What Does A Wedding Cake Cost In Australia?

Welcome to Polka Dot Wedding’s Australian Wedding Budget series – where we interview wedding pros so that you know what your wedding will really cost and why.

Next up; we investigate the most delicious part of the whole shebang: the wedding cake! While a wedding cake might seem like simply flour, eggs, and sugar, it involves so much more. Cake designers and bakers aren’t simply mixing ingredients you could find in a supermarket box. They’re drawing upon years of expertise to craft something that tastes delicious, looks enticing and is worthy of the occasion. Many wedding cakes rise to the level of edible works of art, requiring specialised skills to transform ingredients into an unforgettable centrepiece.

We invited six incredible local cake designers to share their professional expertise and pricing insights for this guide. A huge thank you to Gina of Ladybird Cakes, Alice of Miss Trixie Drinks Tea, Faye of Faye Cahill Cake Design, Rebecca of Petal + Peach Bespoke Cakery, Jo of The Cake & I and Claire of Sukar, for their valuable contributions. Let’s dive into how much a wedding cake costs in Australia in 2025 and what you can expect to pay for different styles and sizes.

As with every element of your wedding day, the first step to determining your cake budget is understanding your priorities. Ask yourself these questions:

Is the cake one of your top three must-haves?
Will it be a significant part of – or even replace – your dessert offering?
Or will it be a simple, sweet treat to end the meal as a nod to tradition?

Understanding where cake sits on your priority list will help you allocate your budget appropriately. Our cake designers recommend starting by selecting a few designs you love and asking your baker for the prices including additional fees for all the designs.

Cake By Ladybird Cakes, Photographer Brendan Creaser Photography

What Does A Wedding Cake Cost in Australia?

In Australia, professional wedding cakes typically cost between $600 and $2,000. As an example, for a standard multi-tier cake that can serve 100 guests, couples can expect to pay between $750 and $1,200.

For budgeting, many of our pros suggest either taking a cost-per-person approach or allocating 2-5% of your total wedding budget for the cake. One recommends thinking of it in terms of retail prices: “The average cost of a slice of cake at a coffee shop is around $9. When budgeting for a wedding cake, you essentially multiply that price for a single serve by the number of guests you have, then add extra for the fully customised design.”

Most cake designers expect a 30-50% deposit when booking your cake, with full payment made before the wedding – between one week and one month before – to coincide with the final guest numbers.

Why Does A Wedding Cake Cost So Much?

Guest Count

As one baker explains, “The biggest factor influencing the price of a wedding cake is the number of serves. To reduce the cost of a wedding cake, the main thing to do is reduce the serves and the overall size.”

Design Complexity

Basic buttercream finishes cost less than elaborate decorations. A cake maker notes, “A simple iced cake doesn’t take as long to execute as a cake with multiple textures, embellishments and colours.” If you look at a cake and think, “wow, that would have taken forever or I would never be able to do that,” then inevitably it took time and plenty of energy from the cake maker. But how big the cake is (aka three-tier cakes are a legitimate construction!) will also heavily affect the price. As one designer notes, “There is a lot of work in just getting the cake to the plain iced price before decoration.”

Finish

A cake will vary in price based on the finish. One baker breaks it down: “The same-sized cake increases to $800 for a fondant finish [compared to buttercream] and decreases to $645 for a semi-naked finish.” That vintage piping (a.k.a. Lambeth piping) that is a trend right now requires extra buttercream and about 30 minutes of extra time per tier. Cake makers typically charge an additional $35-$70 per tier for this style.

Similarly, pearl-embellished cakes require each pearl to be hand-placed, taking an additional 30-60 minutes per tier, plus material costs, resulting in an extra $50-100 per tier. Sugar flowers are even more labour-intensive, with every petal and leaf hand-cut and placed, adding many extra hours to the workload.

Our cake makers emphasise that understanding the complexity is key: “Unless you make cakes, it can be very hard to understand what finish may take longer than another finish. Typically, anything patterned or with intricate detailing will cost more than anything plain. Anything with unusually shaped tiers tends to take longer and will then add to the cost. Adding edible gold leaf is popular and also adds significantly to the cost.”

Portion Sizes

Wedding cake slices typically come in “coffee” or “dessert” portions.

