When the big day arrives you want to make sure you have enough wedding cake for all of your guests. It might look very bad on you, maybe even insulting, if you invite guests to your wedding and don’t have enough cake to go around…
Above, a wedding cake by The Little Touches
Traditionally the top tier of your wedding cake is saved for your first anniversary, and it’s not included in the serving amount. So the first thing you need to do when cutting the cake is remove the top tier and then cut into the 2nd tier instead, followed by the 3rd, 4th, etc.
Most cakes will come with a guide detailing how many portions are included, but if possible you might want to try to get a bigger cake to ensure all of your guests can have a piece. If you have 120 guests and a cake with a guide of 120 portions, you’re cutting it very fine and will likely end up with not enough to go around. So think ahead, and always provide more where possible to save embarrassment.
Remember that the number of servings listed are a guide only, offering a small portion of wedding cake (usually 1 inch by 2 inches in size). If you’re already having dessert as part of your wedding meal, finger- or coffee-sized portions of cake might be all you need, but if your cake is the only dessert offered, portions will need to be larger and you will have less servings than the guide suggests.
Be aware of the above when planning your wedding cake. Here’s a rough guide for each:
*Coffee Size: 1 inch x 1 inch x 3.5 inches (2.5cm x 2.5cm x 9cm)
*Dessert Size: 1 inch x 2 inches x 3.5 inches (2.5cm x 5cm x 9cm)
All Shapes and Sizes
Wedding cakes can come in all different shapes and sizes, but as a standard they’re approximately 3.5 inches deep. Be sure to add together tier sizes to work out exactly how many portions a wedding cake will serve.
Above, wedding cakes from: Icing On The… | Sweet Hollywood
Depending on the shape of each tier, their is a different method for cutting it. So follow the instructions carefully to avoid confusion.
Square Tiers
Start around 2 inches from the outer edge of the cake, cutting across. Then slice approximately 1 inch pieces of cake. Now move in another 2 inches and continue cutting until the entire tier is cut. As a rough guide, an 8 inch by 8 inch tier should give you 32 slices of cake, a 12 inch by 12 inch cake should give you 72 slices, and a 16 inch by 16 inch cake should give you 128 slices.
Above from the left, square-tiered wedding cakes from Cakes From The Heart | Heavenly Slice of Bristol
Round Tiers
Start two inches in from the outer edge of the cake. Cut a circle, then start cutting 1 inch pieces within the circle. Now start in another 2 inches, cutting another circle, slice 1 inch pieces and continue until you have the tier completely sliced. Depending on the size of the cake, its’ center core of each tier can be cut into 3rds, 4ths, and 6ths.
Above, round-tiered wedding cakes by Marks and Spencer PLC
And don’t forget to check out our Shop for wedding cake accessories and inspiration.
Above, clockwise from the top-right: Beautiful Butterfly Cake Sets | Printed Napkins | Heart Design Wedding Cake Box Pack | Vintage Inspired Silver Cake Serving Set
Find more great ideas on our Inspiration wedding cake pages!
Find the perfect cake for your wedding on Confetti!
