Some birthdays call for a cake shaped like the thing your child has talked about for six straight months. Others call for chocolate, candles, and enough slices for everyone. Howard County has good options for both, from neighborhood bakeries that take custom orders to a Costco cake that leaves plenty of room in the party budget.
Start with the guest count, the flavor the birthday person actually likes, and your pickup date. The decorations can come next. Here are places to look in Columbia, Elkridge, and Ellicott City, plus two nearby bakeries worth considering for a special order.
The short version
- Touche Touchet in Columbia: birthday cakes, cookie cakes, and neighborhood-bakery convenience.
- Kupcakes & Co. in Elkridge: custom designs, a broad range of sizes, and cupcakes for easy serving.
- TOUS les JOURS in Ellicott City: French-Asian bakery cakes for a different direction.
- Costco in Elkridge: our budget pick, especially when you’re feeding a crowd.
- The Cheesecake Factory at The Mall in Columbia: a whole cheesecake or a few favorite slices when time is short.
- Nothing Bundt Cakes in Columbia: a decorated Bundt cake or smaller treats for sharing.
- Cakes Plus in Laurel: a nearby option with a signature cake collection and custom orders.
- Cedars Cakes in Catonsville: a nearby bakery advertising vegan, dairy-free, and eggless options.
Touche Touchet: a birthday cake from the neighborhood bakery
If you’d like to keep the cake errand in Columbia, start with Touche Touchet in the Atholton Shopping Center on Shaker Drive. The bakery sells birthday cakes, specialty cakes, and cookie cakes, with selected designs available to order online for pickup.
A cookie cake is worth a look if the birthday child tends to eat the frosting and abandon the cake. For a traditional cake, browse the online selection first; if you have a particular theme or design in mind, speak with the bakery before placing the order.
Before you order: The bakery says its kitchen is not nut-free or wheat-free. If someone at the party has an allergy, discuss it directly with the bakery. Check your pickup day, too: the main website lists Sunday and Monday closures.
Kupcakes & Co.: custom cakes, small celebrations, and a crowd of cupcakes
Kupcakes & Co. gives you room to work with the guest list. Its custom cake selection runs from small rounds to half sheets, so a family dinner and a party full of classmates don’t have to start with the same enormous cake.
The bakery can turn its cupcake flavors into cakes and offers custom messages and additional decorations. Cupcakes are also a practical choice when the party is at a venue and you’d rather hand out dessert than spend ten minutes cutting slices.
For a sense of the budget, its published starting prices include $60 for a six-inch buttercream cake and $70 for an eight-inch cake. Decorations cost extra. Ask for a quote for your actual design and serving count.
Before you order: Custom cakes require two weeks’ notice and full payment when ordered. The bakery also sells retail cakes; call ahead for availability if you need one the same day. Its menu includes vegan and gluten-free offerings, but confirm which desserts can be ordered for your party and discuss any cross-contact concerns.
Still sorting out the rest of the menu? These easy birthday party food ideas include vegetarian choices and snacks that don’t require an afternoon in the kitchen.
TOUS les JOURS: another kind of birthday cake
For someone who likes browsing a bakery case more than picking a party theme, try TOUS les JOURS on Route 40. The French-Asian bakery chain has an Ellicott City shop selling cakes as well as breads and pastries.
Look through the cake selection with the birthday person’s tastes in mind, then ask the shop which flavors and sizes it can reserve. A cake from the regular collection can be just right for a birthday dinner, particularly when elaborate decorations aren’t the point.
Before you order: Confirm the local selection, pickup timing, and whether the shop can add a birthday message. A cake shown on a chain’s website isn’t necessarily waiting in this location’s case.
Costco: the budget pick that still tastes like a birthday treat
Costco deserves a place here. A good cake doesn’t have to be a custom bakery splurge, and Costco is a low-cost, high-quality option when you’ve got plenty of people to feed. Add candles and a few decorations of your own, and dessert is handled.
It’s also worth checking in a pinch if you’re happy to choose from the ready-made cakes available that day. Don’t count on a particular size or flavor being in stock, though, and leave yourself a backup plan.
A personalized order needs more time. Costco’s current instructions say app orders require at least three days’ notice and can be placed up to two weeks ahead. You’ll need a verified membership connected to the app. Paper orders are still accepted in the warehouse; ask the bakery about its pickup schedule.
