Have you been getting cake sizes and portion sizes thrown at you and it all goes over your head? Well, Helen from Dublin based wedding cake providers Gift Cakes has kindly helped us figure out how much cake you’ll need for your guests.
Image courtesy of Gift Cakes
Well, first of all, what you need’ and what you want’ might not necessarily be the same thing, but when choosing your wedding cake, think first about when you will be serving it. If you are having a small intimate wedding party, you may be able to serve your cake as all or part of the desert after the meal. In this case, the portion sizes will be bigger than if you were serving it in the evening, and you will of course, need enough for every guest. Something like a chocolate fudge cake will work really well, as it is delicious served with cream or ice cream.
If you are serving your cake in the evening, hotels will generally cut the cake into finger’ portions (1 x 1) so consider how many guests you have and include guests invited to the afters. You may also want to reserve some cake for any celebrations you are having the next day. Make sure you check with your hotel how they are going to serve the cake once it’s been cut. It will get eaten if it is placed on tables where people are sitting, but if it left at the side at the tea table, a lot of people may miss it.
The table below gives an indication of how many finger-sized portions you will get from each size of wedding cake:
Cake sizes Round Square
6, 9 70 90
6, 8,10 120 150
5, 7, 9 100 120
4, 6, 8, 10 130 160
6, 9, 12 150 200
Dummy tiers are also a good option if you would love a big wedding cake but don’t require a large amount of cake. You could also opt for a fruit cake top tier which can be kept and then cut later for example, keep it for your first Christmas together as a married couple, how romantic is that?!
Image courtesy of Gift Cakes
When it comes to cake flavours there are now so many options, you are not just limited to the traditional fruit cake. Most cake-makers will offer a comprehensive list of cake flavours to choose from, so you are bound to find something you like. Freshly baked cakes made with quality ingredients taste amazing compared with their shop-bought counterparts, so you will be giving your guests’ taste buds a real treat! Pretty much any cake can be used, as long as it is quite firm in texture to withstand the weight of the icing and decorations (your cake-maker will be able to advise you), but HSE regulations are quite strict about what kind of fillings are suitable. Wedding cakes cannot be stored in the fridge once decorated, so fresh cream and cream cheese fillings are a no-no. So, if white chocolate and lime cake is your favourite, then have it!
Why not book a wedding cake consultation with Gift Cakes and design your cake to your exact requirements and, of course, enjoy samples of their delicious cakes. You can get in touch with Helen on 086 8562212.
