Working out how much cake to order is one of those party jobs that looks simple until you are holding a guest list in one hand and a price list in the other. Order too little and the last guests get a sliver. Order too much and you are eating cake for days. This guide gives you a sensible starting number, then shows which details should push it up or down.
Everything below is a rule of thumb for deciding how much cake to buy. Bakers slice differently, cakes differ in height and density, and you know your own friends’ appetites better than any table does.
A simple rule for how much cake you need
Most cakes are sold by weight, so the real question is how many kilograms to buy for how many people. A party slice weighs somewhere around 80 to 100 grams, which means a one-kilogram cake yields roughly ten to twelve slices. If you prefer thick, generous wedges, count on eight to ten slices per kilogram instead.
| Cake weight | Party slices | Generous wedges |
|---|---|---|
| 0.5 kg | 5 to 6 | 4 to 5 |
| 1 kg | 10 to 12 | 8 to 10 |
| 1.5 kg | 15 to 18 | 12 to 15 |
| 2 kg | 20 to 24 | 16 to 20 |
| 3 kg | 30 to 36 | 24 to 30 |
| 4 kg | 40 to 48 | 32 to 40 |
| 5 kg | 50 to 60 | 40 to 50 |
Rich cakes such as fudge or caramel are usually cut thinner than airy sponges, so they tend to stretch a little further.
What changes how much cake you should order
Start from the table, then ask yourself a few honest questions.
- Is cake the only sweet thing on the menu? If there will also be snacks, fruit or other desserts, stay near the lower number. If the cake is the whole dessert, round up.
- Who is coming? Young children usually manage a smaller slice, while a hungry office team or a table of teenagers will happily go back for more.
- How rich is the cake? A dense chocolate or caramel cake satisfies people in a smaller piece than a light fruit sponge does.
- Will guests take a piece home? At weddings and workplace parties people often ask to wrap a slice for later, so add a little extra.
- What time is the party? A mid-afternoon gathering tends to get through more cake than people who have just finished a big lunch.
Matching a cake size to your guest list
If you would rather skip the maths, this list answers how much cake you need for the most common guest numbers, using party-sized slices.
- Up to 6 guests: 0.5 to 1 kg
- 8 to 12 guests: 1 to 1.5 kg
- 15 to 20 guests: 2 kg
- 25 to 30 guests: 3 kg
- 35 to 40 guests: 4 kg
- About 50 guests: 5 kg
Beyond that, it is usually easier to split the order into two cakes than to chase one enormous one. Two cakes also let you serve two flavours, and our multi flavored cakes combine two or three flavours in a single cake, which helps when guests cannot agree between chocolate and vanilla.
On our menu most cakes are sold by weight, so you can pick a size in kilograms that fits your list. Good all-round choices for a mixed crowd include the Black Forest Cake, the Chocolate Fudge Cake and the Red Velvet Cake.
A short checklist before you place the order
- Count the guests who have confirmed, then add a few for surprise arrivals. That number drives how much cake you need.
- Decide between party slices and generous wedges.
- Check whether the cake is the only dessert.
- Choose a flavour most people will enjoy, or a multi-flavour cake if tastes are split.
- Tell your baker the date, and ask about pickup or delivery.
Planning a birthday? Our guide to how to order a birthday cake in Nairobi covers the other questions worth asking, and how to store a cake explains what to do with the leftovers. When you are ready to choose, browse the cake menu, or see our latest bakes on Instagram.
Photos by Cristiane Mota and Rene Terp, via Pexels.
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