Wedding Cake Calculator
Enter your guest count and we'll match it to a tier stack straight off Wilton's own serving chart, plus a dessert-table or cupcake alternative and what a cutting fee runs.
For 120 guests, plan on 120 servings. The smallest stack that covers it is 6, 8, 10 and 12 inch round, which yields 130 wedding servings. Enter your own count above for the exact match.
Plan your wedding cake
From 1 to 1,000 guests.
Bakers size for less when other desserts are on offer.
Save this cake order with the food list
The Wedding Money Kit's DIY Wedding Food Calculator has a Cake Order tab that sizes the tiers for your guest count and works out the cost per serving with the cutting fee, next to the food shopping list for the same crowd.
See The Wedding Money Kit →Headcount still moving?The Guest List with Cost Per Guest workbook prices every name, cake cutting included, so you can see what each yes adds and what trimming ten guests saves. See it in the kit →
How a wedding slice is measured, and why the party chart is bigger
Wilton publishes two serving sizes off the exact same cake. A wedding slice measures about 1 by 2 inches, the thin, uniform cut used for a formal sit-down reception where the cake needs to reach every single guest. A party slice measures about 1.5 by 2 inches, a noticeably bigger piece cut for a casual gathering where people expect more on the plate. Both are cut from a cake about 4 inches tall. This calculator defaults to the wedding cut, since that's the standard for a reception with a full guest list, and shows the party figure alongside it so you can see the difference.
The gap matters more than it looks. An 8 inch round yields 24 wedding servings but only 20 party servings, a difference of 4 slices off the same cake. If your baker cuts generously, or you know your crowd goes back for seconds, lean toward the party column instead.
The full wedding cake serving chart
Every number below is copied directly from Wilton's published chart, the same source the calculator runs on. Round and square pans of the same width don't yield the same count, since a square pan has more usable area in its corners.
| Shape | Size | Wedding servings | Party servings |
|---|---|---|---|
| Round | 6 inch | 12 | 12 |
| Round | 8 inch | 24 | 20 |
| Round | 9 inch | 32 | 24 |
| Round | 10 inch | 38 | 28 |
| Round | 12 inch | 56 | 40 |
| Round | 14 inch | 78 | 63 |
| Round | 16 inch | 100 | 77 |
| Square | 6 inch | 18 | 12 |
| Square | 8 inch | 32 | 20 |
| Square | 10 inch | 50 | 30 |
| Square | 12 inch | 72 | 48 |
| Square | 14 inch | 98 | 63 |
| Square | 16 inch | 128 | 80 |
| Sheet | Quarter sheet (9 x 13 in) | 50 | 36 |
| Sheet | Half sheet (12 x 18 in) | 98 | 72 |
Source: Wilton's cake baking & serving guide. Wilton's chart has no full 18 by 24 inch sheet; order two half sheets instead.
A worked example: 120 guests
Say you're inviting 120 guests and everyone gets cake. That's 120 wedding servings needed. Working up the chart, a two-tier or three-tier stack falls short, so the calculator lands on a 6, 8, 10 and 12 inch round stack, which totals 130 wedding servings (or 100 if your baker cuts party-size). That's a few servings of headroom over the 120 you need, which is normal: tier sizes jump in increments, so the exact number rarely lands on a round total. The cutting fee on a cake that size runs about $120 to $360, at $1 to $3 a slice.
Dessert table and cupcake alternatives
Not every guest eats cake, especially once other desserts show up. Zola suggests planning for 75 to 85 percent of your guest count when other desserts are available, and the calculator uses 80 percent for its "most" cake-share option. Add a dessert table and it defaults there automatically, since a table of mini desserts pulls a meaningful slice of guests away from the cake. For pieces, plan on 3 mini desserts per guest when cake is also served, or 4 per guest if the dessert table is the whole show.
Cupcakes work differently: plan on 1 per guest plus a 12 percent buffer, so 100 guests need 112, not an even 100. Nearly every baker also recommends a small 6 inch cutting cake alongside the tower, purely for the cake-cutting photo. That's our own rule of thumb, since no baker or industry source publishes a standard cutting-cake size; it's simply the smallest size on the chart and what couples overwhelmingly report ordering.
The cake cutting fee, and tipping the baker
If your venue or caterer cuts and plates the cake instead of your baker, expect a cutting fee of about $1 to $3 per slice, our own editorial band built from The Knot (around $1.50 or more per person) and Zola (up to a dollar a slice). Ask upfront whether your contract already includes it; some all-inclusive packages do.
