Cakes & Frostings 3 tier
Cake Layer & Stacking Calculator
Plan a tiered or wedding cake tier by tier. Add the tiers from the bottom up and see the servings, the batter and frosting to make, and how many support dowels to cut.
How to use it
- Add each tier from the bottom up: size, shape and height.
- Choose wedding or party slices and your frosting.
- Bake and frost by the tier table, then cut the dowels for every tier that holds another.
How it works
Servings follow Wilton's wedding (1 × 2 × 4 in) and party (1½ × 2 × 4 in) charts for 4-inch-tall tiers; other sizes are worked out from area. Taller tiers count proportionally more.
Batter assumes each layer is baked in a 2-inch-deep pan filled a little over half. Frosting uses the same crumb coat, final coat, filling and border model as our frosting calculator. Dowels follow common cake-decorating guidance by the size of the tier above.
Assumptions and limits
- Two-layer 4-inch tiers are the standard; recipes and finishes vary.
- Dowel counts are typical for buttercream-covered butter cakes; heavier cakes need more support.
Tips
- Bake and freeze layers up to a month ahead; frost from frozen for clean crumbs.
- Each tier needs its own cake board, the same size as the tier.
- Stack tiers at the venue when you can, or use a center dowel through all of them.
Recipes to try it with
Questions
How many people does a 3-tier cake serve?
A 6-, 8- and 10-inch round cake serves about 74 wedding slices or 60 party slices.
How many dowels does each tier need?
About 4 dowels under a 6-inch tier, 5 under an 8-inch and 6 under a 10-inch, plus one center dowel for 3 or more tiers.
How much batter for a 10-inch tier?
About 12 cups: two 2-inch layers of about 6 cups each.
Should tiers be the same height?
Usually yes, 4 inches each. Taller 6-inch tiers look dramatic and serve about half again as many.