When planning a cake whether it’s for an event or wedding we all think of cake flavors and decorations First. But, you will also need this cake portion guide to decide how much cake you need to make
Have you ever planned a cake and then wondered
- How much cake should I bake?
- Is an 8-inch cake enough? Or should I make a 9-inch cake?
- How many cake servings does an 8-inch cake make?
- What is the difference in servings between an 8 and 10-inch cake?
- Can I combine two cakes together to make the number of servings I need?
In truth, the answer to these questions is quite simple and easy. All you need to know is how many servings are in a cake? Having said that have you wondered why some cake serving charts say an 8-inch cake makes 24 while some charts say an 8-inch makes 9 servings? Let me explain?
Party vs wedding cake servings
A serving of cake can be two sizes a dessert size which is often served for parties and a wedding cake serving which is typically a smaller size. The assumption is that weddings have more desserts on the table and the cake is just a symbolic celebration element. Unlike a birthday where the cake is often the star of the event.
- Wedding cake servings are usually 4-inches tall x 1-inch wide x 2-inches length.
- Party cake servings are usually 1.5 inch-wide
In order to achieve these servings from a cake, you will notice that wedding cake servings are cut in long rectangles while party cakes are usually a triangle.
Does cake height affect the number of servings?
In some cases, not really. You simply serve a tall slice of cake. For example, you can serve a standard 4-inch tall or an extended height 6-inch tall slice of cake.
However, if you make a tall cake of more than 6-inch then it makes more sense to cut that slice into two rather than one tall cake serving. So in this case you would cut that slice into 2 x 4-inch rather than 1 x 8-inch serving.
Typically, the way to cut a tall cake is similar to cutting a regular height cake. What you do is first cut the tall cake into 1-inch wide tall slices. Then cut horizontally in half so you have 2 servings.
How much cake do you need?
Once you know how many servings you need all you need to do is decided what size cake you need to make? That’s where you will need this cake portion guide.
Of course, sometimes you won’t get the number of cake servings you need in one single cake. So, you need to make a tiered cake. Here is a chart that will give you the tiered cake sizes you need.
Square, heart, the sheet cake portion – guides here
