I am making a 12 inch cake for my friend's birthday. I used a 12 x 2 pan. My question is how many layers do you normally have on a cake? Is there a "rule of thumb" to use or just preference? I was thinking of 2 layers with a layer of filling in between and then started thinking about baking another layer so I would have 3 layers and 2 layers of filling. My cakes are not quite 2 inches after they are baked and leveled. If I added another layer my cake would stand about 6 inches tall.

Any advice? Thank you.

It is a matter of preference. However, I do 4 layers of cake and 3 levels of filling for most my cakes. For my red velvet I make 3 layers of cake and two layers of filling. My goal is that my cakes need to stacked once filled to about 4 1/2 inches tall.

I do two 2" layers and cut them in 1/2 so that there is now four 1" layers. Well they are a little under 1" tall. Then there is 3 filling layers and it looks really nice when sliced.

My cakes are usually 4.75" tall.

Thank you for your responses. This helps a lot!!!

I do two layers of cake torted.

My cakes are generally: cake - filling - cake - icing - cake - filling - cake.

I bake two 2" layers and torte them each in half so I have four layers of cake and three layers of filling.

Never thought to do filling and icing like TexasSugar! Might have to try that!

~Chelle

Chelle, I like it because when you or when I at least eat a slice of cake I usually have to take two bites from it. This way, every bite I take has both icing, cake and filling it it. Plus to me the icing in the middle makes things more stable.

I looooove that reason!!!!!!!!!!!! I always wish every bite had some icing in it, but never thought to do that, hahahaha. Sometimes we don't see what's right in front of us, lol.

Thanks TexasSugar!

Glad I could help.