If you’ve wondered how to cut a round cake so you have enough slices of cake for your guests, this is for you! Learn how to quickly and easily cut a beautiful cake into neat slices, large or small, depending on your party size. All you need is a sharp chef’s knife or bread knife.
While it is common to cut round cakes into wedges, that can make it difficult if you’re trying to get lots of servings. The slices tend to be uneven or very thin and can fall apart. With this easy method, you’ll learn how to maximize the servings from a round cake and cut even sturdy slices every time! For more helpful tips on making the best cake, check out how to bake flat cake layers, how to decorate a cake, and how to soften butter for perfect frosting!
What’s The Best Way To Cut A Round Cake?
It might seem surprising, but cutting a round cake into rectangular or square pieces is actually the best way to maximize the servings for a crowd! You can cut more slices more evenly, not to mention each slice is cleaner and studier. Cutting a cake into triangle shapes can lead to pieces that are too large, misshapen, or that fall apart if the piece of cake is sliced very thin.
Use The Right Cutting Tools
A sharp knife is a must for cutting a circular cake! Run it under warm water first, dry it, and wipe it clean between cuts to keep the cake slices clean and crumb-free. A sharp chef’s knife slices cleanly and very easily through buttercream-frosted cakes like my vanilla cake.
If your cake layers have inclusions or chunky fillings, like German chocolate cake and carrot cake, I prefer to use a bread knife! A serrated knife helps cut through those firmer spots better.
How To Cut A Round Cake
1. Cut the cake straight down the middle. This will separate the whole cake into two equal halves.
2. Cut it again crosswise into slices. Work with one half at a time. Cut perpendicular to the first cut to create 5 to 6 slices with straight cuts. Repeat with the other half of the round cake.
3. Transfer it to your serving plate. The small slices on the sides of the cake can be served in one piece. If you want larger pieces, go ahead and serve the cake slices. To turn the rest into smaller slices, place the cake slices on a cutting board.
4. For more servings, cut the cake slices in half. Cut them vertically to make longer, rectangular slices. This allows you to almost double the servings you get from the cake!
How Many Servings Can I Make From A Round Cake?
The number of servings depends a bit on how thin you make the slices and if you cut the slices in half. Generally, I cut my cake slices 1-inch thick. This is my suggested number of servings for a layer cake of each popular cake size:
- 6-inch cake: 8 to 12 servings
- 8-inch cake: 12 to 16 servings
- 9-inch cake: 12 to 20 servings
Quarter Tall Slices For Even More Servings
You can get even more servings if you cut each slice in half and then in half again crosswise, essentially forming four square-shaped servings out of one original slice. This works best for tall layer cakes with three or more layers, like Chantilly cake, chocolate peanut butter cake, and red velvet cake, or extra tall cakes like rainbow cake!
This is a great option to accommodate guests with frosting preferences, as the slices will have varying amounts of frosting.
Are There Any Round Cakes You Shouldn’t Cut This Way?
I would avoid this method for cakes that have a very soft filling, like a Victoria sponge cake. This also doesn’t work well for a Swiss roll cake (or other cake rolls), cheesecake, icebox cakes, or fruit-filled cakes like peach cake. Stick to regular slices or wedges for those desserts!
Pro Tips For Cutting A Cake Cleanly
- For cakes iced with buttercream frosting, chill them for 30 minutes to 1 hour in the refrigerator before slicing. This allows the frosting to firm up but the cake to stay soft and tender for optimal texture. A warm knife will also slice more neatly through firmer frosting for a cleaner cut.
- Run the knife under hot water again. If you are cutting the whole cake at once, I suggest running the knife under hot water after every 3 or 4 slices. The blade will cool down quickly, especially if the cake has been refrigerated.
Frequently Asked Questions
The heel slices are the pieces from the edge of the cake, and they are for the frosting lovers! These slices have more frosting and less cake. If the cake is tall, you can cut the heels in half crosswise to get two servings out of each one.
Generally, a good serving size is a slice of cake that is 1 inch wide. For a party, you can do ½-inch wide slices for smaller servings that feed a larger crowd.
Yes, you can use this method for cutting a round cake for single-layer cakes or two-layer cakes as well, such as strawberry cake and chocolate cake. I wouldn’t quarter the slices by cutting them in half crosswise again since the pieces will already be shorter than a three- or four-layer cake.
If you’ve tried this tutorial for how to cut a round cake, then don’t forget to rate it and let me know how you got on in the comments below. I love hearing from you!
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