How to Sell Cakes From Home in Michigan (2026)

Yes, you can sell cakes from home in Michigan without a license, including birthday, anniversary and wedding cakes, under the cottage food law. The cake and everything on it must be shelf-stable: no cream cheese frosting, custard, whipped cream or cheesecake, and buttercream only from one of two lab-tested recipes. Annual sales are capped at $50,000, or $75,000 if you sell products priced at $250 or more.

That last number matters more to cake makers than anyone else. A tiered wedding cake can clear $250 on its own, and the higher tier appears aimed at exactly that kind of product. Here's how the whole thing works for a custom cake business, from what you can pipe onto a cake to how you label one that won't fit in a box.

Which cakes can you sell under Michigan cottage food law?

MDARD's allowed-foods list names cakes, including celebration cakes: birthday, anniversary, wedding and cupcakes. Layer cakes, sheet cakes, bundt cakes, cupcakes and tiered cakes all fit, as long as the finished cake doesn't need refrigeration.

The rule underneath everything: cottage food is limited to foods that don't need time or temperature control for safety. If a cake would need to go in the fridge to stay safe, it's out, no matter how it's decorated.

For fillings and toppings that aren't on either list (a ganache, a curd, a mousse), don't assume. Email MDARD at MDARD-CottageFood@michigan.gov with the recipe before you sell it. The broader list is in what you can sell under Michigan cottage food law.

What frosting can you use on a cottage food cake?

Frosting is where most cake sellers trip up, because the most popular frostings are the ones that need a fridge.

Shelf-stable icings and fondant

MDARD allows icings and frostings made entirely of shelf-stable ingredients, and commercially prepared shelf-stable frostings. MDARD's list doesn't name fondant, but a commercially prepared shelf-stable fondant, or one made entirely of shelf-stable ingredients, fits these categories. For any other icing, check each ingredient: if one of them needs refrigeration, the icing does too.

Buttercream: only two recipes

MDARD's list allows buttercream only if you use one of two lab-tested recipes, followed exactly:

• Kansas State University's "Simple Buttercream Frosting" (free)
• Texas "Come and Bake It" "American Buttercream Frosting" (paid)

No other buttercream recipe is allowed, even one you've used for years.

What "followed exactly" means in practice:

1. Use the recipe as written. Same ingredients, same proportions, same method. The only additions MDARD allows are food coloring and flavoring extracts.
2. Don't substitute. Swapping an ingredient, cutting the sugar or adding liquid changes the recipe that was tested.
3. Don't blend it into something else. Mixing in cream cheese, fresh fruit puree or cream turns it into a frosting that wasn't tested.
4. Keep a copy of the recipe with your records so you can show which one you use.

MDARD's list allows food coloring and flavoring extracts, but no other additions, subtractions or changes in proportions. If you want to vary the recipe any other way (cocoa, fruit, a different fat), ask MDARD first and keep their reply.

Fruit on cakes

Whole or sliced fruit is allowed as a garnish on a cake or pastry. Berries on top of a naked cake fit. Fresh fruit folded into a filling isn't covered by that allowance, so check with MDARD first.

How does the higher sales limit work for cake makers?

The law caps a cottage food operation's gross sales at $50,000 a year. It raises that to $75,000 "if the cottage food operation sells cottage food products at a price of $250 or more per unit."

Tiered wedding cakes and large custom celebration cakes are the obvious example. If you regularly sell cakes priced at $250 or more each, the higher tier appears aimed at sellers like you.

A few more points on the cap:

• It's per person. Two people in one home who each run their own cottage food business each get the full limit. Household members who help but aren't operators don't add to it.
• It's gross sales, not profit. A $250 cake counts as $250, even if half of it was ingredients.
• MDARD can ask for records of your gross sales, so log every order.
• Starting October 1, 2026, MDARD may adjust the caps for inflation each year. As of September 2026, no adjusted figure has been published.

More detail is in the Michigan cottage food sales limit.

How do you label a cake?

Every cottage food product must be labeled before sale. For cakes, MDARD makes a practical exception based on size.

Big cakes: the label goes on the invoice

For wedding, birthday and specialty cakes that can't carry a label, MDARD allows you to put all of the label information on the invoice and deliver that invoice with the cake. "All" means everything a normal label needs:

• Your business name and home kitchen address (no P.O. boxes), or your name, phone number and MSU registration number if you've registered
• The product name (for example, "Three-Tier Vanilla Wedding Cake")
• Ingredients in descending order by weight, including sub-ingredients of anything prepared, like the fondant or sprinkles
• Net weight or volume with the metric equivalent
• Allergens, named in the ingredient list or in a "Contains:" line
• The required statement: Made in a home kitchen that has not been inspected by the Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development., in at least 11-point type

Cakes commonly contain several of the federal major allergens, such as milk, eggs and wheat, plus whatever is in your decorations. The full list is milk, eggs, wheat, soy, peanuts, tree nuts, fish, shellfish, sesame. Check every component, including purchased sprinkles and colors.

