Pricing — what custom cakes, wedding cakes & pies cost in Fort Wayne
Concrete starting prices for handmade pies, custom cakes, and wedding cakes baked in Columbia City, IN — the literal halfway point on US-30 between Fort Wayne and Warsaw. Serving Allen, Whitley, and Kosciusko counties plus the broader northeast Indiana region.
Pricing at a glance
Birdie's Baking Co. is a small-batch bakery in Columbia City, IN — the halfway point on US-30 between Fort Wayne and Warsaw. Every order is baked from scratch for local pickup. Below are the actual starting prices we quote customers across Allen County (Fort Wayne), Whitley County (Columbia City), and Kosciusko County (Warsaw and Winona Lake). Final cost on custom work depends on size, tier count, decoration complexity, and any allergen-friendly substitutions.
- Handmade 9-inch pies: $25 plain / $35 with pie-crust florals (serves 8)
- 6-inch custom cake: from $60 (serves 8-10)
- 8-inch custom cake: from $85 (serves 14-18)
- 10-inch custom cake: from $130 (serves 25-30)
- Wedding cake: from $5 per serving
- Lead time: 48 hr (pies) / 7-10 days (cakes) / 6-8 weeks (weddings)
Pie pricing — $25 plain or $35 with florals
Every standard 9-inch pie at Birdie's Baking Co. is priced on the same two-tier model: $25 plain (lattice or sealed crust) or $35 with hand-cut pie-crust florals on top. The $10 upcharge is flat regardless of flavor — apple, cherry, sugar cream, pecan, French silk, and peanut butter all carry identical pricing. Pies are 9 inches, serve 8, and are baked from scratch with all-butter crusts. Standard 48-hour lead time; holiday weeks (Thanksgiving, Christmas) book 2–4 weeks ahead across northeast Indiana.
See the full process behind the florals at pie-crust florals — a Birdie's signature finish unavailable elsewhere in Fort Wayne, Columbia City, or Warsaw.
Apple Pie
$25$35 w/ floralsSliced apples baked with sugar and warm spices in an all-butter crust. 9-inch, serves 8.
Dutch Apple Pie
$25$35 w/ floralsCinnamon-spiced apples topped with a buttery crumble. 9-inch, serves 8.
Cherry Pie
$25$35 w/ floralsSweet-tart cherries in a flaky, golden all-butter crust. 9-inch, serves 8.
Pecan Pie
$25$35 w/ floralsPecans in a rich brown sugar and butter filling. 9-inch, serves 8.
Chocolate French Silk Pie
$25$35 w/ floralsLight, smooth chocolate filling topped with fresh whipped cream. 9-inch, serves 8.
Sugar Cream Pie
$25$35 w/ floralsIndiana's state pie. Vanilla custard with a cinnamon-caramelized top. 9-inch, serves 8.
Strawberry Pie
$25$35 w/ floralsFresh strawberries in a sweet glaze inside a buttery crust. 9-inch, serves 8.
Pumpkin Pie
$25$35 w/ floralsSpiced pumpkin filling baked smooth and creamy in a flaky crust. 9-inch, serves 8.
Peanut Butter Pie
$25$35 w/ floralsCreamy peanut butter in a chocolate cookie crust, topped with whipped cream and Reese's cups. 9-inch, serves 8.
Custom cake pricing
Custom cake pricing depends on size, design, and detail. Every custom cake is baked from scratch with real butter, fresh ingredients, and pure vanilla — no mixes and no pre-made shells. Below are the actual starting prices we quote customers in the Fort Wayne area for our three most-requested single-tier sizes.
Standard flavors include vanilla bean, chocolate, lemon, red velvet, strawberry, marble, almond, carrot, and funfetti. Standard fillings include vanilla buttercream, chocolate buttercream, raspberry, strawberry, lemon curd, salted caramel, cream cheese, and fresh fruit. Custom flavor pairings are welcome at no additional charge.
6-inch round
8-10 guests
from $60
Two-layer single-tier. Vanilla, chocolate, lemon, red velvet, or strawberry with vanilla or chocolate buttercream.
