Bakery & Dessert Trays
Muffin and Cupcake Insert Trays
- Sized to your baked case
- 1 to 12 wells
- Delivery ready
An insert is the difference between a box of cupcakes and a box of icing. Without one, a cupcake tips at the first corner and the buttercream ends up on the side of the box; with a correctly sized well, the same cupcake can be driven across a city.
The whole product is the well diameter, and it is measured from a baked case rather than an empty one.
- Wells cut to your baked case diameter, not the paper case size
- Layouts from a single cupcake up to a dozen
- Drops into your existing box, or supplied with a matched box
- Grease-resistant options for high-butter recipes
Pricing starts from $0.30 per tray
The unit price depends on the size, board, printing, finishing, quantity and delivery country, so every quote is worked out for your specification rather than taken from a list.
Get pricing for muffin insert trays
Send the size and the run length. We reply with pricing, material options and a production date — usually within one working day.
01 — Specification
Specification at a glance
Every element below is set when we quote. Nothing here is a fixed catalogue entry — if a line does not match what you need, say so and we will change it.
- Layouts
- 1, 2, 4, 6 and 12 wells; custom counts available
- Well diameter
- Cut to your baked case at its widest point
- Board
- Folding board or fine-flute corrugated depending on rigidity needed
- Fit
- Cut to your existing box, or supplied with a matched box
- Surface
- Grease-resistant face available
02 — Build the spec
Design this tray in five steps
The same five questions we would ask on a phone call, with the muffin insert tray already selected. You get a properly detailed brief at the end, which is what makes a first quote accurate rather than approximate.
Prefer the full builder with a live sketch? Open the tray designer.
03 — In detail
Measure the bake, not the case
Batter expands over the rim of a paper case as it bakes, so a baked muffin is wider at the top than the empty case it went in. An insert cut to the paper case size will not accept the finished product, and the person packing will force it, which crushes the edge.
Bake a batch, let them cool, then measure the widest point across the top of several. Use the largest as your well diameter and add a small clearance. Send us two baked samples if you would rather we measured them.
Layouts and what they suit
| Wells | Use | Note |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Single cupcake gift or sample | Needs a snug box or the insert slides |
| 2 | Pair for a couple, or a paired flavour offer | Popular in cafés as an add-on |
| 4 | Small gift box, corporate individual serving | Square layout is the most stable |
| 6 | Standard retail and delivery box | The highest-volume layout |
| 12 | Office and event orders | Needs a rigid base or the insert flexes |
Three things that go wrong
The well is too tight
Almost always because it was cut to the empty paper case. Packing staff force the cake in, the case creases and the customer receives a damaged product. Measure baked.
The insert flexes
On a twelve-well insert in a light board, the middle sags under the weight and the cupcakes lean inward. A heavier board or a fine-flute corrugated insert fixes it at very little cost.
There is no lid clearance
Buttercream is taller than the cake. Measure the finished, decorated product to its highest point and specify box height from that, not from the muffin.
04 — Nearby
Trays that work alongside this one
Chosen because operators who buy the muffin insert tray usually need one of these in the same order, not because they happen to sit in the same category.
Bakery Display Tray
A bakery display tray has to do two jobs that pull in opposite directions.
View tray & get pricing →
Corrugated Pan Liner
A pan liner is the least glamorous item on this site and one of the most immediately useful.
View tray & get pricing →
Donut Display Tray
Donuts are wide, glazed and easily damaged, which makes them one of the more demanding bakery products to package.
View tray & get pricing →05 — Questions
Muffin Insert Tray questions
How do I measure for a cupcake insert?
From a baked, cooled cake at its widest point across the top — not from the empty paper case. Batter expands over the rim, so a case-sized well will not accept the finished product.
How many wells should I order?
Six is the highest-volume layout for retail and delivery. One, two and four suit gifts and add-on sales; twelve suits offices and events. Each layout needs its own die, so start with the counts you actually sell.
Will the insert fit my existing boxes?
If you send us a box, yes — we cut the insert to sit inside it without sliding. If you are starting from scratch, we can supply the insert and a matched box together, which is usually simpler.
Does the insert stop the icing being damaged?
It stops the cake tipping, which is the main cause of icing damage. It does not stop a lid pressing on tall buttercream — that is a box height question, and it needs measuring from the decorated product.
Will a twelve-well insert sag?
In a light board, yes, and the cupcakes lean inward. A heavier board or a fine-flute corrugated insert prevents it and adds very little to the cost.
Do I need grease resistance on an insert?
For high-butter recipes, it is worth it. The insert is in contact with the case rather than the cake, so it matters less than on a base tray, but a rich muffin will still mark a plain board over a day.
Can inserts be printed?
They can, but the insert is almost entirely covered by product and the visible parts are the well edges. Print budget goes further on the lid or the box side.
Can I get one insert that fits both muffins and cupcakes?
Only if the diameters are close. Muffins typically bake wider than cupcakes, so a well sized for muffins will let cupcakes move. If both are core products, two inserts is usually the right answer.
Before you order, read
- How to Measure a Food Tray — The measurements to send a supplier, and how to take them correctly.
- Food Tray Size Guide — What tray sizes mean, and how to pick one from your own portions.
Who buys this tray
Ready to price the muffin insert tray?
Send the dimensions, the quantity and the country you want it delivered to. We come back with a full quote — material, print, finishing, freight and a production date.