Cake for Large Groups: Best Recipes, Tips, and Serving Hacks

When you’re baking a cake for large groups, a single-layer dessert scaled up to serve 20 or more people, often for birthdays, weddings, or community events. Also known as party cake, it’s not just about making more batter—it’s about structure, even baking, and how it holds up under serving pressure. A cake that works for six won’t automatically work for thirty. Too tall? It sinks. Too thin? It dries out. Too much sugar? It cracks. You need the right balance of ingredients, pan size, and baking time to make sure every slice is just as good as the first.

That’s why cake serving size, the standard portion amount per person when cutting a cake, usually 1.5 to 2 inches wide for party slices matters more than you think. Most recipes assume 8–12 servings. For a crowd, you’re looking at 24–40 servings. That means doubling or tripling a recipe isn’t enough—you need to adjust baking time, oven placement, and even cooling methods. A 12-inch round cake needs almost twice as long to bake as a 9-inch, and if you stack layers, you need support. Don’t skip the cake dowels or cardboard rounds. And yes, big batch cake, a cake made in large quantities for events with many guests, often baked in multiple pans or commercial-sized trays isn’t just about volume—it’s about consistency. Every layer should bake evenly, cool properly, and hold frosting without sliding.

You’ll also need to think about storage and transport. A cake for large groups often sits out for hours. Will the frosting melt? Will the cake dry out? Can you refrigerate it before serving? Some cakes—like dense chocolate or carrot cake—hold up better than light sponge cakes. And don’t forget the tools: a long serrated knife, cake server, and a clean cutting board make slicing faster and cleaner. You don’t want guests wrestling with crumbly slices.

The posts below cover everything you need to nail this. From how to adjust recipes for bigger pans, to why some cakes crack when scaled up, to the best frostings that won’t slide off under pressure. You’ll find tips on cooling large cakes without sinking, how to stack tiers without collapsing, and even how to make a cake look impressive without fancy decorating skills. Whether you’re baking for a family reunion, office party, or school event, you’ll walk away knowing exactly what works—and what to skip.