Terms & Conditions

Welcome to our online store! By placing an order with us—whether through our click-and-collect storefront or via our custom design inquiry process—you are agreeing to the following Terms & Conditions. Please read them carefully before completing your purchase.

1. Order Modifications, Cancellations & Finality

• Cancellation Deadline: Order cancellations must be made within 4 days prior to your pickup date for a full refund to be available.

• Late Cancellations: If you cancel after this time, you choose to waive your right to a financial refund. However, you can choose to postpone the order or keep the order dollar amount aside for a future order, provided we have not already begun making your items.

• Custom Orders: For custom designs, all details are confirmed prior to production, and where possible, reference images are provided for approval. Once your quote has been accepted and payment made, your order is considered final.

• Post-Collection Policy: After completion and/or collection, we cannot make changes or offer refunds due to a change of mind or personal preference.

2. Refund Eligibility & Fault Assessment

• General Refund Policy: Due to the perishable and custom nature of our products, we are typically unable to offer refunds once an order has been completed/collected.

• Confirmed Error Resolution: Refunds or partial refunds will only be considered where there is a confirmed error on our part that significantly affects the quality, taste, or structure of the product. If a clear error has been made on our end, we will work with you to determine an appropriate resolution (such as a refund, partial refund, or remake) depending on the situation and timing.

• Reporting Requirements: Any quality or structural concerns must be reported within 48 hours of pickup with clear photographic evidence. Each case will be assessed individually, and any resolution will be at our sole discretion.

• Return of Product for Inspection: If a full refund or remake is officially agreed upon due to a quality issue, the remaining portion of the cake must be returned to us in its current state. This allows us to inspect the structure or taste issue to prevent it from happening again. We cannot offer full refunds if the cake has been entirely consumed or discarded without being returned for inspection.

3. Collection, Transit, and Liability

• Third-Party Collections: If you are unable to collect your order personally, you are welcome to organize someone else (such as a friend, family member, ride-share service, or courier) to collect it.

• Transit Liability: We provide clear instructions for storing and transporting your cakes after collection to ensure they arrive at your event in the best possible condition. We accept no responsibility or liability for accidental damage, structural shifts, or melting that occurs during transport with an external party or once the order is in your care.

• Transit Damage Policy: No refunds, partial refunds, or replacements will be issued for transit-related damage unless we are at fault. In instances where transit damage occurs, we require clear images and a full, thorough understanding of what happened (for example, if the cake structurally failed or fell over during transport). Only if we can independently confirm it was a structural fault on our end will we discuss any form of refund or resolution.

4. Council Food Safety & Allergen Notice

• Allergen Environment: We operate a council-approved home kitchen that regularly handles known allergens, including wheat (gluten), dairy, eggs, soy, peanuts, and tree nuts.

• Cross-Contamination Risk: While we follow strict sanitization and food-handling protocols, we cannot guarantee a 100% allergen-free environment.

• No Certified Gluten-Free Options: In accordance with council regulations, we cannot offer coeliac-safe or certified gluten-free products due to the presence of gluten in our workspace. Customers with severe or life-threatening food allergies order at their own discretion.

• Customer Duty to Inform Guests: We place an allergen information card on every single order box detailing the specific allergens contained within that batch. It is the sole responsibility of the customer to ensure their party guests, event attendees, or any individuals consuming our products are made fully aware of these allergens. We accept absolutely zero liability or responsibility for any allergic reactions or medical emergencies that occur because a customer failed to communicate this information to their guests.

5. Non-Edible Elements & Safety Warnings

• Structural Support (Dowels): Please be advised that all of our tall, tiered, and occasionally short cakes contain wooden and/or plastic dowels hidden inside for essential structural support.

• Gag/Prank Warning: Because our cakes contain sharp structural dowelling, you must never push someone’s face into our cakes as a joke, prank, or gag. Doing so poses a severe risk of facial or eye injury. We accept absolutely zero liability or responsibility for any injuries, medical costs, or harm that occurs as a result of cake-smashing pranks or improper cake handling.

