I was wondering when baking cakes how many layers do most of you use? A lot of the cakes I see on here look very tall. I always just use two layers ( I'm talking round cakes ) and they don't look as tall as the pictures I see here.

I like a 4" cake, and I think it's pretty standard. But keep in mind a 6" round that is 4" high will look taller in photos than a 10" round because of the proportions.

4" is pretty standard but I like mine taller and shoot for 5". To achieve this extra height can be as simple as halving your 2 layers. I love the extra height and think it makes it look more professional and less like a home-made cake. Also, another thing to consider: when looking at a normal bakery cake I guarantee you (even at the grocery store), it is higher than 4".

There is a rule of thumb that says cakes get higher as the tiers get bigger, but 4" heights seem pretty standard now because of dummy cake heights.

I love the look of the 6 " cakes.. so I sometimes use 3 " pans instead of the 2" ... I do whatever I like at the time LOL

Reganlynn it depends on the cake; what the event is; what the customer wants and how many servings needed.
If you are talking tiered cakes most are 4" tall ie: consisting of two 2" layers w/at least one layer of filling.
As for most b'day cakes I go by how many servings the customer needs. For less than 10 servings you could use a single layer 8" round or a dbl layer 6" round.

A sheet cake is almost always one 2" layer of cake. Can be split & filled if you want.
A wedding 'kitchen cake' usually is 4" tall w/as many layers of filling as the ',main' wedding cake so people think that's what they are getting. Again, that can vary depending on the wishes of the customer and how many servings needed.

I usually go for 4 to 4 1/2 - I love tall tiers.

Wow! I can't beleive how many responses I got in such a short time! This website is great! Thank you all. I just think the look of a taller cake is more professional looking. I have heard of adding baking powder to a box mix to make the cake rise more, is this true? I have never tried it.

My layered cakes are usually 5-5 1/2 inches tall. I start with 2 leveled 2-2/12" cakes and most commonly tort and fill then ice. I don't put in a thick layer of filling unless it's requested. I like a nice tall slice of cake with thin layers of filling between the layers of cake. I think the height of the tiers depends on the shape and size of the other tiers and the affect you want. I love the look of the tall tiers stacked up.

My layered cakes are usually 5-5 1/2 inches tall. I start with 2 leveled 2-2/12" cakes and most commonly tort and fill then ice. I don't put in a thick layer of filling unless it's requested. I like a nice tall slice of cake with thin layers of filling between the layers of cake. I think the height of the tiers depends on the shape and size of the other tiers and the affect you want. I love the look of the tall tiers stacked up.