TierOne level of a stacked cake. This cake has two.
BorderA line of decoration piped round the top edge or the base.
TopperA decoration that stands on top of the cake.
Cake boardThe flat base under a cake. In a stacked cake each tier has its own.
Cut open 5
LayerOne sheet of baked cake. A layer cake stacks two or more.
FillingSpread between the layers to hold them together: frosting, jam or another.
Crumb coatA thin first coat of frosting. It holds the crumbs in place.
FrostingThe sweet coat that covers the cake, also called icing.
DowelA rod pushed into a tier. It helps carry the tier above.
How this list was compiled: Every name checked on 2026-09-30, a name kept only where two independent sources use it. (1) Wikipedia, text only: Layer cake (stacked cake layers that a filling such as frosting or jam holds together), https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Layer_cake; Icing (frosting; called a filling when it is used between layers), https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Icing_(food); Cake (piped borders), https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cake; Cake decorating (layers, fillings, dowels that hold layers in place), https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cake_decorating; Wedding cake (tiers, topper, dowels that help carry the load), https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wedding_cake. (2) Baking and cake decorating books, their passages read through the Internet Archive's full-text search: https://archive.org/details/funfancycakedeco0000sull (each tier has its own cake board; filling; border); https://archive.org/details/stepbystepcakede0000dkpu (tier, dowels, cake board, topper); https://archive.org/details/coollayercakes0000olof (layer, filling, dowels, cake board); https://archive.org/details/basiccakedecorat0000wilt (top border and bottom border, layers, frosting); https://archive.org/details/bakingwonderland0000jean and https://archive.org/details/sweetviciousbaki0000summ (the crumb coat, a thin layer of frosting that holds the crumbs). Hints and detail lines are in our own words. Licence: own work
The drawing: Drawn for this site on 2026-09-30 from plain geometry; no maker's product, nothing traced. Licence: own work
How it works
Nine names on one celebration cake. Outside: the tiers, the piped border, the topper and the cake board. Inside: layers of cake with filling between them, a crumb coat, the frosting and the dowels.
Read the full guide
On the outside
Each level of a stacked cake is a tier. A border is a line of decoration piped round an edge, at the top or at the base. The topper stands on top, and the whole cake sits on a cake board.
Inside the cake
A layer cake is stacked layers of cake held together by filling, such as frosting or jam. A crumb coat is a thin first coat of frosting that holds the crumbs; the frosting goes over it. In a stacked cake each tier has its own board, and dowels in the tier below help carry the load.
Layer or tier? Layers are stacked inside one cake; tiers are whole cakes stacked on each other.
Questions and answers
What are the parts of a cake called?
Inside, layers of cake with filling between them, then a crumb coat and the frosting. Outside, the border piped round the edges and a topper. A stacked cake has tiers, each on its own cake board, with dowels for support.
What is the difference between a layer and a tier?
Layers are the sheets of cake stacked inside one cake, held together by filling. Tiers are whole cakes stacked on top of each other, as on many wedding cakes.
What is a crumb coat?
A crumb coat is a thin layer of frosting put on the cake first. It holds the loose crumbs in place, and the final coat of frosting goes over it.
What is the filling in a cake?
The filling is what goes between the layers and holds them together: frosting, jam or other preserves, pastry cream or lemon curd.