8-inch round cake servings: two layers vs. one
Serving counts come down to slice size. Cut party-style (1½ × 2 in slice), a two-layer 8-inch round yields about 20 servings; cut wedding-style (1 × 2 in slice) it stretches to 24. Wilton's figures hold for any cake 3 to 6 inches tall in this pan: height doesn't add servings, because the cake is cut the same way across the top — a taller cake just gives taller slices. A cake under 3 inches tall, such as one 2-inch layer, yields about half: 10 party or 12 wedding.
Same width, different shape: the 8" square serves 20 party / 32 wedding. The corners matter most in slim wedding cuts — cut wedding-style, a square out-serves the round of the same width on every chart size; party counts run closer and sometimes tie.
All round sizes compared
| Size | Party (1½ × 2 in slice), two layers | Wedding (1 × 2 in slice), two layers | Single 2-in layer (party / wedding) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6" round | 12 | 12 | 6 / 6 |
| 8" round | 20 | 24 | 10 / 12 |
| 9" round | 24 | 32 | 12 / 16 |
| 10" round | 28 | 38 | 14 / 19 |
| 12" round | 40 | 56 | 20 / 28 |
| 14" round | 63 | 78 | 31 / 39 |
| 16" round | 77 | 100 | 38 / 50 |
Two-layer columns: the Wilton chart (cakes 3–6 in tall serve the same). Single-layer column: Wilton's rule that cakes under 3 in tall yield half, rounded down.
Planning from a head count instead? As a two-layer cake, the 8" round is the chart's answer for 15 people and 20 people cut party-size.
Baking this cake yourself? The frosting calculator works out how much buttercream a two-layer 8-inch round needs, and the pan volume calculator gives the batter capacity.