Planning a wedding is an exciting journey filled with endless decisions, from choosing the perfect venue to selecting the most beautiful floral arrangements. Within all the elements that go into creating the wedding of your dreams, there is something that takes centre stage and that’s the wedding cake.
However, determining the right portion size for your wedding cake can be a challenging task without the right tools. In this blog post, we'll take a closer look at the wedding cake portion guide, providing you with valuable insights and expert tips.
Wedding Cake Portion Size
The first thing to consider is when your cake will be served. If you are planning to serve your wedding cake as dessert then you will need to cater to 100% of your guests. These portion sizes would also be the larger “dessert” sized portions. If you are incorporating your wedding cake into the evening buffet then I would usually advise catering to around 70-80% of your total guest numbers to avoid waste. These would be smaller “finger” sized portions.
Dessert Portion
Finger Portion
Wedding Cake Height and Shape
Most modern wedding cakes are 5-6" tall these days. Gone are the days of 3" tall sponges. The additional height means portions are larger and will go further. Additionally cake sizes that are 8" or taller will provide double the portions.
The majority of wedding cakes tend to be round, so for the sake of simplicity we will be discussing round wedding cakes. However portion sizes vary slightly for square, hexagon, heart and petal shapes.
Wedding Cake Portion Guide
This portion guide is focused on the traditional wedding cake sizes, with the portion sizes based on finger slices. This should help give you a sense of the size of cake you need.
As an example for around 100 guests I would recommend a 3 tier cake and for 150 guests I would recommend a 4 tier cake.
Here is another handy chart showing all the portion sizes for both round and square. But don't worry when you work with a designer like myself you don't need to sit and work it out yourself.
While you can get more portions out of a square cake, they take significantly longer to bake, finish and ice therefore the price of the cake is much higher. Based on your guest numbers your cake designer will be able to advise the best size for your wedding. Furthermore at your design consultation we would delve deeper into the look you want to achieve and look at multiple size options based on your preferences.
Alternatives to Wedding Cake
Another option to consider is having a smaller cake plus dessert table. These are a great option to treat your guests during your evening wedding reception plus they can be tailored to your colour scheme or theme.
Have you thought about having a macaron tower, brownie and donut stack, or cupcake tower?
Cake Cutting
The moment when newlyweds cut the wedding cake is a tradition that holds special significance in many cultures. It symbolises the first shared task as a married couple and the promise of a life filled with togetherness and cooperation. This ceremony is often accompanied by cheers and applause from the guests and serves as a photo-worthy moment, capturing the joy and love of the day. The way the cake is cut varies from wedding to wedding, but the sentiment remains constant – a delicious and memorable time of shared moments and happiness.
Historically, the cake was cut late in the evening; signifying to guests that it was ok for them to head off home. Now it’s more usual to schedule it toward the end of the meal and after the speeches, to signify the end of the ceremonial elements of the day, and the beginning of the dancing. The cake can then be cut and served to guests later in the evening.
So there you have it! A full and definitive guide to wedding cake sizes. I really hope this was helpful.
If you have more questions relating to your wedding cake, why not check out the blog post below where I answer the most commonly asked questions by couples.