Free Cake Serving Charts & Wedding Cake Guides | Kiwicakes NZ
Free Cake Decorating Reference Guides
Whether you're baking your very first birthday cake or creating a multi-tier wedding masterpiece, one of the most common questions we hear at Kiwicakes is:
"What size cake do I need?"
After helping thousands of New Zealand decorators over the years, we've created these free reference guides to make cake planning a little easier.
These printable guides are designed to answer the questions we hear every day in our store and online. Feel free to save them, print them, or bookmark this page for future projects.
Please Note: These serving charts are intended as an approximate guide and assume the cake is cut into portions as illustrated in our diagrams. Actual serving numbers will vary depending on how the cake is cut and the height of your cake.
As a general rule, these charts are based on a cake approximately 2 inches (5 cm) high. If your cake is taller, you'll often be able to cut additional layers horizontally. For example, if your 6-inch cake is 4 inches high, it can usually be cut into two 2-inch-high cakes, effectively doubling the number of serves when cut using the same portion guide.
- Party servings (approximately 1" × Minimum of 2" high)
- Dessert servings (approximately 2" × Minimum of 2" high)
Find your round cake baking pans at Kiwicakes here
At Kiwicakes we have a wide range of square cake baking pans. You can find them here
Please Note: The serving numbers shown in the Wedding Cake Tier Guide are based on cakes that are approximately 2 inches (5 cm) high.
If your tiers are taller than 2 inches, you can often increase the number of serves by cutting the cake into additional 2-inch-high layers before portioning. For example:
- A 6-inch cake that is 4 inches high can be cut into two 2-inch-high cakes, effectively doubling the number of serves shown in the chart.
- A 12-inch cake that is 6 inches high can be cut into three 2-inch-high cakes, effectively tripling the number of serves.
On the other hand, if you intend to serve generous slices that are 3–4 inches high, simply use the serving numbers shown in the chart, as each portion will be served at the full height of the cake.
Actual serving numbers will always depend on how the cake is cut and the portion size you choose.
At Kiwicakes we have a wide range of cake boards, in a variety of shapes and board colours/patterns. Check out our extensive range here
PLEASE NOTE:
Your cake board should always be larger than your cake. We recommend allowing at least 1 inch (2.5 cm) of extra board around the cake to make handling easier and to achieve a professional finish. You can of course have much larger than the 1 inch minimum.
Cake Tin Volume Comparison
Have you ever wondered "Can I use an 8-inch recipe in a 9-inch tin?" As most recipes use an 8 inch/20cm cake pan as standard. Our simple chart will help you with how much batter you will need for a different sized pan.
| Tin | Relative Volume |
|---|---|
| 6" | 56% |
| 7" | 76% |
| 8" | 100% |
| 9" | 127% |
| 10" | 156% |
| 12" | 225% |
Print all of our info in one easy document. We will cover Cake dowels and stacked cake supports in another blog post
About the author
Sandra Boston has been helping Kiwi cake decorators since 2006 through Kiwicakes. With 20 years of experience testing cake decorating products, ingredients and tools, Sandra shares practical tips based on real-world use.