8-inch round
14-18 guests
from $85
Two- or three-layer single-tier. Most popular birthday and shower size in the Fort Wayne area.
10-inch round
25-30 guests
from $130
Three-layer single-tier. Common for office parties, larger birthdays, and small celebrations across Whitley County.
Tiered cakes, fondant finishes, sugar work, fresh florals, and intricate hand-piped detail add to the starting price. A two-tier custom cake typically starts at $150. A three-tier custom cake typically starts at $275. For an exact quote, email hello@birdiesbakingco.com with your date, guest count, flavor preferences, and any inspiration images.
Wedding cake pricing — Allen, Whitley & Kosciusko counties
Wedding cakes are priced per serving and scale with decoration complexity. The three tiers below apply equally to weddings across Allen County (Fort Wayne metro venues like The Eden, Salomon Farm Park, Joseph Decuis Farmstead), Whitley County (Whitley County Fairgrounds, Union 12, courthouse-square receptions), and Kosciusko County (Winona Lake village venues, Lake Wawasee resorts, downtown Warsaw spaces). For the full wedding-cake walkthrough — booking timeline, tasting boxes, and FAQ — see the wedding cakes page, the tasting process, or the dedicated wedding cake cost calculator.
| Tier | Per serving | Includes |
|---|---|---|
| Buttercream tier | $5+ | Smooth or textured buttercream, simple piping or fresh florals. |
| Detail tier | $7+ | Hand-piped detail, watercolor work, drip cakes, or edible gold leaf. |
| Showpiece tier | $9+ | Sugar work, fondant figures, intricate florals, fresh-flower cascades. |
A 75-guest wedding cake typically runs $375-$525. A 150-guest cake typically runs $750-$1,400 depending on tier count and detail. We recommend booking 6-8 weeks in advance, with peak season (May through October) often filling 3-6 months ahead across the Columbia City, Fort Wayne, and Warsaw / Winona Lake wedding markets.
What affects custom cake pricing
Cake size and serving count
Price scales with the amount of cake. A 6-inch round serving 8-10 starts at $60. An 8-inch round serving 14-18 starts at $85. A 10-inch round serving 25-30 starts at $130. Larger sizes and tiered designs are quoted by the serving.
Tier count
Each additional tier adds material cost (more cake, more filling, more frosting) and roughly 2-4 additional hours of labor for stacking, dowelling, and cleanup. Two-tier custom cakes typically start at $150. Three-tier designs typically start at $275.
Decoration complexity
A clean buttercream finish is the baseline. Hand-piped detail, watercolor work, painted designs, and ruffles add labor. Detailed cakes often add $25-$75 to the starting price for an 8-inch single-tier.
Fondant vs. buttercream
Fondant requires more time to roll, drape, smooth, and finish, and the material is more expensive than American buttercream. Fondant-finished cakes typically run 20-30% more than the same cake in buttercream.
Allergen-friendly substitutions
Gluten-friendly, dairy-free, and egg-free cakes are available with advance notice. Specialty flours, alternative fats, and small-batch handling typically add $10-$25 per cake. Our kitchen handles wheat, dairy, and nuts, so we cannot guarantee a fully allergen-free environment.
Fresh florals and sugar work
Fresh flowers must be sourced food-safe, conditioned, and wired. Sugar flowers are hand-shaped and dried over 24-72 hours per piece. Both add real labor: budget $40-$150 extra for floral work and $75-$250 for sugar work depending on scale.
Lead time
Standard custom cakes need 7-10 days notice. Wedding cakes need 6-8 weeks. Rush orders inside the standard window may be accepted for a 20% rush fee when scheduling allows. Holiday weeks (Thanksgiving, Christmas, Mother's Day) book 2-4 weeks earlier than usual across northeast Indiana.
How our pricing compares
Our per-serving wedding-cake pricing of $5–$9 is positioned in the lower-to-middle of the range that The Knot and WeddingWire report for the Midwest region in 2025-2026. Our custom-cake starting prices are scratch-baked with all-butter pastry per techniques in King Arthur Baking and Stella Parks (BraveTart) professional baking references — not from mixes or pre-made shells. Our home-bakery operation runs under Indiana Code 16-42-5.3 (the Home-Based Vendor law); see our cottage-food-law guide for what that means for customers.
