Why We Do Not Make Number Cakes
Number cakes (also called letter cakes or cijfertaarten) are those flat, number-shaped cakes covered in cream, fruit, and macarons. They look great in photos. We do not make them, and here is why.
Number cakes are typically two thin layers of sponge or puff pastry with whipped cream or cream cheese filling between them. The shape means the cake is shallow, usually only 3-4 cm tall. That thin profile creates two problems: the sponge dries out fast, and the cream-to-cake ratio leaves you eating mostly filling with very little actual cake.
The Quality Problem with Number Cakes
Because number cakes are flat and wide, they have a large surface area exposed to air. Whipped cream starts to weep within hours, especially in a warm room. By the time the party is halfway through, the cake often looks different from when it was first set out.
The sponge layers are cut thin to hold the number shape. Thin sponge dries out quickly. A traditional round cake with 3-4 thick layers and buttercream between each one stays moist much longer because the frosting seals in the moisture.
We made the choice early on to only offer products we are confident will taste great at the moment they are served. Number cakes do not meet that standard for us.
What We Offer Instead
If you want to highlight a number, such as a birthday age, an anniversary year, or a milestone, we have good alternatives.
Acrylic number toppers are the simplest option. A "30" or "50" topper on a buttercream cake is clean and modern. We stock common numbers and can source custom ones.
Piped numbers in buttercream directly on the cake work for a more integrated look. We can pipe the number large on the top or work it into the overall design.
Themed designs that reference the number without being shaped like it. A 1st birthday smash cake with "ONE" written in icing, or a drip cake with sprinkles that match the birthday age's colour theme.
All our cakes are buttercream, with vanilla or chocolate base and fillings like chocolate ganache, white chocolate ganache, vanilla cream, vanilla with strawberry, or vanilla with raspberry. Prices range from €50 to €140. Check our cake calculator for sizing and pricing.
Order a Custom Cake with Number Details
Tell us the number you want featured and we will suggest the best way to incorporate it. Share the occasion, number of guests, and your flavour preferences. We need at least one week.
Pickup in Vlaardingen and Rotterdam. Interested in delivery? Ask us about it through the order form, DM, or email. Start your order here.
Preguntas frecuentes
Why don't you make number cakes?
Can you put a number on a regular cake?
Do you make letter cakes?
What do you recommend for a milestone birthday?
¿Listo para encargar tu tarta?
Tanto si preparas un cumpleaños, una boda, un evento de empresa o cualquier celebración, en LittleCakesNL creamos tartas a medida que convierten cada ocasión en algo inolvidable.
Encarga tu tarta
