This has the potential to be the shortest blog ever because if you enjoy cake as much as I do then my advice would be simple...you can never have too much!

On a more sensible note though, this is one of the most commonly asked questions and the majority of couples tend to assume they need a towering cake to feed their numbers but in reality, your wedding cake can go quite a long way.

Modern dark green marbled ombre wedding cake with wafer paper peonies — Image by Poppy Carter Photography

Let’s talk portion sizes...

One of the first things to consider is whether you would like to serve your cake as dessert for your wedding breakfast or as part of your reception food, as this will dictate what size of cake you’ll need.

Rather than the generous wedge of cake that we might normally serve up with a cuppa, wedding cakes are most commonly served as a more conservative finger portion (1” x 1”), which is an adequate size for serving at your reception, especially after a day of feeding up your guests with food and drink!

Alternatively, if serving your cake as the dessert for your wedding breakfast, then a ‘dessert’ portion (1” x 2”) would be a more generous portion for pudding. The depth of the slice will depend on how tall the cake tier is but as a rule, my tiers are a minimum of 5” tall.

If serving ‘dessert’ portions as part of your wedding breakfast then you will need to be pretty accurate on your guest numbers and the size of cake you order. The last thing you need is to run out of cake so I would suggest allowing for slightly more than needed just in case.

Top tip:

Think about when you might schedule the all-important cake cutting photo between courses to allow enough time for the caterers to whisk away the cake in time for serving dessert. I would suggest speaking with your venue and caterer to discuss what’s best for you and them in terms of the running order.

If serving the cake at your reception in finger portions, I would suggest catering for around 10-20% less of your total number of guests to allow for those who don’t fancy cake or are too busy on the dance floor. That is, unless you want to take some home and I’ve known couples to save the top tier for themselves!

Fake it till you make it!

So you have 90 guests that could easily be fed with a 3-tier cake but you’ve had your heart set on a showstopping 5-tier cake, especially if your wedding venue is an elaborate, high-ceilinged affair where a smaller 3-tier cake might get lost.

You don’t want a shed load of cake-overs (it’s a word!) so why not bolster the cake height with a couple of dummy tiers? They’re made from polystyrene but are decorated with fondant, as real cake tiers would be decorated. Do be aware however that there’s a misconception that dummy tiers mean less investment but, as the cost lies mostly in the time and skill it takes to decorate the cake, this is not necessarily the case and the cost of a dummy tier is often equivalent to the cost of raw ingredients.

There are also other ways to make your cake appear taller, including the use of a tall cake stand or clear perspex tiers. I also make use of the decoration itself to lead the eye up the cake and use florals, for example, on the top tier to extend the height.

Cutting it fine

Your venue or caterers will usually be more than happy to cut your cake into portions and serve them for you but it’s worth checking and while you’re at it, check if the venue will supply a cutting knife and cake stand (I can help with a cake stand if not). They will most likely be very used to portioning up the cake to the right size but I do always provide a cutting guide along with a flavour and allergen list.

Couple cutting a green marbled wedding cake at Notley Abbey — Image by Poppy Carter Photography

Let them eat cake!

If I had a pound for every time I’ve heard that ‘no one ever eats the cake’, I would be basking on a tropical beach right now sipping a mojito. In my experience however, this hasn’t been proved to be true and my couples often report back that there wasn’t a crumb left (a testament to delicious cake I hope!) but if you’re concerned about having leftovers then I have a few tips to help you along:

If your cake is to be served during the reception, you might like to ask your toastmaster/venue/DJ/band to announce that the cake has been cut and available to be eaten. Too often the cake is mysteriously whisked away and served up on platters without a word and sometimes not in the most obvious of places.
Instruct your venue/planner about how much cake you want to be cut and served. If you want some saved to take home then let them know too.
Choosing interesting flavours can help to encourage your guests to try them and providing a flavour menu to sit alongside the cake will tempt their tastebuds.
You’re very likely to be pretty distracted on your wedding day so you might like to agree with the venue that they save some cake for you both to enjoy after the event at your leisure with a glass of bubbles.

Top tip:

You can freeze your cake-overs; cut it into slices and wrap them well with cling film. When you fancy a slice, take it out of the freezer and allow it to thaw to room temperature et voilà, you get to taste a sweet reminder of your wedding day!

The last crumb…

As you can see, there are quite a few things to consider when planning your wedding cake but fear not, it’s my job to guide you through all of this during your consultation and use my expertise to create your cake of dreams (and the right size)!

As always, if you have any questions and need some advice, please get in touch.