Branded Cupcakes: Your Logo on Cupcakes for Corporate Events

Branded cupcakes are cupcakes with your logo on top. I print the logo onto an edible topper and sit it on a swirl of buttercream, so every cupcake carries your name around the room. I bake them to order in Peterborough as corporate cupcakes for offices, launches, charity days and staff events, from a minimum of 24.

The photos on this page are from a real order: logo cupcakes for a breast cancer awareness event hosted by North West Anglia NHS Foundation Trust. You'll see them all the way from the oven to the finished box.

I bake everything myself, in small batches, from a registered home kitchen with a food hygiene rating of 5. My gran catered weddings and christenings, and I was beside her in the kitchen from about twelve. Her recipes, real butter and real vanilla go into these cupcakes just like everything else I make.

What are branded cupcakes?

Branded cupcakes are cupcakes made for a business or organisation, with its logo, a message or a campaign printed on an edible disc on top. You might also hear them called logo cupcakes, corporate cupcakes or promotional cupcakes. It's all the same idea.

You can put one design on every cupcake, or mix a few designs through the box. The NHS trust order had three, and I'll show you how that worked below.

The topper is what people notice first, but the cupcake still has to be delicious. A logo gets someone to pick one up. The sponge is what sends them back for a second.

A real order: logo cupcakes for an NHS trust event

North West Anglia NHS Foundation Trust hosted an event to support breast cancer awareness, and these cupcakes were on the table. They're chocolate cupcakes with a buttercream rose on each one, and three printed toppers mixed through the box. The Trust's logo. A pink ribbon with the words "Supporting the fight against breast cancer". And a Sploffin topper that says "Order at sploffin.com".

Mixing the three meant the Trust and the cause both had their place, and the box looked full and colourful the moment it was opened. The Sploffin one is for the person who asks where the cupcakes came from. There's always one!

Got a cause day, a fundraiser or a wellbeing week coming up? The same mix works really well: your logo, the charity's symbol and a short message. Send me your date through my cupcakes in Peterborough page and I'll take it from there.

Branded cupcake ideas for your next event

Not sure what to put on yours? These are the ideas I'd start with.

Your logo on every cupcake, with the buttercream tinted to your brand colours. Your logo mixed with your event name or the date of a launch. A charity's symbol next to your logo for an awareness day or fundraiser. "Welcome" toppers with your logo for a new starters' morning. A big number for a company anniversary or a team milestone. Your campaign message or hashtag for a product launch.

Two or three designs in one box looks generous and gives people something to talk about. More than that and the box can start to look busy, so I'd keep it simple.

How do you put a logo on cupcakes?

The logo is printed onto an edible topper, and the topper goes on top of the buttercream. Printing keeps your logo looking like your logo, with the right shapes, letters and colours every time.

My personalised cakes are decorated by hand, with names and themes made in sugar and buttercream. Logos are different. A brand has to look the same everywhere it appears, so for logos the topper is printed.

Every branded cupcake goes through three stages.

First, the bake. I want a nice even dome on every cupcake, so the buttercream and the topper sit level.

Next, the buttercream. Each one is piped into a rose, so they're all the same height before the toppers go on.

Last, the topper. It's pressed gently into the buttercream so it leans back a little and catches the light.

What should I send to get my logo on cupcakes?

Send the best quality logo file you have. A vector file (SVG, EPS or PDF) or a large PNG with a transparent background prints sharp and clean. A screenshot from your website is a last resort, because small images go blurry when they're made bigger. Not sure which file you've got? Ask whoever designed your logo for the version they use for print.

Keep it simple if you can. The topper is small, so fine print, long slogans and tiny text won't be readable. If your brand has a short version of its logo, an icon or initials, that's usually the best one for a cupcake. Write out any words exactly as you want them to appear.

Then tell me your date, how many cupcakes you need (24 or more), up to two flavours, how many of each design, and where they're going. My vanilla bean with real vanilla buttercream and my deep chocolate sponge are the favourites, and lemon, red velvet and coffee are all possible. I also bake vanilla, chocolate and carrot cupcakes vegan. Choosing for a mixed office? Have a look at the UK's favourite cupcake flavours.

Please only send a logo you own or have permission to use. Under UK law the owner of a registered trade mark has exclusive rights to it, and those rights are infringed by use of the mark without the owner's consent. If the cupcakes are for a sponsor, partner or client, get a quick yes from their marketing team before you order.

Corporate cupcakes: which events suit them?

Corporate cupcakes work at almost any work event where people get together. No plates, no knives, nobody stuck cutting the cake. Everyone takes one, and your logo goes with them.

Team celebrations, milestones and retirements. Welcome days for new starters. Charity and awareness days, like the NHS trust event. Product launches, office openings and open days. Stands at careers fairs and recruitment events, where a cupcake gets people talking to you. Client meetings and training days, where 24 cupcakes covers most meeting rooms.

