Find the cups of frosting a round layer cake, a 9 x 13 or a tray of cupcakes takes, from the King Arthur Baking chart, and how many batches of your own recipe to make.
Frosting Calculator - Cups for Cakes, 9x13 and Cupcakes
Find the cups of frosting a round layer cake, a 9 x 13 or a tray of cupcakes takes, from the King Arthur Baking chart, and how many batches of your own recipe to make.
Parameters
Enter data for calculations
💡 Fill in all required fields to unlock the calculate button
How much frosting the cake will take
Pick the cake, type how many, and this frosting calculator answers in cups and milliliters, straight from the King Arthur Baking chart "How much frosting for cake". Add the yield of your recipe and it also tells you how many batches to make. A 2-layer 8 or 9 inch round needs 3 1/2 to 4 1/2 cups; 24 cupcakes need 3 cups.
Four figures worth remembering
What to fill in
- What you are frosting - a 1 to 4 layer 8 or 9 inch round, a 9 x 13 inch cake, a 9 x 13 inch layer cake, or cupcakes.
- How many - cakes from 1 to 20, cupcakes from 1 to 500.
- Recipe yield (optional) - how many cups your frosting recipe makes, usually printed at the top of the recipe.
King Arthur's frosting chart
Each row pairs one amount of frosting with the cake and the number of cupcakes it covers. Cakes are 8 or 9 inch rounds unless the row names another pan. The result marks the first row big enough for your order.
| Frosting | Cake | Cupcakes |
|---|---|---|
| 1 1/2 cups | single-layer cake | 1 dozen |
| 2 1/2 to 2 3/4 cups | 9 x 13 inch cake | 15 to 18 |
| 3 cups | 9 x 13 inch cake | 18 to 24 |
| 3 1/2 to 4 cups | 2-layer cake | 2 dozen |
| 4 1/2 cups | 2-layer cake | 24 to 30 |
| 5 to 5 1/2 cups | 3-layer cake | 30 to 36 |
| 6 cups | 4-layer cake | 3 dozen |
| 7 cups | two 2-layer cakes, or a 9 x 13 inch layer cake | 4 dozen |
Cupcakes by the tray
At about 2 tablespoons each, cupcakes are plain multiplication, and 16 tablespoons make a cup. The milliliter column is rounded to the nearest 10.
| Cupcakes | Tablespoons | Cups | Milliliters |
|---|---|---|---|
| 12 | 24 | 1 1/2 | 350 |
| 24 | 48 | 3 | 710 |
| 36 | 72 | 4 1/2 | 1,060 |
| 48 | 96 | 6 | 1,420 |
| 100 | 200 | 12 1/2 | 2,960 |
The chart itself rounds a little more loosely: it puts 2 dozen at 3 1/2 to 4 cups and 4 dozen at 7. In other words, the chart rounds up from the 2 tablespoon figure.
Things the chart quietly tells you
Layers cost more than size. Going from one layer to two more than doubles the frosting, 1 1/2 to at least 3 1/2 cups, with a filling in between and taller sides to cover. A 9 x 13 inch sheet frosted only on top is cheaper than a 2-layer round, yet stacked as a layer cake it jumps to 7 cups, the same as two 2-layer rounds.
And most frosting recipes are smaller than the cakes they are printed next to. King Arthur lists its own recipes from 1 1/2 to 7 cups; a 2 1/2 cup batch does not cover a 2-layer cake on its own. That is the gap the batch count closes. King Arthur's advice for the leftover is simple: err on the side of too much rather than too little.
Three bakers, three orders
The birthday cake. One 3-layer round and a recipe for 4 cups: 5 to 5 1/2 cups needed, 1.38 times the recipe, 2 batches.
The bake sale. 36 cupcakes: 4 1/2 cups at 2 tablespoons each, which lands on the 4 1/2 cup row of the chart.
The office party. Three 3-layer rounds with the same 4 cup recipe: 15 to 16 1/2 cups, 4.13 times the recipe, 5 batches. Past 7 cups the chart has no row of its own, and the result says so.
Short answers about frosting amounts
Related tools
Brine Calculator
Salt for a brine by percent, the ATK meat chart or dill pickles, in table or kosher salt - See the calculator
Baking Pan Converter
Move a cake recipe to a pan of another size or shape - See the calculator
Baking Time Calculator
Oven time when the pan or the batch changes - See the calculator
Egg Substitute Calculator
Flax, aquafaba or applesauce for the eggs in the cake - See the calculator
Sugar Substitute Calculator
Honey, maple syrup or a sweetener in place of sugar - See the calculator
Baking Calories Calculator
Calories per slice, frosting included - See the calculator
Party Food Calculator
How much food to plan for the guests around the cake - See the calculator