Wedding Cake Portions Calculator

The standard wedding (dessert) portion is 2.5cm wide by 5cm deep by the height of the cake tier (typically 10cm) — equal to the 1 inch × 2 inch footprint used in Wilton and most UK serving charts. A smaller 2.5cm × 2.5cm (1 inch × 1 inch) slice is known as the finger or coffee portion, served as a lighter taste with evening tea and coffee; switch the Portion Depth to 2.5cm in advanced options to size for finger portions instead.

As a rough guide: 1 tier serves up to 30 guests, 2 tiers up to 60, 3 tiers up to 100, and 4-5 tiers for 100+ guests. However, the actual number depends on tier diameters and whether all tiers are real cake or if some are dummy tiers for display.

It is common to order 10-15% more portions than your guest count. Some guests may want seconds, you may want to send slices home with guests, and some portions from the very centre of each tier are not as neat. This calculator shows any surplus above your guest count.

Square cakes of the same dimension give more portions than round cakes because the corners add extra area. A 25cm square cake gives roughly 27% more portions than a 25cm round cake. Square cakes can be a cost-effective choice for larger guest lists.

Absolutely. Many modern wedding cakes mix shapes for visual interest. Calculate the portions for each tier individually based on its shape and size, then add them together for your total.