Free home baker invoice template
Custom cakes, cookie orders and market bread — with the deposit, the pickup date and the cottage food line already on it.
Cottage food is a real business run out of a kitchen that also has to make dinner, and the money mistakes are always the same two. The first is quoting a custom cake off a photo before you have priced the tiers, the fondant work and the eight hours it will take you. The second is not taking a deposit, then eating the cost of a three-tier order somebody cancelled on Thursday. An order form and an invoice are the same document at different points in its life here: write the order with a deposit line when they book, mark the balance due at pickup, and let them pay it on their phone while you box it up.
Lines a home baker actually bills for
| Line | Typical range |
|---|---|
| Custom cake — 8 inch round, buttercream | $65–$140 |
| Tiered cake, per tier | $75–$200 per tier |
| Decorated sugar cookies, per dozen | $36–$72 per dozen |
| Sourdough loaf | $7–$14 a loaf |
| Cupcakes, per dozen | $30–$60 per dozen |
| Rush order — under 7 days notice | $25–$75, or 20% of the order |
| Deposit to reserve the date | 25%–50%, non-refundable |
| Delivery and setup at the venue | $25–$100 depending on distance |
What to include on a home baking invoice
- Your business name, phone number and email — and your license number if your state puts one on the paperwork
- The customer's name, the service address, and a phone number or email you can actually reach them on
- An invoice number and the date the work was done
- The pickup or delivery date and time — written on the order, not just agreed in a message thread
- Size, flavour, filling and finish, exactly as you will make it, so the photo they sent is not the contract
- Allergens and what your kitchen also handles, in plain words
- Your state's cottage food disclosure, if you are required to print one
- The deposit taken, whether it is refundable, and the balance due at pickup
- Your cancellation and change window — when the design is locked and when the flour is already bought
- Subtotal, sales tax if you charge it, and the total due
- Any deposit or payment already taken, and the balance still owed
- The due date, and what happens if it goes past it
- How they can pay — card, bank transfer, check or cash
Home Baker invoicing questions
How much deposit should I take on a custom cake?
A quarter to half, non-refundable, taken when they lock the date. You buy ingredients, you turn down the other order for that Saturday, and you spend the evenings piping. A deposit is not distrust, it is what makes the date real — and the bakers who take one stop getting cancelled on the week of.
What can I legally sell out of my home kitchen?
It depends entirely on your state's cottage food rules, and the line is usually about refrigeration: shelf-stable baked goods are almost always allowed, anything with a cream cheese frosting, custard or fresh cream often is not. Most states also cap annual sales and say where you may sell — direct to the customer, at markets, sometimes not online or across state lines. Read your own state's list once, then write what you can actually make on your order form.
How do I price a cake without guessing?
Ingredients, then hours, then a margin — in that order. Weigh what a batch really costs, pay yourself a real hourly rate for decorating time, and add for the skill in the piping. Most home bakers underprice because they only count butter and flour. Put the cake on one line and delivery, rush fees and setup on their own, so the customer sees what they are choosing to add.
Do I need an invoice for market day?
Not per loaf. On market day run a till at the table so the total is right at close, and put a QR code up so the person with only a phone can still buy the sourdough. The invoice is for the custom orders — the birthday cake, the two hundred wedding cookies, the office platter — where there's a deposit and a date to keep track of.
What do I do when they change the design after ordering?
Reissue the order with the change on it and the new total, and send it before you start. Small tweaks are goodwill; a second tier or a whole new colour scheme is more work and more ingredients. Having a written change window on the original order — design locked seven days out — turns an awkward conversation into pointing at a line.
Is this really free for a tiny home bakery?
Yes. You can write as many orders and invoices as you like on the free plan, and there is no trial clock counting down. If you want more there is Starter at $9.99 a month and Pro at $24.99, which carry the things that cost us money to run — scanning your ingredient receipts, sending from our email domain, your bakery logo on the invoice, a second person on the account. Beyond that we take 0.5% when a customer pays by card, and nothing when they hand you cash at pickup.
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