• Hard Sprinkles & Dental Warning: Many of our designs feature decorative, premium sprinkle mixes, metallic rods, and hard candies. Please be mindful when biting into products containing these elements. We accept no liability or responsibility for any dental damage, cracked teeth, or injury resulting from consuming these hard decorative toppings.

• Choking Hazard Warning: Larger sprinkles, metallic sugar rods, whole candies, and chocolate details can pose a severe choking hazard. Please exercise extreme caution when consuming these products or feeding them to young children. It is the responsibility of the supervisor/parent to remove these items if necessary, and we accept no liability for any choking incidents.

• Decorative Details: Certain products feature other non-edible decorations, such as fresh/dried florals, acrylic text toppers, ribbon bows, or fondant-backed character images. All non-edible items must be safely removed from the cake or cupcake before cutting and serving to your guests.

6. Food Safety, Storage, and Shelf Life

• Recommended Shelf Life: Our cakes are safe and fresh to eat for 3–5 days after pickup, provided they are stored correctly.

• Storage Requirements: Cakes must be stored in the fridge, kept inside their box or placed into an airtight container.

• Liability Limitation for Food Sickness: While our cakes are considered low-risk food items, improper storage outside of a temperature-controlled environment can introduce severe risks of environmental cross-contamination, bacterial growth, or pests. We accept no liability or responsibility for any foodborne illness or sickness caused by eating our products outside of the recommended 3–5 day timeframe, or when products have not been stored according to our instructions.

7. Custom Hand-Painted Banners & Design Approvals

• One-Woman Business Operations: Please keep in mind that we are a one-woman business solely managing all baking, cake decorating, custom treat design, order administration, and hand-painted banners. Because of this high workload, we require a full 4 days of dedicated production time to sketch, paint, and dry your banner.

• Notice Period: Banners require a strict minimum of 7 days’ notice for pickup orders. If you require delivery, you must contact us prior to ordering; this requires a minimum of 2 weeks’ notice to account for shipping timeframes.

• Order Details & Mockups: To help us stay on schedule, customers are advised to provide highly detailed instructions during checkout so we can deliver a precise mockup. If you are ordering close to the 7-day cutoff window, you must respond promptly to our design mockup emails.

• No-Response Policy: If we do not receive a design confirmation from you in a prompt, timely manner, we will proceed to paint the latest mockup draft to hit our production deadlines. We accept no responsibility or liability for design elements you wish to change if you did not respond within the timeframe.

8. Custom Inquiries & Email Communication

• Spam Filter Warning: When submitting a custom cake or banner order inquiry, please keep a very close eye on your email inbox. Our replies and digital design mockups frequently get flagged by external servers and often get sent directly to your spam/junk folder. We are not responsible for delayed orders resulting from unread communications sitting in your spam filters.

9. Home-Based Pickup Policy & Lateness

• Respecting Our Space: We proudly operate as a home-based business. Because this is a private residence, our pickup windows are strictly scheduled to balance baking production time and personal family life.

• Pickup Time Commitment: When checking out or finalizing your invoice, you will select a specific pickup date and time block. You must arrive within your agreed-upon window.

• Lateness Protocol: If you are running late or need to adjust your pickup time, you must contact us as soon as possible. If a customer fails to show up or communicate within their window, we cannot guarantee we will be available to hand over the order immediately upon late arrival, and a rescheduled pickup window must be mutually agreed upon.

As The Little Caker is a one-woman studio, our hours are divided between production, pickups, and admin to ensure every order receives the attention it deserves.

Orders Available:
Tuesday – Saturday

Pickup Windows:
• Tuesday: 3–4pm
• Wednesday – Friday: 8–9am or 3–4pm
• Saturday: 9–10am

Admin & Enquiries:
Monday – Tuesday, 8am–3pm

You’re welcome to submit enquiries at any time. Messages received outside of admin hours will be responded to during the next available admin window.

We recommend ordering at least 2–3 weeks in advance. Limited availability means popular dates (especially weekends) book quickly. Custom cakes must be placed 2 weeks ahead and any orders through the website need to be placed atleast 5 days in advance. For any orders after this please get in touch first to check availability.

For a custom cake order please complete our Custom Order Enquiry Form and we’ll respond during our admin hours.

