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Updated Mar 11, 2024The 37 Most Delightful Three-Tier Wedding Cakes for Any Theme or Season
Three cheers for three tiers.
Photos, from left to right: Abby Jiu Photography,Rachel Fosbenner Photography,Cake designs, from left to right: Buttercream Bakeshop,The Bellwether House
Wedding cakes are an incredible way for couples to incorporate a beautiful statement piece into their reception that accents their theme and personality. In particular, a three-tier wedding cake allows newlyweds to celebrate their love with a treat that has plenty of space to be personalized to their taste, both inside and out.
In addition to rounding up our favorite three-tier wedding cake ideas, we also spoke with Jennifer Low, the owner of the Philadelphia-based Frosted Fox Cake Shop, to get an expert's opinion on sizing and design, as well as some slicing tips for a three-tier wedding cake.
Our favorite three-tier wedding cakes:
With Flowers | Rustic | Unique | Elegant | Simple
Three-tier wedding cake advice:
How Much Does a Three-Tier Wedding Cake Cost? | Three-Tier Wedding Cake Sizing | How to Cut a Three-Tier Wedding Cake
Three-Tier Wedding Cakes With Flowers
Flowers add so much beauty to a wedding, whether they're in a to-be-wed's bouquet, surrounding the altar or draped on the wedding cake. As you look into incorporating this natural element into your dessert, we've collected some stunning flower-covered cakes to inspire your own three-tiered confection.
1. White Three-Tier Wedding Cake With White Roses
This three-tier cake epitomizes elegance as roses and eucalyptus drape around its layers. The all-white combed icing creates the perfect background to showcase the flowers' simple beauty.
2. Three-Tier Blue Wedding Cake With Peonies
When dreaming up three-tier wedding cake ideas, don't limit yourself to just white cakes. A pale blue cake can use bright pink peonies and roses to make itself stand out at the reception.
3. White Three-Tier Wedding Cake With Dried Flowers
The best simple three-tier wedding cake will pair minimalism with creativity to wow guests. This dessert is decorated with dried flowers of all colors, which hint at the beauty of spring without going over the top.
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4. Gold Three-Tier Wedding Cake With Bright Flowers
Give your wedding the Midas touch! This stunning gold cake would instantly elevate any dessert table. Keep it minimal and let the shimmering finish shine on its own, or dress it up with blooms in your wedding colors to tie your whole wedding vision together.
5. Three-Tier Wedding Cake With Edible Flowers and Strawberries
This timeless three-tier wedding cake may look almost too pretty to eat—but don't let that stop you. The soft-pink flowers cascading down each tier are completely edible, as are the strawberries. Talk about delicious craftsmanship.
6. White Three-Tier Wedding Cake With Color-Gradient Flowers
Can't pick just one pop of color to dress up your classic white cake? Don't! Take a cue from this couple and choose a gradient color scheme for a timeless, eye-catching detail. It'll make a definite statement, whether it flows through the rainbow, like this pink-to-yellow transition, or stays within different shades of the same hue.
Rustic Three-Tier Wedding Cakes
Whether you're getting married at a ski lodge, a cabin in the woods or simply like a rustic theme, having a cake to match the party's vibe is key. These three-tier rustic wedding cakes do just that.
7. Cowhide-Inspired Three-Tier Wedding Cake
Not every rustic wedding cake needs to incorporate wood or twine. This cowhide-inspired three-tier wedding cake design is elevated by earth-toned florals to create an unbelievably elegant, but still rustic wedding cake.
8. Pinecone Painted Three-Tier Rustic Wedding Cake
A three-tier buttercream wedding cake can take many forms, including this adorable rustic pinecone cake. Perfect for a woodsy wedding, this cake reminds us never to underestimate the artistry of a baker.
9. Nature-Inspired Three-Tier Wedding Cake
Fitting in with a secret garden-themed reception, this wedding cake incorporated many natural elements, including moss, bark and leaves. The glass cloche on top adds height and romance as well.
10. Hydrangea- and Rose-Covered Rustic Wedding Cake
The roses and hydrangeas on this three-tiered wedding cake feel soft and elegant, while the redwood-slab cake stand emphasizes the couple's rustic theme. We would find it difficult to cut into this beauty, which could also work for a boho-rustic wedding, by the way.
11. Rustic Three-Tier Wedding Cake With Fall Leaves
Photo: Rebecca Yale Photography
,Cake design: Amour Patisserie
This couple celebrated the season with their three-tier round wedding cake. Decorated with brown and red leaves as well as dusty-pink roses, it's the perfect centerpiece to any fall wedding.
12. Three-Tier Wedding Cake on Tree Stump
A wedding cake that includes not one, but two nods to trees? That's what we call rustic. This birch tree-inspired, white three-tier wedding cake sits atop a tree stump stand that's carved with the couple's initials, which adds an extra touch of personalization.