Pricing FAQs
How much does a custom cake cost in the Fort Wayne area?+
At Birdie's Baking Co. in Columbia City, IN, a 6-inch custom cake serving 8-10 starts at $60, an 8-inch serving 14-18 starts at $85, and a 10-inch serving 25-30 starts at $130. Final price depends on design complexity, decoration, and any allergen-friendly substitutions. Most custom birthday cakes in the Fort Wayne metro fall between $75 and $175.
How much does a wedding cake cost in Indiana?+
Wedding cakes at Birdie's Baking Co. start at $5 per serving for buttercream designs, $7 per serving for detailed work, and $9+ per serving for showpiece cakes with sugar work or fresh florals. A 75-guest wedding cake typically runs $375-$525. A 150-guest cake typically runs $750-$1,400 depending on tier count and detail.
How much do your pies cost?+
Every standard 9-inch pie is priced on the same two-tier model: $25 plain (lattice or sealed crust) or $35 with hand-cut pie-crust florals on top — a flat $10 upcharge regardless of flavor. The price is identical whether the pie is apple, cherry, sugar cream, pecan, French silk, or peanut butter. Pies serve 8 and are baked from scratch with all-butter crusts in our Columbia City, IN kitchen for pickup by customers across Fort Wayne, Columbia City, and Warsaw.
What does it cost to get pie-crust florals on a pie?+
A flat $10 upcharge takes any 9-inch pie from $25 to $35. The florals are roses, leaves, and blossoms hand-cut from the same all-butter pie dough as the pie itself, arranged on the top crust before baking. No flavor surcharge, no design surcharge, no per-flower fee. See the full pie-crust-florals page at /pie-crust-florals for the process and the list of every eligible flavor.
Where in northeast Indiana does Birdie's Baking Co. serve?+
We are based in Columbia City, IN — the literal halfway point on US-30 between Fort Wayne (25 minutes east) and Warsaw (28 minutes west). Our three primary service cities are Fort Wayne (Allen County), Columbia City (Whitley County), and Warsaw (Kosciusko County). We also bake regularly for Huntertown, Churubusco, Larwill, South Whitley, and Winona Lake. Same Fort Wayne / Columbia City / Warsaw pricing applies — pickup-only in Columbia City.
Why are custom cakes more expensive than grocery store cakes?+
Every Birdie's cake is baked from scratch in small batches with real butter, fresh fruit, and pure vanilla. There are no mixes, no shortening frostings, no pre-made shells. A typical custom 8-inch cake takes 3-6 hours of active labor between baking, cooling, leveling, filling, crumb-coating, decorating, and packaging. The price reflects the time and ingredient cost, not retail markup.
Do you charge a deposit for custom cakes?+
For standard custom cakes (under $200), payment is due at booking. For wedding cakes and larger custom orders, a 50% non-refundable deposit reserves your date, and the balance is due 14 days before pickup.
How far in advance should I book?+
Standard custom cakes need 7-10 days notice. Wedding cakes need 6-8 weeks, and peak season (May-October) often books 3-6 months out. Pies need 48 hours notice. Holiday weeks book even earlier — Thanksgiving pies should be ordered by mid-October, and Christmas custom cakes by early December.
Do you offer rush orders?+
When scheduling allows, we accept rush orders inside the standard lead window for a 20% rush fee. Email hello@birdiesbakingco.com with your date and design — we'll confirm availability within 48 hours.
Do you deliver, or is everything pickup?+
We are pickup-only from our Columbia City, IN home kitchen. The address is shared after order confirmation. Most customers from Fort Wayne (25 minutes east on US-30), Warsaw and Winona Lake (28 minutes west), Huntertown, Churubusco, and across Allen, Whitley, and Kosciusko counties drive in for Friday-Sunday pickup windows.
Need a custom quote?
Send us your date, guest count, flavor preferences, and any inspiration images. We respond within 48 hours with availability and an exact quote — no obligation.