Website cakes, treats & banners can be ordered at any time through the Shop tab.

Custom Orders:
Yes — a non-refundable 50% deposit is required to secure your date. Orders are not confirmed until the deposit has been received.
The remaining balance is due one week prior to pickup.

Online Store Orders:
All items purchased through the website must be paid in full at the time of ordering.

If an order is cancelled, 50% of the total payment is non-refundable.

All orders cancelled within 3 days of pickup will forfeit the full payment.

We understand that sometimes plans change. If you need to make adjustments, we’re more than happy to postpone your order, transfer it to another date, or hold your payment as credit for a future order—provided we haven’t already begun preparing your items.

If an order is cancelled with sufficient notice and no preparation or purchasing has taken place, we may be able to offer a full or partial refund. This is assessed on a case-by-case basis and may include a small processing fee to cover time already spent on your order or design.

We appreciate your understanding that cancellations can result in costs on our end. In some cases, we may have declined other bookings to accommodate your order, or already purchased specific ingredients and decorations that cannot be reused. Many orders also involve significant time and planning before preparation begins. Deposits help cover these behind-the-scenes efforts and ensure we can continue providing the best service possible.

Thank you so much for your understanding!

Orders are only secured once payment has been received. Dates are not held without a deposit or full payment.

Custom Cakes:
An invoice outlining your 50% non-refundable deposit and payment details will be issued once your quote is confirmed. Your order is not secured until the deposit has been received.

Online Shop Orders:
All online cakes, treats & banners are paid in full at the time of purchase, which automatically secures your selected date.

If your chosen date is unexpectedly fully booked, or your order is placed after the weekly cut-off time, you will be contacted via email and issued a full refund within 1–2 business days.

Custom Cakes:
Pricing varies depending on size, flavour, design complexity, and decorative detail. Each order is individually quoted to reflect the time, craftsmanship, and materials required.

Our pricing also accounts for the professional standards behind every order — including quality ingredients, food safety compliance, packaging, labour, and the operational costs of running a licensed food business.

A starting price guide is available on our Custom Cakes and our Flavours, sizes & prices page, outlining minimum prices by size.

If you are working within a specific budget, we’re happy to discuss suitable design options. For more fixed-price and budget-friendly selections, we recommend browsing our Online Store range.

Online Shop Cakes & Treats:
All pricing for online store items is clearly listed on each product page and is fixed.

You can find all our serving sizes and starting prices for our cake sizes here!

Yes. While we’re known for bold, feminine statement designs, we create cakes for all celebrations — including children’s parties, masculine milestones and corporate events.

We draw inspiration from reference images but try to not copy other artists’ work exactly. Each cake is uniquely designed to suit your event.

We are based in Zillmere, North Brisbane.
Full pickup details will be provided once your order is confirmed.

At this time, delivery is limited. As a one-woman studio, our focus is on production to ensure each cake meets our quality standards. Delivery may be available for larger orders, subject to availability.

If you’re unable to collect your order personally, you’re welcome to arrange a trusted friend, family member, or rideshare courier (such as Uber) to collect on your behalf. Please ensure your pickup contact has the order name, time, appropriate transport and transport instructions to keep your order safe and secure.

We offer a range of alternative options, including vegan-friendly, gluten-free friendly, dairy-free friendly, and nut-free varieties.

However, The Little Caker operates from a kitchen where allergens such as gluten, dairy, nuts, and eggs are regularly used. While we take care to minimise cross-contact wherever possible, we cannot guarantee an allergen-free environment.

For this reason, our products are not suitable for those with coeliac disease or severe, life-threatening allergies.

If you have specific dietary concerns, please contact us prior to ordering so we can discuss whether our products are suitable for your needs.

Design or size changes must be requested at least 1 week prior to pickup and are subject to availability. Additional charges for changes may apply.

Orders must be collected within the scheduled pickup window.

Orders not collected within the scheduled pickup window may not be guaranteed quality or availability.

If you are running late or need to change your time, please contact us as soon as possible to arrange an alternative time. While we will always try to accommodate where we can, pickup outside of our advertised hours is not guaranteed and must fit within our schedule.

