Cake Portions & Sizes

Cake serving portions is one of the key factors to determine the size of the cake. But it’s also important to know how much a cake is serving and how to portion a cake. I’m going to help you understand what size cake you need and break it all down in this article.

With this article, you will know how much cake is in a serving and how many servings are in a cake.

Cake terminology – What is the difference between a cake tier and a cake layer?

I want to start with the terminology first because it can be confusing. A cake layer is the actual baked cake, and 2-3 layers (sometimes 4) forms the tier.

What is the average cake portion?

It depends on what you want to be honest, but the standard is either a “dessert portion” or “finger portion”. 

• A “dessert portion” is where you cut the cake tier in 1”x2” servings and is mostly for party/celebration cakes. 

• A “finger portion” is where you cut the cake tier in 1”x1” servings and is standard for wedding cakes.

It is also important to consider how many cake layers are in the cake tier, because if you cut a 2-layer cake into “finger portions”, your guest will have 2 bites and that’s it!

My recommendation is to go for a 3-layer cake and “dessert portion”. (And allow a tiny bit more portions for those guests that would love a second slice of cake).

How many servings are in a cake?

Round cake portion guide:

These quantities are based on “dessert portions” cut 1”x2” or “finger portions” cut 1”x1”. A very useful reference for cutting round cakes is my cake cutting guide.

You can check out the Cake Cutting Guide >>>here<<<

Square cake portion guide: 

These quantities are based on “dessert portions” cut 1”x2” or “finger portions” cut 1”x1”.