Twenty guests sits in an awkward spot: too many for a standard six inch cake, too few to need a tiered one. In practice I point most people to one of three sizes: a tall 8 or 9 inch layer cake, a 10 inch round, or a 9×13 quarter sheet. Which one depends on how big you cut, and whether cake is the only dessert. Size is only half the job, though. The cake also has to slice cleanly, hold up on the table and suit the party. Below are twenty cakes I’d make for a group this size, with how each one behaves when it’s time to cut.
Party Slices, Wedding Slices and Why the Numbers Disagree
Two people can look at the same 8 inch cake and one will say it feeds twelve while the other says twenty four. They’re both right. Bakers work from two slice sizes, and most serving charts you’ll find assume one or the other without saying which.
- A wedding slice is a slim finger of cake, roughly one inch wide by two inches long, cut from a cake about four inches tall. It assumes there’s a meal and maybe other desserts.
- A party slice is noticeably wider, roughly one and a half inches by two. It’s what most people picture when they think of a slice of birthday cake.
- Very rich cakes like cheesecake or a dense fudge cake can be cut even smaller than a wedding slice without anyone feeling short changed.
So for twenty guests at a birthday where the cake is the dessert, plan on party slices, which points you to a 9 inch layer cake or a 9×13 sheet. If dinner is substantial and there’s fruit or cookies too, an 8 inch layer cake cut slim will do. Height matters as much as width: a two layer cake around four inches tall gives far more slices than a single layer of the same diameter.
1. Vanilla Layer Cake For 20 People
Vanilla is the cake I make most often for mixed groups, because nobody refuses it. A two layer 8 inch or 9-inch vanilla cake feeds about twenty if you cut slim slices, and the 9 inch gives you a little breathing room. It also takes any filling: strawberry jam, lemon curd, whipped cream. With a soft filling like jam or curd, I pipe a stiff buttercream dam around each layer’s edge first, or the filling squeezes out the sides once the cake is stacked.
2. Chocolate Sheet Cake For 20 People
A 9×13 sheet is the fastest cake to serve on this list. Cut four rows by five and you get twenty even squares with no guesswork, which is exactly why I suggest it for office and school parties. A fudgy chocolate base with chocolate buttercream stays moist for a couple of days. Leave a margin around the edge if you’re writing a message, because the knife will go straight through the lettering otherwise.
3. Funfetti Birthday Cake For 20 People
Funfetti does its decorating from the inside. A tall 8 inch or a 9 inch round makes a cheerful centerpiece for twenty without being oversized. Use jimmies rather than tiny round nonpareils in the batter; nonpareils bleed and turn the crumb muddy grey. Vanilla buttercream lets the colors show, and a few candles and sprinkles on top finish it.
4. Red Velvet Cake For 20 People
Red velvet is a cake people remember, partly for the color and partly for the cream cheese frosting. A two layer 9 inch round gives twenty generous slices. Cream cheese frosting is softer than buttercream, so a red velvet cake leaning on a warm table can start to slide; keep it chilled until an hour or so before serving. A border and a few crumbs on top are plenty.
5. Lemon Cake For 20 People
After a big meal, lemon is the cake that people actually finish. A 9 inch layered lemon cake feeds twenty. Lemon buttercream, whipped frosting or cream cheese frosting all suit it; I lean toward cream cheese when the lemon curd filling is very sharp, because the tang matches. Thin lemon slices on top look pretty but weep into the frosting after a few hours, so add them on the day.
6. Carrot Cake For 20 People
Carrot cake is dense and rich, so twenty slim slices from a two layer 9 inch round go further than you’d think. Grate the carrots finely; coarse shreds leave stringy bits and make the cake harder to slice neatly. Chopped nuts are optional, and with twenty guests it’s worth asking whether anyone has a nut allergy before you add them. A rustic swirl of cream cheese frosting suits it better than a sharp smooth finish.
7. Strawberry Cake For 20 People
Strawberry cake brings a soft pink color without any food coloring if you use a reduced strawberry puree in the batter or frosting. For twenty, a 9 inch layer cake is right. Strawberry compote between layers is lovely but wet, so dam it with buttercream. Whole berries on top are the easiest decoration there is; cut berries start leaking juice within a few hours.
8. Black Forest Cake For 20 People
Black Forest is the one I’d make for an adult dinner party. A 9 inch layered version serves twenty because the whipped cream lightens each slice. The whipped cream is also its weakness: it doesn’t hold well at room temperature, so stabilize it and keep the cake in the fridge until just before serving. Soak the chocolate layers lightly with cherry syrup and finish with shavings and a ring of cherries.
9. Cookies And Cream Cake For 20 People
Cookies and cream pleases kids and adults equally, which makes it my default for a family party. A tall 8 inch with three thinner layers or a 9 inch with two both work for twenty. Fold finely crushed cookies into the buttercream; big chunks drag when you smooth the sides and leave grey streaks. Cookie halves and a chocolate drip on top tell guests exactly what’s inside.
10. Chocolate Drip Cake For 20 People
A drip makes a home cake look professionally finished, and it’s easier than it looks. An 8 inch tall cake or a 9 inch round suits twenty. The secret is temperature: chill the frosted cake first, and let the chocolate ganache drip cool until it’s barely warm. Too hot and it runs to the board; too cold and it stops halfway down in stubby blobs. Top with swirls, macarons, berries or candy.
