How Much Buttercream for a 12 Inch Cake?
About 10.8 cups (2318 g) of buttercream fills, crumb-coats and covers a three-layer, 4 inch tall 12 inch round cake with a smooth finish. Allow 6.4 cups for a thin, naked finish and 17.6 cups if you are piping rosettes or ruffles.
You need about2318 g · 10.8 cups
For a 12 inch round, 4 in tall, three layers filled, smooth finish.
By finish
| Finish | Grams | Cups |
|---|---|---|
| Thin Coat Crumb coat / naked cake | 1370 g | 6.4 |
| Medium Standard smooth finish | 2318 g | 10.8 |
| Thick Generous frosting layer | 3161 g | 14.7 |
| Piped / Textured Rosettes, ruffles, etc. | 3793 g | 17.6 |
By height and layers
| Cake | Grams | Cups |
|---|---|---|
| Two layers, 4 in tall | 1783 g | 8.3 |
| Three layers, 4 in tall | 2318 g | 10.8 |
| Four layers, 6 in tall | 3210 g | 14.9 |
What to make
For about 2318 g of American-style buttercream (a 1 : 2 butter to icing sugar recipe), beat together:
- 755 g butter, softened — about 3.25 cups
- 1456 g icing (powdered) sugar — about 12.25 cups
- 86 ml milk
- 22 tsp vanilla extract
Beat the butter until pale, add the sugar in two or three goes, then the milk and vanilla. Make it the day before if you like — bring it back to room temperature and beat again before using.
How the amount is worked out
The calculator measures the surface you are covering — the top, the sides and one filling layer between each sponge — and multiplies it by how thickly each finish is spread. It is calibrated against published amounts: an 8 inch two-layer cake needs about 4 to 4.5 cups to fill, crumb-coat and finish. Make a little extra for the bowl and the spatula.
Other cake sizes
Topping it?
Every cake and cupcake size is on the edible image size chart, and each one opens at exactly that size in the topper editor — free to design.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much buttercream to crumb coat a 12 inch cake?
About 3.4 cups (738 g) for a thin crumb coat over the top and sides of a 4 inch tall 12 inch cake, not counting the filling.
How much buttercream for a two-layer 12 inch cake?
About 8.3 cups (1783 g) to fill between the two layers and cover the cake with a smooth finish.
How much icing sugar do I need for buttercream for a 12 inch cake?
About 1456 g (12.25 cups) of icing (powdered) sugar with 755 g of butter, for the smooth-finish amount of about 2318 g of buttercream.
Worked out with the same model as the buttercream calculator, so this page and the calculator always agree. CakeyTops calculators are free to use with no account.