If you’re picking out the flavors and designs for your wedding cake, you might wonder: How much does a wedding cake cost? Here, we’ll discuss the typical wedding cake price to assist you and your fiancé’s budget accordingly as you prepare the sweet finale for your big day.
The cost of your wedding cake will depend on several different variables. It would help if you thought about how many people you need to feed and how big you want the cake to be before deciding on the flavor(s), filling(s), and icing(s).
The good news is that after you have a better grasp of all the variables at play, you’ll be able to design the perfect wedding cake within your set budget.
Cake Costs: What to Consider and How to Budget
How much you spend on a cake depends on five factors:
Cake Size
The price of a cake increases both in terms of its size and the number of layers.
Cake Shape
Cakes of standard shapes like rounds and squares can be made with less effort and cost less than those with sculptural designs or nonstandard shapes like ovals or exceptionally tall rounds, which necessitate either additional hands in the kitchen or specialized baking equipment. More work means more pay.
Cake Frosting
Buttercream & fondant are the two most common cake icing used for wedding cakes. Although fondant is more expensive, it offers more decorating options and doesn’t melt in the heat as buttercream does.
Ingredients for a Cake
Your wedding cake price may rise if you opt for a specialty flavoring, such as liqueurs, unusual nuts, spices, or fruit that is out of season.
Cake Details
The time and effort spent making a wedding cake is a significant factor in its final cost. The price of your cake will go up if you want elaborate decorations like edible gold leaf, fondant flowers, or piping.
Since the cost of wedding cakes is typically calculated per serving, you will need to know how many servings you need before making a budgetary decision.
A giant, expensive cake is necessary if you plan on serving the dessert course after your guests have been seated at a formal meal.
However, if you’re serving dessert buffet-style or to a smaller group of people, you can get away with a smaller cake.
In the United States, a slice of wedding cake can range from $2.50 to $8.00, with specialist versions fetching as much as $12.00.
How Much Does a Wedding Cake Cost
A wedding cake can range in price from a few $100 to several $1000, depending on factors such as its size, design, and level of complexity. The typical cost of a wedding cake is between $300 to $700, which can easily exceed $1000 in larger cities or for enormous and complex desserts.
You can have as little sugar as you like in your wedding cake. But remember, the more elaborate you go, the more you’ll pay. The average cost of a wedding cake in the United States is as follows:
The average cost of a Wedding Cake
| Average Cost | $300 – $400 |
| Min Cost | $80 |
| Max Cost | $1800 |
5 Tips for a More Affordable Wedding Cake
Many options are available if you’re worried about how much a wedding cake will cost and are looking for methods to save money.
Serve Half Servings
Cut the cake portions in half and serve them as a compromise. A cake that can feed 100 people is plenty if you plan to serve 200 individuals. The truth is that most people eat very little, if any, at all.
Have a “Display” Cake
Sheet cake slices from a bakery like The Solvang Bakery, for example, cost roughly $2.75 per person, but this cake is just for show and won’t be eaten.
Choose Buttercream
Regarding the cake’s icing, go with a cheaper alternative, like buttercream, instead of the more extravagant fondant. You might save many bucks on each pizza.
Simplify the Design
Rather than ordering the elaborate, gold-foil-covered, multi-tiered cake, you had in mind, settle for something simpler, like a two- or three-tiered chocolate or vanilla cake with simple fillings like earl grey and orange cream cheese.
DIY the Cake
Do it yourself in the oven if the hall or caterer will let it. If you are up to the challenge, bake the cake yourself; otherwise, have a buddy who is skilled in the kitchen do it for you.
Order a simple cake from your go-to bakery and embellish it with a bouquet of your favorite blooms. DIY wedding cakes might save money, but the hassle they entail might not be worth it if you plan a memorable wedding.
Importantly, remember that a delicious, beautiful wedding cake does not have to cost a small fortune. That delicious-looking wedding cake is yours to enjoy and keep.
Frequently Asked Question
What is a reasonable budget for a wedding cake?
According to Thumbtack, a website that helps people find local services, the national average for a wedding cake in the United States is about $350. The average expenditure for a couple is above $700 and can go over $1,000, with the lowest spending under $125.
How much should a 3-tier wedding cake cost?
A 3-tier cake that serves 100–150 people typically costs between $300 and $800. Depending on factors such as cake size, the number of layers, flavor, decoration, delivery, and set-up, the cost per guest can range from $3 to $8.
How much cake do I need for 150 guests?
You may approximate your cake size by considering how many people you plan to serve. Typically, 50-100 people can be accommodated across three levels. Having 150 guests or more means you’ll need four or more levels.