Start with the guest list, not the photo
Most cake mistakes start with a picture from social media of a five tier cake, and a guest list of forty. Count first. A party slice is about 2.5 cm wide and 10 cm tall, which is what most Nigerian parties serve with small chops and drinks. If the cake is the only dessert, plan one slice per guest; if there is a dessert table, three quarters of a slice is plenty.
A quick servings table
- 6 inch round: 12 party slices
- 8 inch round: 24 party slices
- 10 inch round: 40 party slices
- 12 inch round: 60 party slices
- 14 inch round: 84 party slices
Square tiers serve about a quarter more than round tiers of the same size. Tall, double height tiers serve twice as many slices but cut best with a long knife and a steady hand.
For an owambe of 300, a beautiful three tier cake for photos and a plain sheet cake in the kitchen often saves a third of the cost.
The kitchen cutting cake
Venues in Lagos often serve the cake from the kitchen after the photographs. If that is the plan, the display cake only needs to look right, and a plain cutting cake of the same flavour feeds the room. Our cutting cakes cost about half the price per slice of a decorated tier.
Wedding slices are smaller
At weddings, slices are cut thinner, about 2.5 cm by 5 cm, because guests have already eaten. That means a three tier 10, 8 and 6 inch cake serves around 100 wedding guests, but only 76 at a birthday.