11. Buttercream Floral Cake For 20 People
A 9 inch round gives you enough surface for buttercream flowers without the cake getting too big for twenty. Vanilla, almond, lemon or strawberry all sit well under a smooth coat. Pipe the flowers with a slightly stiffer buttercream than you use for coating, or the petals lose their edges in a warm room. Pale colors like blush, peach and lavender look softest; deep shades need a lot of coloring and can taste bitter.
12. Square Cake For 20 People
Square cakes are more efficient than round ones, because every slice comes out the same size and there are no awkward wedges from the middle. An 8 inch square layer cake feeds about twenty with neat party pieces. Getting sharp corners in buttercream is the hard part; I chill the cake and go over the corners with a bench scraper once the coat is firm. Corner piping hides any softness.
13. Number Cake For 20 People
Number cakes are mostly about the shape, so servings depend on the digit. A single 1 feeds far fewer than an 8. For twenty, a larger cookie-style number cake or two smaller digits usually covers it. Sponge, tart-style layers or sheet cake cut into numbers all work. Piped cream between layers looks great but softens quickly, so assemble these close to the party and keep them cold.
14. Heart Cake For 20 People
A 9 inch heart cake serves around twenty if you cut it in strips rather than wedges, which is how I’d tell you to slice any heart. The shape suits birthdays and showers as well as anniversaries. The dip at the top of the heart is where buttercream tends to tear, so chill between coats. Shell borders and a short message in the middle are all it needs.
15. Marble Cake For 20 People
Marble settles the vanilla versus chocolate debate in one slice. A 9 inch layered marble cake feeds twenty. Don’t over-swirl the batter: two or three passes with a knife give clear ribbons, and more blends it into a uniform tan. Vanilla or chocolate buttercream both go, and the cross-section is interesting enough that the outside can stay plain.
16. Coconut Cake For 20 People
Coconut cake is light, so twenty guests will want proper slices from a 9 inch two layer cake. White or vanilla cake made with coconut milk carries the flavor best; extract alone can taste artificial. Press coconut flakes onto the frosting while it’s still soft so they stick. A few tropical fruit accents on top suit a brunch or summer party.
17. Tres Leches Cake For 20 People
Tres leches is the one cake here that gets better with a night in the fridge, because the sponge needs time to absorb the three milks. A 9×13 pan is the right vessel: it soaks evenly and cuts into twenty squares. Use a deep pan with a lip, as the milk mixture pools before it soaks in. Whipped cream on top, with cinnamon or fruit, and keep it cold until you serve.
18. Cheesecake For 20 People
Cheesecake is so rich that a 9 or 10 inch round can stretch to twenty if you cut thin slices; most people won’t want more. Plain vanilla on a graham crust is always reliable, with berries or caramel on the side so guests choose. For clean slices, chill it overnight, dip the knife in hot water and wipe it between every cut. It’s the difference between neat wedges and a smeared mess.
19. Ice Cream Cake For 20 People
Ice cream cake is a freezer logistics problem first and a cake second. Make sure there’s freezer space for the whole thing, not just a corner. A 9×13 or a large round gives twenty portions, layered with cookie crumbs, fudge or cake. Take it out ten minutes before cutting, and dip the knife in hot water. Cut fast and plate straight away, because the last slices go soft while you’re still serving the first.
20. Two Tier Cake For 20 People
A small two tier cake gives you height for a milestone birthday, shower or very small wedding. A 6 inch over an 8 inch feeds twenty comfortably with party slices, often with some left over. Even a cake this small needs a few dowels in the bottom tier to carry the top one, otherwise the top tier sinks. Matching flavors make life easier; vanilla on top with chocolate below is a nice compromise if guests are divided.
Cutting a Round Cake Into Twenty Without Running Short
Most people cut a round cake like a pizza, from the center out, and end up with wide wedges and nothing left for the last five guests. The way caterers cut rounds gets far more even pieces, and it’s simple once you’ve seen it.
- Chill the cake first. Cold buttercream cuts clean; soft buttercream drags across the layers.
- Use a long, thin knife and keep a jug of hot water and a towel next to you. Dip, wipe and cut, every time.
- Score a circle about two inches in from the edge. Slice the outer ring into thin pieces, about one to one and a half inches wide.
- When the ring is gone, score another circle two inches further in and repeat.
- The small center that’s left can be cut into four or six neat pieces.
Sheet cakes are easier still: a ruler and a few toothpicks along the edges mark a grid before you cut. If the cake has to travel to the party, keep it in the fridge until you leave, put it on a flat surface in the car rather than a seat, and give cream cheese or whipped cream cakes the coolest spot you have.
Twenty Slices, With a Few to Spare
For twenty people the decision comes down to size, how you’ll cut it, flavor and the feel of the party. A 9×13 sheet is the easiest to serve. A layered 8 or 9 inch round, or a small two tier cake, makes more of a centerpiece. Rich cakes like cheesecake or fudge cake can be cut smaller; light ones like lemon or coconut need bigger slices. Plan for two or three extra servings, because someone always wants a second piece and someone always turns up unannounced.
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