What to Know About Using a Printable Cake Cutting Guide
Whether you’re gearing up to cut cake for a crowd or are just slicing a simple snacking cake, knowing the best, most effective way to cut a cake without ending up with crumbling cake, uneven slices, can help ensure you’ll cut your cake like a pro. What’s the secret to ensuring perfect slices every time? A printable cake cutting guide. From why we love them to how you should use them, here’s what you need to know to make slicing into your cake stress-free.
Why You Need a Printable Cake Cutting Guide
You’ve probably cut slices of cake a time or two, so why do you need a guide? Like with most things, having a plan is the key to success when it comes to cutting your cake. The last thing you want to happen when you’re serving cake for a special occasion is to find that you actually don’t have enough to go around. That’s exactly why you could benefit from using a printable cake cutting guide, which will make sure your slices are even every single time—no need to stress. No matter the cake or the occasion, a cake cutting guide will help demystify the cake slicing process.
The Pros
1. You’ll always get an even slice
No more stress about if the servings are the same size (or at least close). When you’re using a guide, you can count on each piece being an equally generous portion.
2. No fighting over slices
Because all of the slices are about the same size, you can say goodbye to guests arguing over which slice they want.
3. Picture-perfect slices
The uniformity you get when you use a cake cutting guide means photos of your cake will look neat and tidy.
4. Slice like a pro
Whether you’re a seasoned pro or a brand-new home baker cutting the first cake you’ve ever cut, a guide will make every slice look professional. Plus, cutting one cake is not necessarily the same as cutting them all. If you're used to working with round cakes and you find yourself cutting square tiered cakes, for example, having a digital template file or printed cake cutting guide on hand can help boost your confidence.
5. You’ll always get the number of slices you need
Serving cake to a crowd? Using a cake cutting guide will help make sure you have enough cake to go around.
The Cons
1. Slicing your cake will take a little longer
When you use a cake cutting guide, you’re not able to move quite as quickly as when you’re cutting freehand.
2. It takes a little effort
Using a printable cake cutting guide takes a little more effort and prep work than freehand cutting. You need to find a guide, you might need to size the guide to fit your cake and then print your guide so that you can use it.
Ultimately, the pros of using a printable cake cutting guide template generally outweigh the cons, especially if you’re trying to make sure you have enough cake for a crowd. It may take a little extra prep and effort, but at the end of the day, it can make all the difference.
How to Use a Printable Cake Cutting Guide
Find the Right Guide
You want a cake guide that will match the size of the cake (and the shape, as well) so that it’s actually helpful. You can find them for most common cake sizes.
Print It Out (Yes, on Actual Paper)
In order to make it useful, you need to print it out so you can put it to use when you’re slicing the cake. Print it so it helps you.
Make Sure Your Cake is Ready to Cut
You may have an easier time cutting the cake if it’s slightly chilled. Consider popping it into the fridge for 15-30 minutes before you’re ready to cut so that those lines stay clean and sharp.
Slice Your Cake
Time to cut the cake! Keep the number of guests you'll need to serve in mind so that you can cut a smaller slice of cake for everyone or larger slices as needed. You can resize or mark-up the cake cutting guide to make it even easier. Follow the lines on the cake cutting guide to make sure you end up with perfectly even slices. Wipe the knife between cuts for the cleanest finish.
Where to Find a Free Printable Cake Cutting Guide
Now that you’ve decided to use a guide to help you slice your cake, it’s time to go searching for the right one. You have a lot of good options like.
Pinterest
Cake decorating blogs
Wedding planning sites
Search “printable cake cutting guide” and scroll to find one you love. It should be an instant download that you can print and put to use right away.
Ordering a cake? Your cake order may come with an instructions template that contains everything you need to know about serving size and how to slice each piece of cake.
FAQs
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Cake cutting guides are definitely more a want than a need. You don’t need one in order to slice a cake well, but if you’re stressed about slicing or looking to impress, a guide can help boost your confidence.
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No way! You can use a cake cutting guide on any kind of cake. If you feel like it’d help, it’s worth printing one out.
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You can use a guide for just about any kind of cake: sheet cakes, square cakes, party cakes, double layer cakes, a round cake, a birthday cake, even a wedding cake. Whether you're focused on maximizing the number of servings or creating perfectly even cake slices, a cake cutting guide can help
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Technically, no. Have the cake cutter pull it up on their mobile device and set right next to the cake while slicing, so they can use that as a reference. It might work as seamlessly as the physical product, but it’ll get the job done. On the plus side, you won't have to worry about any potential printing errors.
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Yes, you can. Use good quality paper and, if you know you’re going to use it a lot, pop it in a page protector or laminate it to make sure it stays clean for many cakes to come.
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Use a sharp knife with a long, thin blade for best results. If you have a super delicate cake, a serrated knife might help, but make sure you’re gently sawing through the cake, not just pressing down.
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Wipe the blade of your knife with a clean kitchen towel between slices to help keep the slices as clean as possible. If needed, you can also use a little hot water, but make sure you dry the blade before attempting another cut.
Want to learn directly from the pros at ECBG? Try one of our virtual cake classes or, if you’re local, sign up for an in-person cake class. Learning from afar (or want to practice more at home)? Shop Erin’s favorite products.
Prefer to let our team do the hard work? Shop our Cake Shop or learn more about our custom cake process.
