What Size Cake Do I Need? 6, 8 and 10 Inch Servings Chart

An 8-inch cake serves 12 to 14 normal dessert slices, or 20 to 24 small coffee slices. A 6-inch serves 6 to 8, and a 10-inch serves 18 to 22. Those numbers come from our product pages and are a guide only, because how you cut matters as much as the cake does.

How many people does a 6, 8 or 10 inch cake serve?

A 6-inch cake serves 6 to 8 people, an 8-inch serves 12 to 14 and a 10-inch serves 18 to 22, when each person gets a normal dessert slice. If you cut thin coffee slices, the same cakes stretch to about 12, 20 to 24 and 30 to 38 portions. The chart below lays the sizes out together.

Treat each range as a guide. A hungry teenager's idea of a slice and a grandmother's can be a surprising distance apart, and the numbers above assume you are cutting evenly.

Our pick Black ForestBlack Forest: offered in 6, 8 and 10 inch, so the chart applies directly.6″ · 8″ · 10″ · serves 6–22From $79.95 Choose size

What is the difference between a dessert slice and a coffee slice?

A coffee slice is less than half the size of a normal dessert slice. A dessert slice is what you would expect on a plate at a birthday: a proper wedge with a fork. A coffee slice is a slim piece, meant for the person who wants a taste of the cake with a cup of tea or coffee.

Which one applies depends on the event more than the cake:

• Dessert slices suit a birthday dinner at home, where the cake is the finale and everyone expects a real portion.
• Coffee slices suit open-house parties, office gatherings, baby showers and any event where cake sits next to other food and guests graze.
• A mix is common. The birthday person and the children get larger pieces, and the grown-ups at the end of the table take small ones.

When you cannot say which one it will be, plan on the dessert figures. They are the safer side of the guess.

Which size should I order for my guest count?

Start from your guest count, find the first size whose dessert-slice range covers it, and check whether coffee slices could work. The table below turns the chart into suggestions. It is arithmetic on the serving figures, not a promise, so read the notes next to it.

Two things change the answer. First, other food: if there is a full dinner or a dessert table, people take less. Second, who is coming: children's portions are usually smaller, and adults who are fond of cake usually go back for more.

For a table above about 22 people who all want a proper slice, a single cake runs out of road. Two cakes in different sizes, or a cake plus the cupcake box, spread the choice. Put both in one order for one date.

What does the maths look like for a few real parties?

Three common parties show how to use the chart. They are examples built from the serving figures above, so adjust them to your own crowd.

• A birthday dinner for 10 at home. Everyone expects a proper slice, so an 8-inch cake (12 to 14 dessert slices) fits, with a couple of slices spare for the next day.
• A children's party with about 16 guests. Children's portions tend to be smaller, so an 8-inch cake cut into smaller pieces (up to 20 to 24) covers the room. The 16-cupcake box gives a second option for anyone who prefers not to wait for a slice.
• An office gathering of 30. Cake sits beside other food here, so a 10-inch cake cut into coffee slices (30 to 38) covers it. An 8-inch cake cut small (20 to 24) plus the 16-cupcake box gives 36 to 40 portions.

If your party does not look like any of these, work out how many guests you have, decide whether they will each take a dessert slice or a coffee slice, and read the matching column of the chart.

What if I am between two sizes?

Go one size bigger. Leftover cake keeps beautifully in the fridge overnight, as our product pages say, and a cake that is a little too big is a smaller problem than one that runs out before everyone has a piece. The sizes are far enough apart that a guess to the low side can leave the last guests with nothing.

There is a practical limit. The sizes cost more as they grow, and the increase is easy to see on the menu. Black Forest, for example, is offered in all three sizes, with pre-order from-prices at the time of writing of $79.95 for 6 inch, $109.95 for 8 inch and $144.95 for 10 inch. Our birthday cake price guide shows what the same step up costs across the rest of the menu.

Cakes are best the day they arrive. After cutting, put what is left back in the fridge and eat it soon; the storage and serving guide has the details. Do not freeze the cake, because freezing affects the texture.

What if I need something other than a round cake?

Several formats suit different crowds. The cupcake box holds 16 cupcakes, the mini cakes and boxes serve a small group, and the four-mini set gives each person a cake of their own. The menu lists them alongside the round cakes, so you can mix formats in a single order.

The cupcake box suits a group where people want to pick up a portion without anyone cutting. The minis and boxes work as individual treats or as a tasting table. For more on small formats, the small birthday cake guide covers them in full.

The Keto and 0 Sugar Added items in the table are sweetened without cane sugar; the ingredients page lists what goes into each one. Prices start from the 0 Sugar Added version, and the Keto (flourless) version costs a little more.

Does every cake come in every size?

No. Most designs come in 6, 8 and 10 inch, but a few come in two sizes only. At the time of writing, Eternal Love, Construction Site, Angel's Secret and Valentine's are offered in 6 and 8 inch. The mini cakes, boxes and cupcake box each come in one size. Look at the size selector on the product page before you plan around a particular number.

Whatever size you choose, the cart will show the date, the delivery window and the fee. Delivery inside the core GTA is $4.95 for orders between $30 and $85 and free over $85; the figures are a guide and your cart shows the final fee.

A final rule of thumb: when two sizes seem equally sensible, pick the larger. Guests rarely mind a generous cake, and a leftover slice the next day is its own reward. Have your number? Open any cake, choose the size on its page, and the cart shows your date, window and fee. Book from the day after tomorrow, or pick an Express cake by 2:30 PM, Monday to Saturday, for tonight.