How to Plan a Busy Cake Week – Time & Order Management Tips
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By Makai Cake Decorating Supplies
Managing a full week of cake orders can feel overwhelming – but with a smart plan, it becomes totally doable.
Whether you're baking from home or running a small cake business.
This guide will help you organise your tasks, save time, and keep your sanity.
🗓️ Step 1 – Know Your Orders in Advance
New to organising orders?
Check out our blog on Why Every Cake Business Needs a Cake Order Form to get started right.
Start by reviewing all confirmed orders for the week:
- What’s due, when?
- How many tiers? What flavours, fillings, and styles?
- Are there complex decorations or figurines?
Use a printable weekly cake planner to map everything out. Highlight delivery/pickup days and note which tasks will likely overlap.
Example: If three cakes are due Friday, you’ll want to start prepping on Monday or Tuesday.
🧁 Step 2 – Group Similar Tasks Together
Jumping from one type of task to another wastes energy and time. Instead, group:
- Baking all sponges on the same day (e.g. Tuesday morning)
- Making all buttercream and ganache in one batch
- All fondant or figure modelling in one session
Batching tasks reduces clean-up, simplifies timing, and helps you focus better.
🎨 Step 3 – Make Ahead What You Can
Want to know what you can freeze and when to decorate?
Read How Far in Advance Can You Make a Cake? for freezing and storage tips.
Plan to prep the things that keep well or benefit from sitting:
- Fondant figures: 5–7 days in advance so they dry fully
- Cake boards: cover and decorate early in the week
- Buttercream and ganache: can be made 1–2 days ahead and refrigerated
- Cake layers: bake 2–3 days before or freeze earlier
- Labels, toppers, floral prep: as early as possible
| Tip: Avoid prepping fresh fruit, whipped cream or other perishables until the day of use. |
📋 Step 4 – Use Tools That Help You Stay Organised
Visualising your week helps prevent last-minute panic. Use:
-
A printed weekly planner
- A detailed order form for each cake
- Digital tools like Google Calendar or Trello
Bonus: Assign colour codes (e.g. pink = fondant work, yellow = baking) for fast visual clarity.
⏳ Step 5 - Be Realistic With Time
Not sure how long things take?
Our guide How to Decorate a Cake with Fondant Figures – Step by Step includes time-saving ideas and techniques.
Here are rough time estimates for common tasks – but keep in mind these vary depending on your skill level, speed, and setup:
| Task | Estimated Time (per cake) |
|---|---|
| Baking 2 layers | 1–1.5 hours (incl. cooling) |
| Filling & stacking | 30–60 minutes |
| Crumb coat + chilling | 30–45 minutes |
| Final buttercream | 30–45 minutes |
| Fondant covering | 30–60 minutes |
| Decorative work | 1–2 hours (simple) |
| Figurines/florals | 2–4+ hours (can vary widely) |
| Photography & boxing | 30 minutes |
These estimates will vary depending on how fast or experienced you are in each process – always plan buffer time.
🚫 Bonus – Know When to Say No
Struggling to say no without feeling guilty?
We’ve got you covered in What to Do When You’re Fully Booked – How to Say No Professionally.
Protect your energy and avoid burnout:
- Decide how many cakes you can realistically take per week
- Create a friendly "fully booked" response you can reuse
- If you’re overbooked, recommend trusted colleagues or offer future dates
Clients will respect your honesty – and remember your professionalism.
✅ Conclusion
A smooth cake week isn’t about working more – it’s about planning better. With solid organisation and a flexible, realistic plan, even your busiest weeks can feel totally manageable.
💡 Want help getting started? Download our free printable weekly planner to map out your next cake week!