How To Cut a Wedding Cake Properly

Cutting the wedding cake is a symbolic and fun activity for the bride and groom to celebrate their wedding day together. Make sure you cut the cake properly on your wedding day by following our simple and easy guide!

On your wedding day, cutting the cake is a special moment between you and your new spouse. Depending on the type of wedding cake you have, the method with which you should cut your cake may be different. 

If you are the cake cutter, it may seem like a difficult task to cut a round cake into small and similar sized slices. If the cake is round, there are two easy methods to cut the cake. If the cake is rectangular or another shape, it may be easier to cut the cake.

With a rounded cake, make sure you follow these two easy and simple methods with less than five steps to cut your cake perfectly on your wedding day. 

The “Ring Method”

If you are the cake cutter at a wedding, using the ring method is when you cut the round cakes in “rings” to get more slices out of the cake in smaller servings for a large crowd at a wedding.

The method is easy and only has 5 steps, so even an inexperienced cake cutter will be able to follow along. Check out this tutorial from Minette Rushing!

 

1. Slide Your Knife Under the Cake Board and Remove Tier

To begin, slide your knife under the cake board and remove the top tier of your wedding cake. Remove the layer and gently place it down. 

Repeat this step until you reach the base layer of your cake. Make sure to clean your knife between cuts so that the icing and pieces of cake do not get on pieces of the cake later.

2. On the Bottom Layer, Cut out a Circle in the Middle of the Cake

When you reach the bottom or base layer of the cake, cut out a smaller circle inside of the cake. Make sure that you leave enough room on the perimeter of the cake to be able to cut smaller slices of cake between them in the next step. 

3. Cut 1 Inch Slices Around the Perimeter of the Cake

Once you have a small circle cut into the middle of your cake, go along the perimeter of the cake and cut out small 1 inch slices. 

4. In the Round Interior, Cut out Wedges

When you have finished cutting around the small round interior you cut out, cut the interior into small, 1 inch wedges to serve to the guests. 

Once you have completed this step, repeat the process for the other layers of cake. The cake will be cut and finished when you complete these steps. 

Rectangular Slices

For a round cake, it is important to slice the same size slices for many guests at your wedding. In order to do this properly, you may decide to cut the cake in rectangular slices. This method is somewhat easier than the ring method, as shown by Minette Rushing Cakes below.

`1. Slide Your Knife Under the Cake Board and Remove Tier

To begin, start with gently removing the first tier of the cake and removing it. Do this for all of the tiers until the cake is unassembled.

2. Clean Your Knife Between Cuts

Make sure you clean the knife between cuts, the same as we did for the ring method, to avoid any extra crumbs or frosting from getting all over the cake slices.

3. Cut the Cake in a Straight Line Down the Cake, Stopping a Half an Inch From the Edge

Cut the cake in a straight line down the center, stopping a half an inch away from the edge. Stopping a little bit away from the edge will allow the cake to be supported for the next step when you cut in the opposite direction, so the cake doesn’t fall apart. 

4. Working in Rows, Cut the Cake in the Opposite Direction 

In the opposite direction from the straight line down the center, cut the cake the other way across, forming a grid like formation. 

5. Cut the Cake Until You Have Only 1 Inch Slices

When you have finished cutting the rows of cake, you will end up with many 1 inch slices that you can serve to wedding guests. 

Newlywed Cake Cutting Ceremony

If you are the bride and groom, the cake cutting ceremony is an important and fun part of your wedding. Here is some helpful information for your cake cutting ceremony at your wedding. 

When

There’s a standard order of events at a wedding reception, so you should cut your cake whenever people start to finish dinner at your reception.

The cake cutting ceremony traditionally marks the end of the night for older guests, signaling that dinner is over and that they are welcome to head home. 

Do’s

For the cake cutting ceremony at your wedding, make sure you listen to the photographer. Getting pictures of this special moment is their job, so listen to their directions so that you get some cute photos.

The groom’s hand should go over the bride’s when cutting the cake to symbolically show that they will work together in their marriage. Gently feeding each other the cake is a sweet moment and shows the loving relationship that you have with each other. 

Using a serving set meant for a wedding is a special touch. Look for serving sets in bridal stores and online to find one that works for you. 

Don’ts

Some of the don’ts for your cake cutting ceremony are to avoid obnoxiously smashing each other in the face with cake. After hours of hair and makeup this is the last thing you want on your wedding day. Don’t ruin your wedding pictures with frosting on your face!

Do not try to cut the top tier of the cake for the ceremony, as it may be unstable. Instead, cut the base layer of the cake and serve it to each other with utensils for a classy and fun moment in your wedding!

Some couples choose to save the top tier of the wedding cake as a keepsake.  It’s common to freeze it and then break it out on your first anniversary as a celebratory treat!