Coffee Portions: These smaller slices (typically 1″ x 1″ x height of cake or 2.5cm x 2.5cm) are perfect for serving the cake alongside coffee or tea. As one baker weighs in, “Always allow for a coffee portion – no one eats dessert portions anymore, particularly at a wedding. A coffee portion is essentially a finger of cake.”

Dessert Portions: These are double the size of coffee portions (approximately 2″ x 1″ x height of cake or 5cm x 2.5cm) and are intended as the main dessert. “A cake serving 200 for coffee will serve 100 desserts,” explains one baker.

Several factors affect how many portions you should order:

Guest count
Whether you’re serving another dessert
Whether it’s a cocktail or a sit-down wedding
When the cake is being served

“We normally recommend significantly reducing the number of serves if another dessert has been served and/or providing take-home boxes for guests,” advises one professional. Another notes, “If your guests are on the dance floor already, most aren’t coming off for cake, especially if it is not announced! We recommend serving cake as early as possible.”

Your baker should provide guidance, but as one mentions, “Unfortunately, every baker uses a different guide! Some bakers like to show the exact coffee and dessert portions, which requires some precision cutting and measuring, while others like to provide wiggle room for cutting.”

Seasonal Considerations

Unlike other vendors, our cake designers tell us there is not a lot of seasonal price variation for wedding cakes. “I charge the same all year round and base it purely on the time it will take me to execute a specific design,” shares one baker, while another confirms “Our pricing doesn’t vary between seasons.”

That being said, you may need to make a couple of cake-related decisions (which can affect price) based on your wedding date. Remembering dates like Sundays or public holidays may also incur extra charges. For instance:

Buttercream cakes may need refrigeration in summer
Fresh floral decorations are affected by seasonal availability.

“If fresh flowers are chosen I may not be able to get the exact ones desired in all seasons,” explains one baker, while another advises, “Unfortunately if a flower is out of season it can be extremely hard to source, especially for bakers as we do not need a large quantity to decorate cakes. If we cannot source flowers, we recommend a substitute flower or asking your florist to get a few extra stems for us to use on the cake.”

Cake by Petal + Peach Bespoke Cakery, Photography Aleisha Edwards Weddings

What’s Included In A Wedding Cake Service?

Let’s break down what you’re actually getting when it comes to paying for your wedding cake! Most cake artists will provide:

Pre-wedding consultations to design your perfect cake
Quote
Samples or tastings
Expertly crafted flavours developed through months of testing
Professional construction with premium ingredients
Delivery and setup

Some focus on no-frills cake delivery only. While others include extras like tasting boxes, cake stand rentals, or take-home boxes for leftover cake. Remember that behind every slice are not only ingredients, but years of expertise, professional-grade equipment, and all the essential business overheads that ensure your cake arrives perfect and on time.

Our cake artists emphasise, “When picking a baker, you are mainly paying for their skills and their recipes. We took months to develop each of our recipes to ensure all of our cakes not only look amazing but taste amazing too!” Premium ingredients like “couverture chocolates, free-range eggs, good local butter” significantly increase costs but deliver superior results.

While you might be tempted to save money by collecting the cake yourself or skipping a tasting, many professionals advise against it. As one baker puts it, “Delivery is worth all its weight to minimise stress.”

Similarly, tasting boxes help to ensure that you’ll love the flavour; though some clients “forgo the taster box to save money and choose a well-known flavour or they ask for my choice.”

Cake by SUKAR, Photography by SUKAR

What Additional Costs Are There When It Comes To Wedding Cakes?

Beyond the base cake and decoration, there are several additional costs to factor into your wedding cake budget. The additions (whether included within a package or at an additional cost) you might see include:

Delivery and setup
Tastings
Cake stand hire
Fresh flowers
Slab cakes
Dietary specific cakes (i.e gluten free or vegan).
Additional desserts
Take home boxes and packaging for leftover cake

Cake costs you may need to take into account, outside of your cake maker:

Cake topper
Cake-cutting utensils
Cakeage fees
Fresh flowers – this may be a charge for your florist
Cake packaging if gifting guests with cake to take home
Display table hire

Cake Tastings

Most bakers charge for tastings, ranging from $20-$100. “Cake tastings take a long time to create each flavour in a perfect portion for couples to enjoy,” explains one of our bakers. A cake designer might offer up a box of pre-selected flavours or allow you to choose your own. Sometimes this tasting fee is redeemable against the cost of your cake if you move ahead with a booking. One baker explains: “I am a firm believer in cake tastings. Almost all of my clients select a cake flavour they didn’t expect would be their favourite. It puts everyone’s mind at ease – the client knows what they are getting and I know they will like it.” Plus, it’s a fun experience for two!