Tipping the baker is a separate question from the cutting fee. See our guide to tipping your wedding cake baker for the standard range, and how much to tip wedding cake vendors for the short version.
Ordering lead times
Book your baker 4 to 6 months out for a standard tiered cake, and 6 to 9 months out if you want a well-known bakery during peak wedding season (spring and fall). Custom sugar flowers, hand-piped detail work, or a design that needs a tasting and a mockup all push toward the longer end. If you're deciding between a tiered display cake and the kitchen-cake approach above, lock that decision in early: it changes how much of the order is decorative work versus plain sheet cake, and bakers price the two very differently.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many servings in an 8 inch cake?
An 8 inch round cake gives 24 wedding servings (about 1 by 2 inches per slice) or 20 party servings (a bigger, roughly 1.5 by 2 inch slice), per Wilton's own serving chart. Square 8 inch pans cut a bit more: 32 wedding servings, since a square pan has more usable corner area than a round one the same width.
How much cake do I need for 100 guests?
For 100 guests at the default "everyone eats cake" setting, plan on 100 servings. The smallest standard stack that covers it is a 8, 10 and 12 inch round stack, which yields 118 wedding servings. If you're also running a dessert table, the cake share usually drops to about 80 percent, which brings 100 guests down to 80 servings.
Why is a wedding slice smaller than a party slice?
Wilton publishes two serving sizes off the same cake: a wedding slice at about 1 by 2 inches, cut for a formal sit-down reception where everyone gets a small, uniform piece, and a party slice at about 1.5 by 2 inches, cut for a casual gathering where people expect a bigger piece. The same cake serves fewer people at a party cut than at a wedding cut, which is why the two columns on the chart below never match.
How many tiers do I need for my guest count?
It depends on how many of your guests actually eat cake. A three-tier stack (6, 8, and 10 inch round) covers about 74 wedding servings, and a three-tier 8-10-12 stack covers 118. Past roughly 150 to 200 servings, most bakers recommend a smaller display cake backed by a sheet cake cut in the kitchen instead of stacking a fifth or sixth tier, since a tall stack that size gets structurally awkward and expensive. Run your exact count through the calculator above.
Do I need a full sheet cake for a big wedding?
Wilton's own chart doesn't publish a full sheet size, only a quarter sheet (9 by 13 inch) and a half sheet (12 by 18 inch). For a full-sheet quantity, order two half sheets. Most kitchens cut sheet cake anyway, so ordering it in half-sheet units rather than one oversized pan is standard and easier to transport.
What if I want cupcakes instead of a tiered cake?
Plan on 1 cupcake per guest plus a 12 percent buffer, so 100 guests need 112 cupcakes. Most bakers also recommend a small 6 inch cutting cake alongside the cupcakes, purely for wedding photos and the cake-cutting moment, since it's awkward to stage that tradition with a cupcake tower.
Now sort the rest of your vendor tips
You've got the cake plan. Our full wedding tip calculator turns every other vendor into exact amounts, a cash denomination breakdown, and a printable envelope checklist.
Open the Tip CalculatorEmbed this calculator on your site
Wedding planners, venues, and bakers, feel free to drop this free cake calculator into your own site. Just copy the code below.
<iframe src="https://weddingtipcalculator.com/embed/cake/" width="100%" height="1200" frameborder="0" id="wtc-cake-embed" style="border-radius:12px;border:1px solid #e5e7eb;" title="Wedding Cake Calculator"></iframe>
<p style="text-align:center;font-size:12px;color:#9ca3af;margin-top:8px;">Powered by <a href="https://weddingtipcalculator.com" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Wedding Tip Calculator</a></p>
<script>(function(){window.addEventListener("message",function(e){if(e.origin!=="https://weddingtipcalculator.com")return;var d=e.data||{};if(d.type!=="wtc-embed-height"||!d.height)return;var f=document.getElementsByTagName("iframe");for(var i=0;i<f.length;i++){if(f[i].contentWindow===e.source){f[i].style.height=d.height+"px";break;}}});})();</script>
No attribution required, but a link back is appreciated. The calculator runs entirely in the browser, so no data is collected from your visitors.
Want it co-branded? Add ?brand=Your%20Name to the iframe URL and it shows "Cake guide for Your Name couples."
Last updated: . Serving figures are Wilton's published chart; the sheet-cake threshold and cutting-cake size are this site's own editorial rule.