How much wedding cake do you really need?
Deciding your wedding cake’s style and taste should be the highlight of your pre-big-day planning. Along with choosing your wedding dress, of course!
But once settled on the aesthetic and gusto, most couples get confused about how many portions they really need.
It can seem tricky, but you’ll soon find out it’s actually really easy! These are just a few different factors to keep in mind. Since I am far from being a cake-maker, the amazing Nadia from Cake Date is here to help us out.
I have asked her to share with us her top recommendations when it comes down to deciding how much wedding cake to order.
Ready to find out?
Number of guests
Let’s get right down to business.
The biggest thing that will influence how much wedding cake you will need is the number of people attending your wedding.
However, there’s a catch. As Nadia suggests, “as a general rule, you can get away with ordering cake for about %80 of your wedding list. This way you won’t risk having lots of leftovers after your big day.”
This is mostly because, after 2 or 3 meals, not everyone will fancy a slice of sweet deliciousness.
However, the %80 rule works only if you are serving the dessert while guests are dancing or mingling (that’s the most common way!). If you decide to serve the cake while your guests are sitting, you’ll need one slice for each guest.
For an average of 100 guests, a 3-tier cake (12″ base, 10″ middle, 8″ top) will be just more than enough.
In any case, make sure to discuss your choices with your favourite baker to see what’s their opinion.
Other desserts
Will you be serving other desserts along with the main cake? Many couples decide to include smaller types of dessert before or after the main course to treat their guests!
Or maybe you are going for a healthier choice, like fresh fruit?
Consider how much food you are serving in total to determine the size of your cake.
Aesthetics
In recent times the wedding cake has become more and more a stylistic element that is expected to blend and highlight the general theme of the wedding. In other words, it’s not just how good it tastes, but also how great it looks!
There are a ton of different styles you could choose from. However, the most common types of cakes are circular and rectangular, with 2 to 3 different tiers.
When it comes down to size, couples can easily have different opinions.
If you are celebrating your love with an intimate wedding but your childhood dream has always been displaying an epic cake, don’t worry! You can easily add a couple of extra fake tiers at the bottom that will make the cake look bigger than it actually is.
The complete opposite is also possible! If you need to feed 150 people but don’t want a flashy, gigantic cake, a double-barreled cake will do the trick.
Basically, you blend two cakes into an individual and bigger element that still looks like a standard single-layer cake.
Size of the portions
How big or small the cake will be cut will also affect how many servings you actually need.
There are 2 main sizes of servings: a coffee portion and a dessert portion. The coffee portion is the most common and is exactly half the size of the dessert portion.
Regardless of the size of the portion you choose, when you decide to serve it is also important. Nadia suggests “cutting and serving the cake after the ceremony when the couple is having their photos. It’s usually at the perfect time for afternoon tea and the cake is enjoyed so much more with a very little leftover.”
So choose wisely and don’t forget that all your wedding vendors are here to help you!
Anniversary
Traditionally, the bride and the groom would freeze the top tier of their wedding cake and eat it on the day of their first anniversary. Is that something you might want to consider?
Even though this tradition has slowly been fading away, there are still couples that choose to keep some cake for their most special moments.
So if that’s the case, keep this in mind because you will need some extra cake.
Oh and make sure to check with your baker if your choice of cake would survive 12 months in the freezer!
Conclusion
So as you have seen, a few factors affect how much wedding cake you will need, with the main one being the total number of guests.
As a general rule, you can feel safe ordering cake for about %80 of your wedding guest list since not everyone will be having dessert.
It’s also important to consider the style of the cake you choose if you are ordering other desserts, and what type of mains are you planning to have.
For an average 100-guest wedding, a 3 tiers cake (12″ base, 10″ middle, 8″ top) will do the trick.
What’s your priority when it comes down to your wedding cake? Taste, style, or dimensions? Let me know in the comments below.
Ciao!