Check the current warehouse price and serving size before ordering. For more on what makes the membership useful locally, read our Howard County Costco review.
The Cheesecake Factory: a last-minute birthday rescue at the mall
A birthday cake doesn’t have to be a layer cake. If the birthday person would choose cheesecake every time, The Cheesecake Factory at The Mall in Columbia is an easy place to start. Look for a whole cheesecake to take home, or pick up a few different slices for a small celebration where nobody wants the same flavor.
It’s a useful in-a-pinch option because you can order for pickup or ask at the bakery counter. Call the Columbia restaurant before heading over to confirm the whole-cake flavors, sizes, and pickup timing. Ask whether your cake will be ready to serve or needs thawing time, especially if the candles are coming out that evening.
Nothing Bundt Cakes: an easy cake to dress up for a birthday
Nothing Bundt Cakes on Little Patuxent Parkway is another straightforward option when you want a birthday dessert without commissioning a custom design. Choose a Bundt cake and birthday decorations, or go with smaller treats that guests can help themselves to.
The Columbia bakery offers pickup and delivery. Check its ordering page for the flavors, decorations, and pickup times available for your date. For a small family birthday, this is a handy middle ground between an elaborate party cake and grabbing whatever happens to be on a grocery shelf.
Two nearby bakeries worth the extra drive
Cakes Plus in Laurel
Cakes Plus is outside Howard County, on Laurel Fort Meade Road. Its signature cake collection is useful when you want to choose an existing design and flavors without starting a custom project from scratch. The bakery lists a 48-hour turnaround for that collection, while custom cakes require two weeks.
It also offers cupcakes, tortes, and mini cheesecakes if the birthday person would happily trade a layer cake for something else. Its gluten-free options are explicitly described as not celiac-friendly.
Cedars Cakes in Catonsville
Cedars Cakes is another nearby option, particularly if you’re looking for a custom cake with dietary requirements. The bakery advertises vegan, dairy-free, eggless, and sugar-free cake options, along with birthday and other celebration cakes.
Those labels answer different questions, so tell the bakery exactly what you need. Eggless doesn’t automatically mean vegan, and an ingredient substitution doesn’t tell you whether a kitchen can accommodate a serious allergy. Ask about the full recipe, preparation, lead time, and price before choosing.
Looking for Oh, What A Cake?
Oh, What A Cake’s website currently carries a relocation notice and says it is accepting a limited number of orders while temporarily closed. Contact the bakery through its website to confirm whether it can take your order and where pickup would be. Don’t head to the former Dobbin Road address without checking.
A few details that make cake pickup easier
- Give the bakery a guest count. Ask how many party-size slices the cake will provide. Serving estimates differ.
- Set the budget before discussing decorations. A simple cake with a favorite flavor can be a better use of the money than an elaborate design.
- Check the venue’s dessert rules. Ask about refrigeration, outside food, and whether plates, forks, and a cake knife are provided.
- Plan the ride home. Ask the bakery how to transport and store your cake. Make pickup the last errand before going home or to the party.
- Confirm the message in writing. Names, ages, and pickup dates are worth one final check.
Birthday cake questions
How far ahead should I order a custom birthday cake?
Kupcakes & Co. and Cakes Plus both publish a two-week lead time for custom cakes. Contact your chosen bakery earlier for a busy weekend or an elaborate design. A simpler cake from a regular collection may have a shorter turnaround.
Where should I look for a cake at the last minute?
Kupcakes & Co. says it offers retail cakes, with availability confirmed by phone. Costco is worth checking for an available ready-made cake. The Cheesecake Factory at The Mall in Columbia is another option for a whole cheesecake or assorted slices; confirm availability and whether a whole cake needs thawing. None of these options guarantees the flavor or size you want on the day, and Costco’s custom app orders require at least three days.
Can I find a vegan birthday cake near Howard County?
Cedars Cakes in nearby Catonsville advertises vegan custom cake options. Kupcakes & Co. in Elkridge lists vegan offerings; ask which cake or cupcake orders are available. Confirm ingredients and kitchen practices directly if an allergy is involved.
More help with the birthday plans
Find a place to celebrate in our birthday party guides, plan lunch with these party food ideas, or browse gift ideas for curious kids.