13. Three-Tier Naked Wedding Cake With Leaves
This semi-naked three-tier wedding cake is simply adorned with fern leaves and seasonal foliage. Set atop an intricate gold cake stand, this cake is the epitome of rustic elegance.
Unique Three-Tier Wedding Cakes
Bold colors, retro trends and artistic designs make up a few of these one-of-a-kind cakes. Tout your personality and give your guests something to talk about with a gorgeous cake that's uniquely you.
14. Retro Three-Tier Wedding Cake With Color Waves
This retro, technicolor wedding cake has some serious flower power. Decked out with bright color waves and blooms, this groovy cake features crisp, intentional detailing that makes its design instantly memorable.
15. Three-Tier Lambeth Wedding Cake With Cherries
This three-tier Lambeth cake—complete with intricate, layered piping—takes a page from the past. Topped simply with cherries for a pop of color, it's picture-perfect.
16. Beaded Three-Tier Wedding Cake
Photo: Eve Rox Photography
,Cake: Baby Love Sweetery
Designed to mimic an African sunset, this brown three-tier wedding cake is embellished with frosting elements that resemble beads. The tones and textured details make it a true showstopper for any culturally inspired celebration.
17. Three-Tier Watercolor Wedding Cake
Imposed with a vintage map and a watercolor design, this maximalist cake comes to life with a striking, layered aesthetic. The map peeks through the soft washes of color and, especially when paired with faux flowers at the base, the whole cake feels effortlessly artistic.
18. Black Three-Tier Wedding Cake
A white wedding cake is classic, but a black wedding cake is unforgettable. This onyx three-tiered masterpiece is flecked with abstract gold detailing, giving it more elegance than goth energy. Burnt orange and yellow flowers rest at the base of each tier for a warm, modern touch.
19. Blue Three-Tier Wedding Cake
This robin's-egg-blue cake gives total Bridgerton vibes. With a white emblem at the center, draped piping and pastel flowers, this three-tier beauty would be the diamond of any wedding season.
20. Abstract Three-Tier Wedding Cake
Composed of rectangular, round and square tiers, this striking abstract cake includes a lilac cracked-marble effect and cascading white ribbons. Silver globes tucked into each layer make the whole design feel otherworldly.
21. The Office-Inspired Three-Tier Wedding Cake
Even Dwight Schrute would approve of this The Office-inspired cake. Each tier includes a playful nod to the show—from character silhouettes, to Michael Scott's "The Convict" look, to the iconic World's Best Boss mug. It's a fun way to display the couple's shared obsession, and a great reminder that any favorite TV show, movie or fandom can serve as wedding cake inspo.
22. Tropical Three-Tier Wedding Cake
With tropical monstera leaves, pink flowers and a blue wave-like design, this unique three-tier cake is a slice of paradise. It's perfect for a destination celebration or beachside "I do."
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Elegant Three-Tier Wedding Cakes
It's not often that people get to eat an exquisite cake, but if there's ever a time to do so, a wedding is the perfect chance. The three-tier wedding cakes below are all elegant and sophisticated in their own way, allowing newlyweds to celebrate their vows alongside some of the finer things in life.
23. Chocolate Three-Tiered Wedding Cake
Photo: Cassie Jones Photography
,Cake design: Mickey's Special Affairs
While many three-tier wedding cakes are white, it's more than okay to choose a deep chocolate brown for your wedding cake's base hue. This three-tier cake used chocolate buttercream frosting and Reese's Peanut Butter Cup crumbles to bring true elegance to the wedding reception without compromising on taste.
24. Textured White Staircase Wedding Cake
The delicacy of each layer on this three-tier, elegant wedding cake is unmatched. With each tier offset in a staircase pattern, this all-white cake is quite sophisticated.
25. White-and-Blue Chinoiserie Three-Tier Cake
The silver and blue tones on this hand-painted chinoiserie cake make the design adaptable to a summer garden wedding or a snowy winter celebration. Complete with the couple's custom logo at the top, this wedding cake is both elegant and personal.
26. Red Three-Tier Wedding Cake With Berries
Photo: Photography Anthology
,Baker: For Goodness Cakes!
Many couples getting married in the winter use deep jewel tones in their reception design. This cake leans into that color story with its burgundy frosting, painted flowers and fresh berries.
27. White Three-Tier Cake With Vintage Topper
Photo: April Smith Photography
The combed icing on this vintage three-tier wedding cake pairs well with the simple ranunculus adornments. An heirloom cake topper sits on the highest tier to complete the elegant look.
28. Marbled White Three-Tier Cake With Gold Ribbon and Peonies
Photo: Heather Jowett Photography
,Cake design: Cake Ambition
Sometimes less is more, and that's exactly what this cake shows us. This stunning marble-and-gold design was set on a gilded, golden stand for a glamorous dessert table centerpiece.
