What is the best software for a cake decorator in Australia?

An Australian cake decorator needs software that carries one commission from the inspiration photo to the handover: a quote with two or three versions of the cake, a deposit paid by card in AUD, allergens recorded in the plain English terms the Food Standards Code now uses, and GST on the invoice once you are registered. ibakepro was built by a cake decorator, serves decorators and bakeries of every size across Australia, and runs that whole path from A$26 a month with Australian data held in Sydney.

The clearest test is to follow one wedding cake through.

1. The enquiry arrives with pictures

Couples send a Pinterest board, three screenshots and a photo of the venue. The details that change the price (guest numbers, tiers, flavours, sugar flowers or fresh, the date and the venue) need to land in one place with the pictures, not across a DM thread and an email.

In ibakepro the enquiry form asks your questions, the enquiry becomes the order without retyping, and the couple uploads their reference photos to their own order page, where they sit with the details. If the couple cannot picture it, Choux, the AI in ibakepro, can turn their description or a reference photo into a design mockup in Design Studio during the consultation. See Choux.

2. The quote carries options

Most couples want to compare: three tiers in buttercream against two tiers and a cutting cake, or fresh flowers against sugar flowers. One quote holds each version with its own price, the couple picks one from their private order link, and the payment schedule follows the version they chose. See orders and quotes.

Each option is costed from what you paid for the butter, couverture and boards, plus your decorating hours, so you see the margin on each version before you send it. See recipe costing.

3. The deposit holds the date

The deposit is paid by card through your own Stripe account the moment they accept, and the balance falls due a set number of days before the wedding, with reminders until it is paid. How much to ask for is in how much deposit for a custom cake. Your terms (cancellation, design changes, hire stands) can be signed online and filed against the order, on every plan. See e-sign.

4. Allergens, in plain English

Since 25 February 2024 the Food Standards Code has required allergens on food labels to be declared in plain English terms, in bold, in a set format and place. Whether a made-to-order cake needs a full label depends on how it is packed and handed over, so ask your council, but the customer will still ask "is there almond in the fondant?" and the answer has to be right.

ibakepro records each ingredient's allergens as contains, processed in or may contain, and rolls them up to every option on the quote. If the couple has not picked a flavour yet, every allergen the options could contain is shown. See allergen management.

5. GST on the invoice

The ATO treats cakes as taxable food, so once you are registered for GST the invoice carries 10 percent. Registration is required at A$75,000 GST turnover, current or projected, which a busy wedding season can reach. ibakepro holds GST at the rate you set, by product category if you also sell GST-free plain bread. The detail is in do I charge GST on cakes in Australia.

6. The handover

On the day, a proof photo and a signature are taken at the venue, from the web, so a "the cake arrived damaged" email three days later meets a time-stamped photo.

Which plan fits a decorator

Most decorators start on Essentials, which has quotes, deposits, costing, allergens and e-sign, and move to Growth once they pass 100 orders or want a shop for cupcakes and smash cakes. More on the fit in is ibakepro right for a cake decorator, and for setting the price itself, see the cake pricing calculator.