Smaller cakes: box it and label the box

Cakes that aren't large specialty cakes, such as a 6-inch round or a dozen cupcakes, must be boxed, with the label on the box.

Ajinto's label maker prints the required statement and the other fields for you. The full rules, with examples, are in Michigan cottage food label requirements.

Cake stands and serving pieces

Returnable cake stands and serving dishes are fine, as long as you clean them the way you'd clean any other food equipment. Put the return terms in writing on the invoice: when the stand comes back and what happens if it doesn't.

How do custom orders, consultations and deposits work?

Custom cakes are sold before they're made, which fits well with how Michigan's 2026 law handles online and remote sales.

The consultation is also your compliance step

Online orders, mail orders and third-party delivery are allowed only if you give the customer an opportunity to directly interact with you before the sale. The law says that includes a face-to-face meeting or a virtual meeting with two-way communication, where you can see and hear each other.

Cake makers already do this. A tasting at your door, or a video call to go over the design, flavors and serving count, is both good service and the interaction the law describes. Email or a contact form alone doesn't match the definition, so always offer an in-person or video option before you take payment. See how to sell baked goods online in Michigan for the full rule.

Deposits

The cottage food law doesn't regulate deposits, so this is a business decision. One simple structure:

1. Consultation (in person or video): design, flavors, servings, date, pickup or delivery.
2. Written quote with the price, what's included, and your deposit and cancellation terms.
3. Deposit to hold the date.
4. Balance due before pickup or delivery.

Whatever you choose, write it down and apply it the same way to every customer. Record the full order price toward your gross sales.

A Traverse City baker booking summer weddings, for example, might take a deposit when the date is set and the balance two weeks out, with the design and flavor choices written on the order.

Can you deliver cakes in Michigan?

Yes. Cottage food sellers can:

• Hand-deliver cakes themselves.
• Use third-party delivery, with the direct-interaction opportunity offered before the sale.
• Offer porch or home pickup.

Two limits to keep in mind:

• Online, mail-order and delivery sales can go only to consumers in Michigan.
• You can't use a café, farm stop or other retail business as a pickup point for pre-sold cakes, and you can't sell cakes to a café or restaurant to resell. Cottage food is direct to consumer only; consignment and wholesale are prohibited.

Store finished cakes only in your primary residence. More on routes, packaging and third-party apps in Michigan cottage food shipping and delivery.

How should you price custom cakes?

Custom cakes carry more labor per order than almost anything else a home baker sells: consultation time, design, decorating, delivery and setup. Price for all of it, not just ingredients.

• Price per serving as a starting point, then add for design complexity, tiers, sugar work and delivery.
• Charge for delivery and setup separately, based on distance and time.
• Track your hours on the first dozen orders. Underpricing often comes from undercounting decorating time.
• Know where the $250 line sits. If your larger cakes are priced at or above it, check with MDARD how that affects your cap.

The step-by-step method is in how to price baked goods. If you're still setting up, start with how to start a home bakery in Michigan.

Frequently asked questions

Do I need a license to sell cakes from home in Michigan?

No. Michigan's cottage food law exempts qualifying home kitchens from licensing and inspection, and MDARD requires no application or permit. You still have to follow the product, labeling and sales rules. See do you need a cottage food license in Michigan.

Can I sell wedding cakes under Michigan cottage food law?

Yes. MDARD's list names wedding cakes among allowed celebration cakes. The cake, frosting and fillings must all be shelf-stable, and the label information can go on an invoice delivered with the cake.

Can I use buttercream frosting on cottage food cakes in Michigan?

Only if you use one of two lab-tested recipes exactly as written (adding only food coloring or flavoring extracts): Kansas State University's "Simple Buttercream Frosting" or the Texas "Come and Bake It" "American Buttercream Frosting." No other buttercream is allowed, apart from commercially prepared shelf-stable frosting.

Can I sell cakes with cream cheese frosting from home?

No. Cream cheese frosting needs refrigeration, and MDARD's list specifically excludes it. Cheesecake, custard-filled cakes and whipped cream cakes are also out.

Does selling a $250 cake raise my sales limit?

The law raises the cap to $75,000 if you sell products priced at $250 or more per unit. It doesn't say whether one such cake is enough, so confirm your situation with MDARD.

Can I sell cakes to a coffee shop or restaurant?

No. Cottage food must be sold directly to the consumer. Selling to a business for resale (wholesale) or leaving cakes on consignment is prohibited.

For every rule in one place, read the Michigan cottage food law guide.

This is general information, not legal advice.

Sources

• MCL 289.4102, Michigan cottage food law
• MDARD: What can I make?
• MDARD: Cottage food labeling
• MDARD: Getting started and FAQ
• MSU Product Center: Cottage food business voluntary registration