Although we operate from home, The Little Caker runs within set business hours. Outside of these times, we may be unavailable to help with your collection.

If an order is not collected within the agreed time frame and no prior arrangements have been made, we cannot guarantee it will be ready in time for your event. No refunds will be issued for missed or significantly delayed pickups and any issues associated with this.

Cakes should be transported on a flat surface in an air-conditioned vehicle and kept refrigerated until 1–2 hours before serving.

Please do not underestimate the impact of warm or sunny weather on your cakes and treats. Our products are largely butter-based — and butter melts.

Keep cakes out of direct sunlight and away from heat at all times. On cooler days, your cake may be displayed for longer periods. On warmer days, you may only have 1–2 hours at room temperature before the structure begins to soften.

A soft cake becomes unstable — and the softer it is, the more difficult (and messy) it will be to cut and serve.

Please ensure you have enough fridge space available and organised prior to pickup, especially for larger orders. Proper storage is essential—particularly in Queensland’s warm climate—to keep your cakes and treats in their best condition until you’re ready to enjoy them.

Due to the perishable and custom nature of our products, we are typically unable to offer refunds once an order has been completed/collected.

Refunds or partial refunds will only be considered where there is a confirmed error on our part that significantly affects the quality or structure of the product. Any concerns must be reported within 48 hours of pickup with clear photographic evidence. Each case will be assessed individually and any resolution will be at our discretion.

We provide clear instructions for storing and transporting your cakes after collection to ensure they arrive at your event in the best possible condition.

For custom orders, all design details are confirmed prior to production and, where possible, reference images are provided for approval. Once your quote has been accepted and payment made, your order is considered final.

After completion and/or collection, we cannot make changes or offer refunds due to change of mind or personal preference. If a clear error has been made on our part, we will work with you to determine an appropriate resolution, which may include a refund, partial refund, or remake depending on the situation and timing.

If a refund or remake is agreed upon, the original cake must be returned (if collected) in the same condition as at pickup.

We do not currently offer private, in-person tastings.

However, we release wedding cake tasting boxes 1–2 times per year (availability dependent). These are promoted in advance and available for pre-order through the website. We recommend following our social media pages to keep up to date with this and any other special releases.

If you would like to sample a flavour outside of these releases, we recommend you:

• Request a mini tasting cake via the custom order form.

• Order a small box of cupcakes in your chosen flavour.

• Order our Gourmet Cake Tubs in the flavours you would like to try.

For the most accurate representation of your final cake, we recommend a mini tasting cake, or any of our other cakes in your chosen flavour. A layered cake provides the full flavour experience — including filling-to-cake ratio, texture, and structural balance — exactly as it would be served for your event.

Cupcakes and Cake Tubs are a great way to sample a flavour profile, but because they are single-portion and structured differently, the distribution of filling and overall eating experience can vary slightly from a layered celebration cake.

Yes, we are delighted to offer wedding and tiered cakes and would be honored to be part of your special day.

For safety and quality reasons, we do have some size and height limitations. Due to kitchen space, cake stability during transport, and delivery constraints, our offerings are limited to:

• Single-tier cakes

• Two-tier cakes

• Three-tier cakes within a set height limit, meaning the tiers need to be shorter.

These guidelines ensure your cake remains stable and arrives in perfect condition. Brisbane’s warm weather and transport distances can make larger cakes risky to move, so unless a secure, chilled method of transport is provided, we cannot take the risk of taller cakes being damaged.

We recommend using the grid cutting method to maximize the number of servings from your cake. Instead of traditional triangular slices, this method involves cutting your cake into even squares or rectangles, ensuring consistent portion sizes.

For example:

• If your cake can serve 16-32+ portions, start by cutting it into a 4×4 grid. Using a chopping board to cut those initial larger slices can help with precision. This will yield at least 16 large dessert-sized pieces.

• You can then cut each of these larger pieces in half to create 32+ smaller, party-sized portions.

• For even more servings or tasting portions at larger events, you can cut these pieces in half again or cut in a different grid formation such as 5×5 etc.

This method allows you to serve consistent portions, get the most out of your cake, and make your cake go further for your event.