Fresh Flowers

If you want fresh flowers on your cake, this can be a significant extra cost, say our bakers, who advise to budget between $55-70 for something like six seasonal blooms and a textured foliage arrangement. Some bakers recommend consulting your wedding florist to ensure the flowers match your overall theme. And make sure to let your florist know that the flowers you are hoping to source should be safe as they are going to be put on a cake – just in case!

Cake Stand Rental

Don’t forget about what your cake will sit on! Some venues provide cake stands, but your cake designer may also have these available. Stand hire can range from $25-200 to hire, plus a refundable bond (often around $100).

Delivery and Setup

This is one cost you shouldn’t skip, explains our cake designers. “[Include] Budget for delivery. Please. I so often have clients who insist on picking up their cake only to call at the last minute and ask for delivery because it is too overwhelming and stressful to fit this task into their day.” Delivery costs vary widely based on location. Our cake designers quoted between $35-200 depending on location (a minimum spend may apply for regional deliveries), the return trip involved, the kilometres travelled, and the security clearances and inductions they need to complete prior to delivery.

Sheet/Slab Cakes

For larger weddings, many bakers recommend making a separate sheet cake to supplement the more elaborate display cake. “Slab cakes are for BOH [back of house] use only” and typically cost between $100-200 depending on size.

Dietary Requirements

Special dietary needs, like gluten-free, nut-free and vegan, might incur additional charges of up to $1 per serve, tell our bakers. Some bakers don’t charge extra but note that “we probably should as it does cost more and [extra] time to properly prepare our kitchen for contamination risk.”

Cakeage Fees

You may need to pay your reception venue to handle, plate (normally done with berries and cream) and serve your cake, as well as clean up. “Some venues charge per serve whilst others do one bulk fee and others charge no additional fees,” advise our bakers. These fees typically range from $2-$5 per serve, though some can be as high as $12.50 per person.

Cake by Miss Trixie Drinks Tea Photographer Amanda Alessi Photography

Is The Cost For A Wedding Cake Worth It?

As much as some rage-baiting media might suggest otherwise, a wedding cake is not simply sugar and flour marked up when you mention the word “wedding.” Your cake designer will typically spend 8-15 hours on an average wedding cake. Add another 2-3 hours for tasting box preparation, plus extra time for consultations and special designs! Don’t forget every cake involves:

Ingredients and Equipment

Professional wedding cake makers invest heavily in quality ingredients and specialised equipment to ensure your cake is perfect. Says one designer, “Not all cakes are created equal. You’ll often get what you pay for. Packet mix is always going to be on the budget end of the scale. A luxury cake with premium ingredients like pure vanilla, couverture chocolate, and pastured eggs is going to reflect in the pricing.”

Beyond ingredients, there’s a significant investment in premium components and specialised structural supports needed to create a stable, beautiful cake. As one baker points out, “Cake makers have been hit really hard with increasing prices on their ingredients, just like your shopping basket.”

Behind-the-Scenes Costs

Running a professional cake business requires significant investment in infrastructure, especially when it has to adhere to food safety guidelines incorporating:

Commercial kitchen space
Industrial ovens
Specialised refrigeration
Refrigerated vehicles for food-safe transportation

As one baker points out, “The new food safety standards state that ‘…unpackaged potentially hazardous food that is ready to eat is high risk and needs careful handling to keep it safe’.” Add in staff costs, insurance, recipe development expenses, food licensing, food safety certifications, business insurance, marketing, social media and website fees, packaging materials, rent, delivery expenses, wages, and equipment repairs – it all adds up.

Time

“EVERYTHING hahaha! Literally everything!” exclaims one baker when asked about to which element they devote the most time. For every inquiry, bakers spend 1-1.5 hours on admin and communication – even though not every couple will book them. “We normally recommend our clients to book in their wedding cake at least 6 months before their wedding,” shares another baker. “This allows for discussions about design, cake tastings and to ensure we have availability!”