At Christmas they go lovely on the office party table, next to my Christmas menu.

Feeding everyone properly? Cupcakes sit well next to corporate lunch boxes, from £96, or a sandwich platter for a party. My guide to party food helps you plan the whole spread, my corporate event catering page covers bigger events, and if there's a celebration cake too, my cake portion guide helps you pick the size.

When you know the date, send me the details on my cupcakes in Peterborough page and I'll come back with a firm price.

How many branded cupcakes do I need?

Start with your headcount. I'd plan one cupcake each, and if they're the only sweet thing on the table, add a few extra for the people who come back for seconds. There are always a few! The minimum order is 24, which suits most meeting rooms and small teams.

For a stand at a fair or an open day, think about how many people will walk past, not just how many staff you have. If you're mixing designs, decide on the split before you enquire, for example half logo and half campaign message, so the toppers can be planned properly.

How do I look after branded cupcakes on the day?

Keep the box closed and somewhere cool until it's time to serve. Buttercream softens in a warm room or a sunny window, and soft buttercream lets a topper slide. Keep the box away from radiators and out of a hot car.

Take the lid off just before people arrive and let the box do the rest. If you want photos for social media, take them as soon as the lid comes off, while every topper is sitting perfectly. Any left over? Pop them back in the box with the lid on.

Are branded cupcakes a tax-deductible business gift?

Not when you give them to clients, unfortunately. HMRC lets businesses claim for gifts that carry a clear advert for the business, like branded pens, diaries and mouse mats. But its manual says this doesn't apply if the gift is food, drink, tobacco or a token or voucher exchangeable for goods. So putting your logo on cupcakes doesn't make them a deductible gift.

Staff events work differently. HMRC says you don't have to report or pay tax on an annual staff party or event if it's open to all your employees, annual, and costs £150 or less per person. Cupcakes for the Christmas party or the summer barbecue can be part of that. Always check with your accountant for your own business.

How much do branded cupcakes cost?

My cupcakes are £4 each, with a minimum order of 24. Every branded order is quoted, because the number of designs, the toppers and delivery all change the total. You'll get a firm price within five working days, and it won't creep up later. Rush fees apply for tight timelines.

Think about where your marketing budget usually goes. A branded pen ends up in a drawer. A box of logo cupcakes gets opened in the middle of the office, shared, talked about and photographed, with your logo in every picture.

How far ahead should I order corporate cupcakes?

Give me at least a week for cupcakes, and longer for detailed decoration. Quotes come back within five working days, so enquire as soon as your date is fixed. Rush fees apply for tight timelines.

Christmas, the end of the financial year and the big awareness months are busy times for office events. If your date falls in one of those, get in touch early so the quote, the logo and the flavours are all sorted well before the day.

Can branded cupcakes be delivered?

In and around Peterborough, yes. Collection is free, and local delivery is £3 minimum, then 55p a mile from the city centre. So an office in town pays very little to have them brought to reception.

Further away, my cupcake boxes of 12 go by DPD courier to the UK mainland. They come in my menu flavours, without logo toppers. If you'd like a branded order outside Peterborough, put the address in your enquiry and I'll tell you honestly whether I can get them to you looking their best.

Got clients or a team spread across the UK? The post might suit you better. My letterbox cakes by post fit through the letterbox with the normal post, and a box of cookies delivered to someone's door makes a lovely thank you. Every box comes with a handwritten message card. In December, have a look at my letterbox Christmas gifts for client presents, and the story behind my Christmas fruit cake. The rest of the year, there are thank you gifts by post for everything from a new starter to a leaving do. Just remember the HMRC rule. They're food, so they don't count as deductible business gifts either.

Allergens and food safety for office orders

UK law says 14 allergens have to be declared. The government's allergen guidance for food businesses also says that when food is sold online, the allergen information has to be available before the order is complete and again when it's delivered.

My kitchen handles all 14 major allergens, nuts included, so I can't promise anything is free from traces. When you collect the headcount for an office order, collect any allergies too, and read my allergen information before you enquire.

My kitchen is a registered food business, rated 5 for food hygiene. Under the national scheme, a 5 means hygiene standards are very good and fully comply with the law. You can see my food hygiene rating of 5 on the Food Standards Agency website, which is handy if your procurement or facilities team asks for it.

How do I order branded cupcakes from Sploffin?

Go to my cupcakes in Peterborough page and send me an enquiry with your date, how many cupcakes (24 or more), up to two flavours, your logo file and any words, how many of each design, and whether you'll collect or need delivery. I'll send you a firm price within five working days. Once you're happy, I bake for your date.

Handmade, made to order and baked just for you, the way Gran taught me. Send me your logo and let's make your event delicious.

Written by Sploffin, a small-batch bakery in Peterborough. Questions about an order? The FAQ answers most of them.