Wedding cakes portion guide
/So you know how much cake you’ll need for your wedding day, but what does that actually look like in cake form?
Last week I gave some tips on how to decide how much cake you’ll need on your wedding day - if you haven’t read it yet, take a look here. It’s a great place to start.
I always use a 3 tier cake as a guide for portions and prices. A 3 tier cake serves about 80 portions comfortably, and is usually the perfect size for a wedding of 80-100 guests if you’re serving cake in the evening.
At Caked, my standard tiers are made up of 4 layers of sponge, so they’re extra tall. Therefore portions can be cut smaller if needed.
Once you know how many portions you’re looking for, you can start building up your cake. To help, I’ve created this super simple guide below. And to make it even easier, scroll below the guide for options for small or large weddings.
Wedding Cake Portions Guide
Wedding cake for under 50 guests
There are so many options for smaller weddings, and don’t think you can’t have a wedding cake just because you don’t have enough guests to justify it. Here are some ideas:
Opt for a small version of a tiered cake. Typical 3 tier cakes are made up of a 10”, 8” and 6” cake, but going for an 8”, 6” and 4” gives you a 3 tier cake with smaller portions.
Single tier cakes - don’t think you have to have a multi-tiered showstopper of a cake. Single tiers or double tiers look just as beautiful.
Dummy tiers - if you’re set on multiple tiers but really don’t want that much cake, go for one or more fake tiers, to give the illusion of a bigger cake.
Cupcakes or similar - individual cakes take up more room and look like more cake!
Wedding cake for 120+ Guests
You’ll need a lot more cake to serve everybody. Here are some ideas:
Large 4 tier cake - with a 12” cake on the bottom, this cake will serve 140 comfortably. That’s a lot of cake! You can upgrade to a 5 tier by adding a 4” cake on top for the ultimate showstopper.
Cutting cake - this is a great way of adding more cake portions without breaking the budget. These are undecorated cakes that I hand to your caterer to slice up along with the rest of your cake. Your guests will never know!
Dessert tables - you don’t have to just offer cake to your guests. Choose from a whole range of delicious desserts and mini cakes to serve alongside your main cake.
My final tip on deciding on portions for your wedding cake is over-order rather than under-order. You don’t want your guests fighting over the last slices of cake, and you can always freeze any leftover cake. You can enjoy it a few months later and it will taste just as good!
Hopefully my portions guide and tips for smaller and larger weddings will help you start to make sense of all the options available. Of course, I talk through all the possibilities in depth during your wedding consultation. To book yours for 2020 and beyond, contact Caked here.
