The height of the cake

Tall Tiers Peony Rose Cake By www.cakedesigns.com

Tall Tiers Peony Rose Cake By www.cakedesigns.com

I have baked cakes for a long while and beginning to see a lot of cakes that seem to be higher that the standard 2" layer cakes (4" total). Can you tell me how to achieve this look and are the 4" high cakes still acceptable?


Hi Thanks for a great and different question. you are the first to ask about this trend.

Like you I have been making cakes for a LONG time, and I have always done the more standardized height for my cakes. Two layers each approximately 2 inches high with a 1/2 inch to a 1 inch layer of filling. Once the frosting and decorating is on you have about a 5-6 inch high cake.

When recently helping out a local gourmet bakery during the Holidays, they used much higher cakes. They would use three 2 inch layers with two 1 inch layers of filling in each cake. I found them much harder to work with, especially the 6 inch top tier. This bakery worked with fresh cakes that were soft and quite difficult. I use frozen cake. So It was a challenge to do it there way.

They would then use a two inch difference in tier sizes versus a 4 inch difference. (which is the standard) at least for me it was. For example, they would do a 12 inch cake with a 10 inch middle tier and an 8 inch top tier. Those sizes on top of each other, in a stacked design are especially difficult to move around as the cakes weight is not distributed as well for carrying etc.

Luckily the standard ones are still popular, and in my opinion look more balanced. The newer look can be quite stunning if done well as in the photo above of the "Tall Tiered Peony Rose" cake.


I find that most brides are not that particular as to sizes or height etc., as you probably already know. In the rare case that an artful or particular bride does come along and gives you a picture of one of these types and insists that it must look exactly like the photo, then do a three layered cake versus the two and use the smaller difference in circumference.

Thanks a bunch for your height of the cake question, and I hope this helps.

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Feb 05, 2012
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by: Ren

4" is still the standard height for cakes especially tiers, however, as times change bakers come up with new ideas to create more interesting and amazing cakes. As long as you are able to manage it, there's no harm in diversifying, it's just that, as was said in the previous response, some of these newer heights may be harder to manage during delivery
Feb 05, 2012
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by: Lorelie

Thanks Ren for your comments on tier heights. It's so nice to hear from other cake decorators, like yourself. Even after my 26 years of decorating wedding cakes I am finding that there is always something new and creative in the cake decorating world! Love it!

Lorelie
Feb 06, 2012
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by: Loretta

I just want to say "Thank You" to Lorelie for responding so quickly and giving me so much information and reassuring me that I'm not too far of the bar about the height. I love this site and the wonderful people that are so willing to share their knowledge of cakes and decorating, it is such a great help and stress reliever.

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