Is it even a party without cake? Yeah... we don't think so either. But it's hard to know just how much cake you're going to need. Some people aren't cake eaters at all, while others want all the cake. Oh, and there are so many different sizes and shapes.
Don't worry! We're here to clear up all your cake-related dilemmas with a cake serving chart that helps you make sense of cake sizes and servings (and what to do if there's more left over than you want to eat).
Cake Serving Chart for Layer Cakes
In our search for cake-size serving perfection, the first thing we discovered is this: there are wedding servings and party servings, and they aren't the same thing. Wedding servings are 4-inch tall slices that are 1"x1". Party guests must expect more cake, though, because party servings are 4 inches tall and 1"x2" wide (or for round slices, about 2" wide at the rounded end). And no — you don't need to bust out a ruler (unless you really want to). You can use our cake serving charts below to guide you as you cut the cake.
Round Cake Serving Chart
The round cake chart assumes a 4-inch tall (two 2-inch thick layers). For each additional layer, add half as many servings. So, if a 4-inch round cake with two layers makes 8 servings, a 4-inch round cake with three layers makes 12, and with four layers it makes 16. If it has five layers, please invite us.
| Diameter | Party Servings | Wedding Servings |
|---|---|---|
| 4-inch | 6 | 8 |
| 6-inch | 8 | 10 |
| 8-inch | 20 | 24 |
| 10-inch | 28 | 38 |
| 12-inch | 40 | 56 |
| 14-inch | 63 | 78 |
For a tiered cake, calculate the number of servings for each tier based on the tier size and then add them all together. For instance, a three-tiered 2-layer round wedding cake with 14-inch, 10-inch, and 4-inch tiers would serve 78+38+8=124 servings.
Square Layer Cake Serving Chart
Square layer cakes are similar to round, although you can squeeze a few more slices out of each of these cakes.
| Dimensions | Party Servings | Wedding Servings |
|---|---|---|
| 6x6-inch | 12 | 18 |
| 8x8-inch | 20 | 32 |
| 10x10-inch | 30 | 50 |
| 12x12-inch | 48 | 72 |
| 14x14-inch | 63 | 98 |
| 16x16-inch | 80 | 128 |
Sheet Cake Serving Chart
Sheet cakes aren't as tall as round or square-layered cakes, so your cake slice size will be slightly different. Party slices are 2x3 inches, and wedding slices are 1x2 inches.
| Dimensions | Party Servings | Wedding Servings |
|---|---|---|
| 9x13-inch (quarter sheet) | 18 | 54 |
| 12x18-inch | 36 | 108 |
| 16x24-inch | 54 | 192 |
Related: How to Calculate Food for a Party So Guests Don't Go Hungry
If you're serving a cake that's a non-standard shape, rely on your cake baker to help you estimate how many servings it will make. Or, if you made it yourself, you can guesstimate by how many cups of batter the entire cake took. One cup of batter = about four party servings or just under five wedding servings.
Leftover Cake
When calculating food for a party (including cake), it's best to always calculate a little more than you'll need just in case the guests all show up hungry. So you'll want to round up a little on your cake, too, just in case. After all, there's always going to be at least one person who sneaks an extra piece. So plan for about 10% more cake than you'd estimate for the number of guests attending. That way, nobody goes hungry, and you'll probably have leftover cake.
Not to worry. You can wrap some up for guests to take away, or you can freeze the leftover cake. The best way to freeze the cake is to cut the remainder into individual servings, freeze it uncovered, and then put it in individual zipper bags once the icing has hardened. It will keep for 6 months to a year.
Cake Servings Simplified
If you're offering a standard-shaped cake, it's fairly easy to estimate how many servings each size will make for either parties or weddings. So before you wind up with too much or too little, take a moment to check out our cake serving chart to make sure you have the right amount at every party. That way, nobody goes cakeless.
