the payment and the updates together. AQUORIA O.N.E has a 14-day free trial, then S$29 a month on Essential.

Do I need a licence to sell cakes from home in Singapore?

Home-based food businesses don't currently need an SFA licence, but they must follow food safety laws, use ingredients from licensed suppliers, and not do catering or sell to cafés or fairs. If you sell under a brand name rather than your full NRIC name, register with ACRA. SFA suggests the WSQ Food Safety Course Level 1.

How do I stop customers changing the order at the last minute?

Set a change cut-off, such as 48 hours before collection, and put it in the policy line on your order page. Because the order, its notes and its payment sit together in one place, you can show exactly what was agreed when a customer asks to change the message, the flavour or the date.

Cake order form: how to take cake orders without 100 WhatsApp messages