Cake Yield by Pan Size

Round cake yield: volume scales with diameter squared

A round cake pan is basically a cylinder, so its capacity tracks the square of the radius: volume = π · r² · h. Double the diameter and the volume quadruples, taking the serving count along with it. Here's the rough math for a single-layer cake cut into standard slices. An 18 cm ring ~8 servings, a 22 cm ~12, a 26 cm ~16, a 30 cm ~24. The classic Brazilian rectangular pan, 24 × 35 cm, lands around 25 people. Once you're past 50 guests you'll be stacking two or three rings into a tiered "wedding" cake, something like 18 + 24 + 30. What you really need to nail down each time is the slice size your customer is actually picturing. Confeitaria-style slivers at 2.5 × 5 cm feed way more people than the generous slabs we all cut at a birthday party at home.

Applications

Planning a birthday. Sizing a tiered wedding cake. Taking professional confeitaria orders, scaling up for catering, or pricing by the slice. With a yield figure in hand you can spread your fixed costs (ingredients, decorating time, gas) over a serving count that matches what you'll really cut.

FAQ

Does the height of the pan matter? It does. A 7 cm tall ring holds about 40% more batter than a 5 cm ring of the same diameter. The yields above assume a typical cake height of 5 to 7 cm.

What about layered cakes (with filling)? Two layers of the same ring roughly double the servings if you go with thinner slices. Keep the slices the same width and the count barely changes; you just get a taller cake.

How do I scale a recipe between pan sizes? Take the ratio of the areas: (new diameter / old diameter)². Going from 20 cm to 26 cm, you'd multiply your ingredients by (26/20)² = 1.69.