Skip to content
CrumbCalc

How Many People Does a 9x13 Cake Feed?

A single-layer 9x13 cake serves about 18 party slices (25 wedding); a two-layer 9x13, about 4 inches tall, serves 36 party or 50 wedding — Wilton chart figures, halved for one layer as Wilton directs.

9x13 sheet cake serves (party slices)

18 or 36

18 as a single 2-inch layer (Wilton: under 3 in yields half) · 36 as two layers about 4 in tall · wedding cut: 25 or 50

Data & method: Serving counts from the published Wilton cake serving chart (two-layer cakes about 4 in tall; party 1½ × 2 in slice, wedding 1 × 2 in slice). Single-layer figures apply Wilton's rule that cakes under 3 in tall yield half (rounded down). The calculations are covered by automated tests. How we calculate →

Check any size or head count

Preset to the 9×13" sheet — add tiers or switch sizes to plan a different cake.

Serving style
+ Add tiers for a tiered or wedding cake

Serves about

36

party slices (1½ × 2 in)

Counts are for two layers about 4 in tall (3–6 in serves the same). One 2-inch layer per tier? About 18 (Wilton: under 3 in yields half).

Your cake, tier by tier

Next: how much frosting for this cake? →

Or plan backwards — how many guests?

We'll find the smallest two-layer cake that seats them, using the party/wedding slice size selected above.

A 12" round seats about 40 party servings — enough for 36.

9x13 cake servings: two layers vs. one

Serving counts come down to slice size. Cut party-style (1½ × 2 in slice), a two-layer 9x13 sheet yields about 36 servings; cut wedding-style (1 × 2 in slice) it stretches to 50. 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: 18 party or 25 wedding.

All sheet sizes compared

Size Party (1½ × 2 in slice), two layers Wedding (1 × 2 in slice), two layers Single 2-in layer (party / wedding)
7×11" sheet 24 32 12 / 16
9×13" sheet 36 50 18 / 25
11×15" sheet 54 74 27 / 37
12×18" sheet 72 98 36 / 49

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.

Cutting a single-layer 9x13 into squares

Single-layer sheets are often cut into squares rather than Wilton's slices — WebstaurantStore calls 2 × 2 and 2 × 3-inch pieces typical. Here is how many whole pieces of each size fit a 9x13 cut in a straight grid — plain arithmetic from the pan's dimensions, not a published serving chart, and with no edges trimmed:

Ordering from a bakery, or wondering whether this is a "quarter" or "half" sheet? Names vary by bakery — see the sheet cake sizes and servings guide.

Planning from a head count instead? As a two-layer cake, the 9×13" sheet is the chart's answer for 25 people and 30 people cut party-size.

Baking this cake yourself? The frosting calculator works out how much buttercream a two-layer 9x13 sheet needs, and the pan volume calculator gives the batter capacity.

Nearby lookups

Related calculators

Cake Pan Converter

Convert any recipe between pan sizes — see both pans drawn to scale with batter fill levels, plus adjusted bake time and temperature.

Pan Volume Calculator

How much does your pan hold? Get the exact volume of any baking pan in cups, millilitres and litres, plus the batter it takes at a two-thirds fill.

Frosting Calculator

How much frosting does your cake need? Cups of buttercream by pan size, layers and coat thickness — computed from the cake's actual surface, with a cupcake swirl mode.

See all pan & size calculators →

Frequently Asked Questions

How many people does a 9x13 sheet cake feed?

As a two-layer cake about 4 inches tall, a 9x13 sheet feeds about 36 people with party slices (1½ × 2 in slice) or 50 with wedding slices (1 × 2 in slice) — the published Wilton serving-chart figures. Baked as a single 2-inch layer it feeds about half: 18 party or 25 wedding, because Wilton says cakes under 3 inches tall yield half the servings.

How many people does a single-layer 9x13 cake feed?

About 18 party slices or 25 wedding slices. The Wilton chart lists 36 party / 50 wedding for a two-layer 9x13 about 4 inches tall, and Wilton says cakes under 3 inches tall yield half — which is the usual home sheet cake, baked as one 2-inch layer.

How many wedding servings is a 9x13 sheet cake?

50 wedding servings as a two-layer cake (25 as a single 2-inch layer). Wedding slices are cut slimmer (1 × 2 in slice versus 1½ × 2 in slice for party slices), so the same cake stretches 14 servings further than at a party.

Is a 9x13 sheet cake enough for 41 people?

Cut party-size, no — a two-layer one seats about 36. Either cut closer to wedding size (50 slimmer slices), bake a second sheet, or go one size up. Rounding up beats running short: end pieces and uneven cuts always eat into the chart number.

Does a taller cake serve more people?

The Wilton chart is written for a two-layer cake about 4 inches tall, and Wilton says cakes 3 to 6 inches tall in the same pan yield the same number of servings, because they're cut the same way — a taller cake gives taller slices, not more of them. A cake under 3 inches tall (one 2-inch layer) yields about half: 18 party or 25 wedding slices for a 9x13 sheet.

Is a 9x13 a quarter sheet cake?

Often, but there's no standard. WebstaurantStore notes that no industry standard exists for full, half or quarter sheet cakes and that sizes differ by bakery; it lists quarter sheets at roughly 13 × 8–10 inches, including a 13 × 9 pan. When ordering, ask for the dimensions in inches and the number of layers.