Cake Box Sizes: What Size Box for Every Cake
By the Avco Boxes team · Updated
Choose a cake box 1 to 2 inches wider than your cake board and taller than the cake, including its decorations. An 8 inch round cake on an 8 inch board usually goes in a 10x10 inch box, and a 6 inch cake in an 8x8. Boards and decorations vary, so measure your board and tallest decoration before you order.
How to choose a cake box size
Cake box sizes are given as length x width x height, in inches. A box listed as 10x10x5 has a 10 by 10 inch base and is 5 inches tall. Two measurements decide which one you need.
- Measure the cake board, not just the cake. The board is what sits on the floor of the box, and it is often larger than the cake itself. Pick a box 1 to 2 inches wider than the board so you can lift the cake in and out without touching the sides.
- Measure the height of the cake from the board to its tallest point, including piped borders, toppers, fruit or candles you add before the box is closed. Pick a box taller than that so the lid doesn't press on the decoration.
- Check the box against how the cake travels. A box that is much too big lets the cake slide around in a car. A non-slip mat or a dab of icing under the board helps keep it in place.
The sizes in this guide are general guidance. Boards, layer heights and decorations differ from bakery to bakery, so measure your board and tallest decoration before choosing a box.
Cake box size chart
The chart below matches common cake sizes with a box base that leaves a little room around the board. Round cakes are measured across their diameter. Sheet cake pan sizes vary between bakeries, so measure sheet cakes rather than relying on the name alone.
| Cake | Typical board | Box base |
|---|---|---|
| 6 inch round | 6 to 7 inch | 8x8 inch |
| 8 inch round | 8 to 9 inch | 10x10 inch |
| 10 inch round | 10 to 11 inch | 12x12 inch |
| 12 inch round | 12 to 13 inch | 14x14 inch |
| Quarter sheet | Measure your board | Quarter sheet box |
| Half sheet | Measure your board | Half sheet box |
If your bakery uses boards wider than the cake, for example a 10 inch board under an 8 inch cake to leave room for a written message, size the box to the board. In that case a 12x12 box suits the 8 inch cake better than a 10x10.
How tall should a cake box be?
Height is where most boxing problems happen. A box that fits the board but is too short will crush a piped border or knock over a topper. Use the height of the finished cake, not the height of the layers.
| What you are boxing | Box height to look at |
|---|---|
| Cookies, bars, tarts and pies | 2.25 to 3 inches |
| Cheesecakes and single-layer cakes | 4 inches |
| Two-layer cakes with simple decoration | 5 to 5.5 inches |
| Taller layer cakes or cakes with toppers | 6 inches, after measuring the topper |
Tiered and stacked cakes are usually taller than standard bakery boxes. Bakeries often box tiers separately and assemble them on site, or use a purpose-made tall box.
Avco cake and bakery box sizes
Avco's printed cake and pastry boxes come in the sizes below, all listed in inches as length x width x height. The smaller and shallower sizes double as bakery boxes for pastries, cookies and pies.
| Box size | Good for |
|---|---|
| 5.5 x 2.75 x 4 | A single slice or one or two pastries |
| 5.5 x 5.5 x 4 | A slice of cake, a mini cake or a few pastries |
| 6.5 x 4 x 2.75 | Cookies, macarons and small treats |
| 6 x 6 x 3 | Cookies, small tarts and pastries |
| 7 x 6 x 2.25 | Cookies, brownies and bars |
| 7 x 7 x 4 | Mini cakes and small cheesecakes |
| 7 x 7 x 5 | Taller mini cakes |
| 8 x 8 x 4 | 6 inch cakes and cheesecakes |
| 8 x 8 x 5 | 6 inch layer cakes |
| 8 x 8 x 6 | Tall 6 inch cakes |
| 9 x 5 x 4 | Loaf cakes and rows of pastries (measure loaves first) |
| 9 x 9 x 3 | Pies, tarts and brownie trays |
| 9 x 9 x 5 | Smaller 8 inch cakes on a snug board |
| 10 x 6 x 2.25 | Cookie and bar assortments |
| 10 x 6 x 3.5 | Pastry and danish assortments |
| 10 x 10 x 4 | 8 inch cakes and cheesecakes, 9 inch pies |
| 10 x 10 x 5 | 8 inch layer cakes |
| 11 x 11 x 3 | Large pies and tarts |
| 12 x 12 x 3 | Large tarts and cookie platters |
| 12 x 12 x 4 | 10 inch cakes and cheesecakes |
| 12 x 12 x 5.5 | 10 inch layer cakes |
| 14 x 14 x 6 | 12 inch layer cakes |
| 19 x 14.5 x 5.5 (half sheet) | Half sheet cakes |
| Quarter sheet | Quarter sheet cakes |
These recommendations assume a board about the size of the cake. Check your own board and decorations against the box dimensions before ordering.
How many box sizes should a bakery stock?
Most bakeries can cover their menu with a short list of sizes rather than one box per product:
- One small box for slices, cookies and single pastries.
- One or two cake boxes matched to the cake sizes you sell most, such as 8x8 for 6 inch cakes and 10x10 for 8 inch cakes.
- A shallow box for pies, tarts and cookie assortments.
- A sheet cake box if you sell sheet cakes for parties and offices.
Pizza boxes are sized differently, by the diameter of the pie rather than by a board, and the pizza box size guide covers that system if you also sell pizza.
Ordering printed cake boxes
Avco prints cake and pastry boxes with your logo in the USA. Boxes come in bundles of 50 or 100 depending on size, with a 5-bundle minimum, and prices run from $49 to about $93 per bundle depending on the size you choose.
Every order gets a free digital proof and a one-time $75 artwork setup, and production takes 7–10 business days after you approve the proof. See all custom bakery boxes, or the full range of bakery packaging.
Frequently asked questions
- What size cake box do I need for an 8 inch cake?
- An 8 inch round cake on an 8 inch board usually fits a 10x10 inch box, 5 inches tall for a typical layer cake. If the board is larger than the cake, or the decorations are tall, measure them and size up.
- What size box for a 6 inch cake?
- An 8x8 inch box suits most 6 inch cakes. Choose a 4, 5 or 6 inch tall box depending on the height of the finished cake.
- What size box for a half sheet cake?
- Use a box made for half sheet cakes. Avco's half sheet box is 19 x 14.5 x 5.5 inches. Sheet pans vary, so check your cake and board against the box.
- How are cake box sizes measured?
- Cake box sizes are given as length x width x height in inches. A 10x10x5 box has a 10 by 10 inch base and is 5 inches tall.