29. Elegant White Three-Tier Wedding Cake
This white wedding cake may be simple, but its three round tiers with intricate piping at the center are so elegant. It's proof that a clean, classic design will always leave an impression.
Simple Three-Tier Wedding Cakes
Just because a cake has three layers doesn't mean it has to be over the top. In fact, there are numerous ways to keep a three-tier cake simple without being bland. These simple wedding cakes show how beautiful just small touches can be.
30. Hexagonal Three-Tier Wedding Cake With Fondant Bees
Photo: Jon Mold Weddings,Baker: Kendall's Cakes
Thinking outside the box, this baker used hexagonal layers and petite fondant bees to create this cake's spunky, chic design. Complemented by a miniature of the couple's dog, this small three-tier wedding cake highlights the couple and their interests through every detail.
31. Simple Wedding Cake Decorated With Greenery and Figs
This minimal and modern wedding cake is all white and simply decorated with figs and ferns to show off its layers. Use this design as inspo and swap in different fruits and greenery to adapt to nearly any theme or color scheme.
32. White Three-Tier Butterfly Wedding Cake
This white three-tier simple wedding cake, adorned with flowers, set itself apart with a flutter of butterflies climbing up to the top. The mirror-topped table helped reflect the whimsical beauty of this dessert too.
33. Three-Tier Beach Wedding Cake
For anyone planning a wedding with a nautical or beach theme, this elegant three-tier wedding cake is a must-have. Delicate details like golden fondant rope, a couple's monogram and coral roses with baby's breath are the perfect addition to the simple cake.
34. Simple Three-Tier White Wedding Cake With a Twist
The sculptural accents on this tall, round three-tier wedding cake delivered a unique and sophisticated quality. Complete with a golden tablecloth and tinted champagne flutes, this setup would work very well at a formal wedding.
35. Minimalist Three-Tier Wedding Cake
There's no frill or flair about this three-tier wedding cake—and that's exactly what makes it so beautiful. With dusty-mauve icing and a delicate dotted border on each layer, this minimalist cake truly finds beauty in simplicity.
36. Blue Three-Tier Wedding Cake With Berries
Textured in blue and white, this simple three-tier cake's frosting pattern looks like clouds in the sky. With just a few stems of blueberries, light pink roses and white icing flowers, it feels straight out of a dream.
37. Simple Three-Tier Wedding Cake With White Roses
This short three-tier wedding cake is simply stunning. Wrapped at the base of each layer with white roses and greenery, it manages to feel complete without anything extra.
Three-Tier Wedding Cake Cost
So exactly how much is a three-tier wedding cake? Philadelphia's Frosted Fox Cake Shop owner Jennifer Low, who has more than 15 years of experience in wedding cakes, shared her two cents on three-tier wedding cake prices. She reveals that they typically cost $7-10 per slice. However, she highlighted that the final price depends on "how elaborate the design is and how far the cake is traveling."
Her bakery's smallest three-tier cake will feed about 35 people and typically costs between $250 and $350. The average cost of a three-tier wedding cake for large receptions can quickly total up to $1,500, although she noted that "there's no one-size-fits-all price."
Three-Tier Wedding Cake Sizing
When considering three-tier wedding cake sizes, Low shared that the first thing to do is decide whether or not you want to save your top tier to eat later, like on a first anniversary. If so, that layer will not count towards the amount of cake needed to feed wedding guests. For 50 attendees, she suggests that a baker should make "a 4-inch diameter tier, atop a 7-inch diameter tier, atop a 10-inch diameter tier." However, depending on the design, slightly larger cakes will be more appealing to the eye. In which case, the couple would score some leftovers.
To feed 100 guests, Low notes that two sizes would work well: a cake with a 6-inch diameter tier, atop a 9-inch diameter tier atop a 12-inch diameter tier, or a cake with a 6-inch diameter tier, atop a 10-inch diameter tier atop a 14-inch diameter tier.
When asked about the three-tier wedding cake size for 150 guests, the renowned Philadelphia baker shared that she typically uses a 6-inch topper, an 11-inch middle layer and a 16-inch bottom layer, diameter-wise. Though these proportions are not her favorite, she often recommends couples choose a smaller size or a taller cake to display and get a "kitchen cake to get to the desired serving count."
How to Cut a Three-Tier Wedding Cake
Low joked that the best way to cut a three-tier wedding cake is to "let your caterers handle it." But, if you don't have the professionals ready to help with this time-honored tradition, start by "slicing the entire top tier (or set it aside to save), then remove the plate it sits on and move on to the middle tier." Follow a slicing chart to ensure you get the right number of slices from each layer and be mindful of the supports inside the cake, such as straws or wood dowels, as you cut. Lastly, Low told us that "wedding cake slices are often thinner than birthday cake slices because the cakes are tall and everyone has likely had a lot of food already."
Additional reporting by Shyla Watson
