Planning guide
How much cake do you actually need?
The question we get asked more than any other. This is the chart we work from, find your pan size, then read across to how the cake is built.
| Pan size | 1 layer, torted | 2 layers | 2 layers, torted | 3 layers |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4" | 3–6 | 6–8 | n/a | 6–8 |
| 5" | 5–7 | 10–12 | 10–12 | 14–16 |
| 6" | 6–8 | 12–14 | 12–16 | 16–20 |
| 7" | 8–10 | 15–17 | 16–20 | 22–26 |
| 8" | 10–12 | 18–22 | 20–24 | 28–32 |
| 9" | 12–14 | 22–26 | 24–28 | 34–38 |
| 10" | 14–16 | 26–30 | 28–34 | 38–42 |
| 11" | 16–20 | 35–40 | 35–40 | 45–52 |
| 12" | 20–25 | 40–45 | 40–50 | 55–60 |
| 13" | 25–30 | 50–55 | 50–60 | 70–75 |
| 14" | 30–35 | 60–65 | 60–70 | 80–85 |
Servings assume a standard party slice. Wedding slices are traditionally cut smaller, so a cake will often stretch further at a wedding than the chart suggests.
Quick answers
- 20 guests, an 8" two-layer cake
- 30 guests, a 10" two-layer cake, or 9" torted
- 50 guests, a 13" two-layer, or a two-tier 10" + 6"
- 75 guests, a three-tier 10" + 8" + 6", torted
- 100+ guests, a three or four-tier cake, or a display cake plus sheet cake
How to think about it
Count servings, not tiers
People often ask for "a three-tier cake" when what they mean is "a cake for 100 people." Tiers change how a cake looks; pan sizes change how many people it feeds. A short three-tier cake can serve fewer people than a single large torted tier. Start from your guest count.
Torting changes the maths
Torting means splitting each baked layer horizontally and adding more filling. A torted cake is taller, so each slice is cut narrower and the same pan feeds more people. It is why the 9" column ranges from 12 servings to 38 depending on how the cake is built.
The display cake trick
For large events, the most cost-effective approach is a smaller decorated cake for cutting and photographs, with matching undecorated sheet cake portioned in the kitchen. Your guests eat exactly the same cake. You pay for a fraction of the decorating time.
Florida-specific advice
If your event is outdoors between May and September, talk to us about timing before you size the cake. A cake that sits in Tampa humidity for three hours before cutting needs different construction than one going straight from a cold van to a cutting table. It affects the frosting choice more than the size.
Tell us your guest count and we will size it
Send your date and headcount through the quote form and we will come back with the right tier combination and a firm price.