I've done much research on wedding cake costs to give the discerning bride an idea of what to expect. Here are different sized tiers of wedding cakes to cater anything from a very small wedding, to larger affairs up to 350 people. Bear in mind, these costs are approximate. They are based on a basic wedding vanilla cake or chocolate cake, filled with bavarian cream and covered with a hand made butter cream icing. Elsewhere, serving sizes are traditionally finger-sized portions, but at Dawn's Bakery the slice is dessert size. Approximately 1"x3" and 4" high.
How Much Do Wedding Cakes Cost? Most of a wedding cakes cost is not in the ingredients; it is in the creating, icing, decorating, and assembly. The larger the wedding cake, or more complex in design, the greater the price. The precautions the cake designer must make to construct larger heavy cakes, the greater the wedding cake cost. Huge wedding cakes can easily collapse and some cakes can only be assembled at the wedding reception. These are just some of the hidden costs. Below you will find approximate serving sizes and approximate wedding cake prices:
The prices below start from a simple two tiered cake with vanilla butter cream icing and bavarian cream filling, at $5.50 per serving size slice. As we're going up another tier, we've added $0.50 to each slice.
Approximate Wedding Cake serving for a Round tiered Wedding Cake Servings:
Round Tier Cake Approx Prices $
up to 30 people 5 and 8" (2 tier) $165
up to 50 people 6 and 10" (2 tier) $275
up to 75 people 5, 8 and 10" (3 tier) $450
up to 100 people 6, 9 and 12" (3 tier) $600
up to 125 people 6, 9 and 14" (3 tier) $750
up to 150 people 6, 10 and 16" (3 tier) $900
up to 175 people 7, 12 and 16" (3 tier) $1050
up to 200 people 5, 8, 12 and 16" (4 tier) $1300
up to 225 people 5, 9, 12 and 18" (4 tier) $1,450
up to 250 people 6, 10, 14 and 18" (4 tier) $1,625
up to 300 people 5, 9, 12, 14 and 18" (5 tier) $2,100
up to 350 people 6, 9, 12, 16 and 20" (5 tier) $2,450
Wedding cake prices Approximate Wedding Cake serving for a SQUARE tiered Wedding Cake Servings
up to 25 people 5 and 8" (2 tier) $165
wedding cake prices up to 50 people 6 and 10" (2 tier) $275
wedding cake prices up to 75 people 8 and 12" (2 tier) $450
wedding cake prices up to 125 people 6, 9 and 12" (3 tier) $750
wedding cake prices up to 250 people 6, 8, 12 and 16" (4 tier) $1,625
wedding cake prices *All prices quoted based on research done in 2007.
Prices may fluctuate due to inflationary pressures.*
Additional Wedding Cake prices The price per slice is less if you choose a single tier cake, no assembling needed. The price of a single tier may start as low as $3.50 or $4.50 per finger slice. Depending on the cake flavor.
Example; Lets say you want a two tiered cake with vanilla butter cream icing, at $5.50 per slice. If you have 100 guests, the price of this two tiered cake $550. The higher the tiers, the more expensive. For example; a three tiered wedding cake per slice may go up another $0.50 and another $1.00 per slice if you go up to a four tiered cake. Hidden Wedding Cake Costs The more tiers you have, the harder it is to control your wedding cake from toppling or collapsing. So much more time is taken to ensure your wedding cake stays secured.
For any extras, there are additional costs price per slice. Dawn's bakery does not accommodate orders for Rolled Fondant icing.
Examples of additional upcharges per slice:
Chocolate ganache icing: $1.00
Cream cheese icing: .50
Chocolate or Berry mousse filling: .50
chocolate ganache fillings: .50
Liqueur: .50
Fresh fruit: .50
Fresh flowers: Market price varies
Fondant decorations: $50 - $125.00
Fondant or sugar flowers: $50 - $125.00
Chocolate hand made flowers or leaves: $50 - $125.00
Custom made toppers: $50 - $150.00
Custom cake plate: $25 - $150.00
*All prices quoted based on research done in 2007. Prices may fluctuate due to inflationary pressures.*
Cheap Wedding Cake Ideas: The cheapest wedding cake is a single-tiered cake, however they can look more like birthday cakes and that just screams `budget wedding!'. Unless of course it is beautifully decorated.
Tip; if you have a small wedding cake budget, choose a beautiful but small wedding cake for your reception, use it for the cutting of the cake ceremony & photos. Have a sheet cake made with the same flavor and icing, no need to have it decorated with fresh flowers or elaborate sculptured decorations, as it is just a cake for cutting and serving. The sheet cake is only seen by the reception staff. This saves on wedding cake decorating and wedding cake tier assembly costs. You get to have your dream cake and enough cake to serve all your guests.
Remember, the average wedding cake price for a mediocre cake is not that much less than that of elegant and delicious designer wedding cakes. If you do decide on a single tier cake, spend the extra cost to have it beautifully decorated.
*Wedding Cake Note: Wedding cake prices vary greatly from the ordinary wedding cake bakery to the designer wedding cake bakery. If you already know what you want you could save on the designer costs simply by finding wedding cake pictures and showing them to your wedding cake maker.