How much Frosting do I need for my cake?
How much frosting do I need to buy for my cake?
Ever wondered how much Frosting or Filling Cream you need to buy? Our handy table below will show you how much frosting / buttercream you need to cover a standard depth (3" deep) cake.
Quantities based on filling, coating and frosting a cake. Add 20% for square cakes, and an additional 20% per extra layer of cake to ensure you have enough frosting for an extended height cake.
| No. Cake Layers | Cake Size | Frosting Amount |
|---|---|---|
| 2 Layers | 4" | 200g |
| 2 Layers | 6" | 400g |
| 2 Layers | 8" | 600g |
| 2 Layers | 10" | 800g |
| 2 Layers | 12" | 1kg |
| 2 Layers | 14" | 1.2kg |
| 2 Layers | 14" x 17" | 1.5kg |
| 2 Layers | 28" x 17" | 3kg |
| Cupcakes | From 30g per cupcake |
Different types of frosting
Filling - this is the filling you're putting between the layers of your cake. Try not to overfill your cake at this stage as once the cake settles, a thick layer of filling can bulge out the sides of your cake so always start with a small amount and try not to fill too close to the edges of your cake.
Crumb coating - this is what we call the fine layer of frosting that you use to cover a cake before you cover it with sugarpaste - It helps the sugarpaste stick to the cake and catches all those pesky crumbs on the outside of your cake.
Frosting - this is the thicker layer of frosting that you use when you want to hide the cake from showing through. You normally use 2 layers, a crumb coat and then a top coat to smooth finish once the bottom coat is set over.
When decorating a cake with swirls/piping work, we'd recommend doubling up the amount of frosting you know you'll need as piping can use a lot of product. You can also practice your piping onto a cake board or jam jar lid, then remove and place back into your piping bag to avoid waste whilst you're practicing!
Please keep in mind that everyone decorates their cakes differently so whilst we've done our best to give you a guide, these amounts are all approximates.