And what about the actual creation? One baker reveals, “Whilst the baking and decorating part of a wedding cake normally takes 3-5 hours (depending on the size and design), this does not include cake cooling time overnight but the hands-on hours.”

Elaborate designs can take up to two weeks to perfect. Here’s what your cake maker is actually putting time into:

Detailed client consultations
Design sketching and planning (including coordinating with venues when needed)
Creating and preparing tasting boxes for flavour selection
Sourcing specific ingredients and decorative elements
Recipe testing and development to maintain their signature flavours
Careful construction and assembly of multi-tier structures
Delicate decoration work that can take days to complete
Safe delivery and setup at your venue (typically two hours)
Managing food safety protocols and kitchen certifications
Continuous professional development through additional courses and training
Running the business side (including staffing, pricing, bills, marketing, client correspondence, superannuation, accountant, and rent)
Professional Expertise

“Our recipes are a tightly kept secret, so you can only get our signature flavours from us,” one baker proudly states. This expertise comes from dedicated professionals who are “consistently learning as bakers to keep up with design trends.” They invest in “additional courses yearly, have trial and training days and take time to consistently practice our skills and knowledge, to provide our clients with the cake of their dreams.”

The more experienced the vendor, the more value they provide. As one cake designer tells us, “This dedication to our trade provides us with additional skills and knowledge which is reflected in our pricing as experienced bakers.”

Cakes by Faye Cahill Cake Design, Photography Lucy Leonardi Photography

Need Wedding Cake Tips For A Budget?

If those potential cake prices make you feel a bit overwhelmed, don’t worry! Our cake designer friends have shared some smart strategies to help you achieve a beautiful cake moment even if you don’t have much budget to play with.

Several bakers recommended the “small showcase, big impact” approach. “Have a small display cake and a kitchen slab cake,” one baker advised. This clever solution gives you a beautiful centrepiece for photos, cutting and tradition, while a more economical sheet cake in the kitchen can be cut up to serve your guests. Alternatively, “We normally recommend reducing the cake size and offering other desserts if more sweet treats are required. For example, a smaller cake for cutting with cupcakes for guests to enjoy will be significantly less than a cake to serve all guests.”

Style choices can make a significant difference to your bottom line, too. Choose “Semi-naked or buttercream finished cakes using fresh flowers, or a texture that doesn’t require flowers”. Or else, “the single tier – the low and wide Italian summer style is very popular. Decorated with simple piping or fresh berries – beautiful and delicious.” Serving strategy matters too.

One expert suggested that you “serve your cake as canapé portions so guests can help themselves.” Smaller portions not only stretch your cake further but can reduce wastage as you can order less to begin with.

Perhaps the most valuable advice we heard repeatedly? “You can’t pull a budget out of the air and hope that a decorator can meet it. Ask around and try to set a realistic budget based on what vendors are charging.” Then the next step is to be upfront with your baker about your budget constraints: “We recommend talking to your baker, letting them know what your budget is and asking what can be achieved within this range.” These professionals are creative problem-solvers who want to help make your wedding special, even with limitations.

Remember, a memorable – and delectable – wedding cake doesn’t have to go beyond your budget. With the above expert tips, you can have your cake and eat it too (you know we couldn’t resist including that particular idiom) while keeping your bottom line intact.

Final Words Of Wisdom When It Comes To Budgeting For A Wedding Cake?

While setting a budget makes perfect sense, many of our bakers stressed the importance of research before deciding what to spend. “Try not to guess how much a wedding cake will cost until you’ve started to do your research. It’s not the same as baking a cake for your Nan on a Sunday afternoon.”

A heartfelt thank you to our incredible contributing cake designers who shared their wisdom and insights: Gina of Ladybird Cakes, Alice of Miss Trixie Drinks Tea, Faye of Faye Cahill Cake Design, Rebecca of Petal + Peach Bespoke Cakery, Jo of The Cake & I, and Claire of Sukar.

Main image: Cake – The Cake & I, Photographer – Westerly by Ella Kirby, Styling – Pop Up Planning Co