Ok...so i have this wedding cake to do for the beginning of June. I really hadn't thought it a big deal, until now!! All of a sudden it seems very close and my mind is racing with all these questions!!!! SO..please bear with me this next month as you will probably see several posts...most of which may contain sheer terror!!!

Anywhooo...I have to give the mother of the bride a price for the groom's cake she wants. She wants a round cake...one layer. I've taken some advice to charge 2$ a serving. My problem is this...I can not for the life of me find any consistency in the charts I'm finding for servings!?!?!

I have never been able to get the same servings out of a cake that Wilton recommends. I've recently looked up earlene's chart...she has 3 different servings for the same pan!!! How do I know what to go by!?!?!?!?!?

I am calling her today to see exactly what size she wants..she was debating btwn 10, 12 or 14 in. I think when I call her, she'll ask me about servings for each. What do I tell her!?!?

Someone please hear my cries for help!!!!

Thanks!

I personally think that wiltons serving sizes are very small...I mean, I've never seen 24 servings come out of a 9x13, but....oh well.

Whatever chart you go by......tell your customers the exact size of a serving....I've drawn the shape so they can see it.

Good Luck!

And, btw, ask all questions you need b/c this is the place to do it. And, good luck!

I have to agree with you on how confusing all of these serving charts are. I was just trying to figure out serving sizes for 2 cakes I will be making...a baby shower cake and a bridal cake (both for the same party). Anyhow, I think that the Wilton chart is based on too small of serving so I was looking at my books by Dede Wilson and Colette Peters. They both are pretty similar in their serving sizes so that is what I'm going to go with. Dede Wilson says she believes in large servings since a cake is meant to be eaten and not just looked at. I can email you their serving charts if you'd like.
Jacqui

Oh, and something Dede Wilson advises is to have extra servings for the guests. For every 10 guests plan on one extra serving, then you won't run out of cake.
Jacqui

would you mind sending me the serving sizes from those two sources? I would really appriciate it!!

Thanks a bunch

[email protected]

would you mind putting "cake serving sizes" in the subject line?

Well, I feel better knowing I'm not the only one confused by this subject!!

Jacqui, I would really appreciate it if you could send that to me! And I love the idea of the extra piece of cake per 10...makes lots of sense!!

[email protected]


Oh and mmdd...watch out! Now you've given me plenty of excuse to ask many many questions!

Okay, I just emailed them to you both.
Jacqui

Thank you so much!!! I always tend to make a bigger cake - personally I know that my friends and family want a PIECE OF CAKE - not just a little nibble!! lol

Well, exactly and in this world of ours of "super size" what would our guests think if we served a tiny sliver of cake!
Jacqui

remeber a slice of wedding cake is usually 1 inch wide by 2 inches deep by 2 layers high

so If you are figuring larger party size servings you get FAR less servings so you will want to charge far MORE than $2 a serving

Ok..so my dilemna continues!

Many of the serving charts do differentiate btwn wedding servings and party servings. Here's the thing...the cake is the dessert for the wedding. So I'm assuming they will be party slices..right?

But many of the charts...when they talk about party slice...assume it is one layer. I will be making sheet cakes to be in the back that will be used for serving. But..they are going to be split and filled with raspberry. SSSSooooooooo...again..how on earth do I figure out how much cake to make!?!?

Oh man! This is going to be the death of me!!!

Was the Dede Wilson chart not helpful? Her serving chart is based on 2"pans with 2 cake layers, both torted so that they are 4 layers with 3 layers of filling. An example from her book is she has a 6" tier, 10"tier, and a 14" tier that she says serves 100. Does this help?
Jacqui

Serving sizes is an inexact "science," as you've discovered. I don't know about you, but I've NEVER been served a "wedding slice" of cake...nowhere. The total number of servings varies significantly, according to the generosity of the person doing the serving. That's no help, I know. I hate it when people try to pin me down on exactly how many people a cake is going to be able to serve. I always give them the runaround. Not to be difficult - but just so they understand that *I* can't be held responsible for how far their cake goes...unless *I* am doing the slicing!

Anyway...why don't you take the pan you're going to use and mark on it someway....and divide it up into what a typical slice of cake would be in YOUR social circle - and see how it comes out. I always feel better doing a dry run of many things - and if servings are an issue for you in this case, this would be one of those times where it would be helpful.

ok..so, yes, ladyonzlake, the charts were helpful. Sorry, I'm really not that thickheaded. I don't mean to seem ungrateful!!



And, yes, I too like a HUNK of cake, not a nibble!

So I guess my paranoia now is that...I'm gonna have to make a heck of a lot of cake!!!!!!

Oh yeah..and crimsicle...I am going to do that with my pans..mark the servings to see what I come up with. I did that once with a sheet pan...

On the Wilton instructions that came with the pan, it said it made 82 servings. I got, like...40!!! That's crazy, right!? I mean...is it that off?

Your very welcome tootsa. Did you hear back from Earlene? What did she say about the servings? By the way, how many guests are there going to be, maybe we could help you figure it out from that angle?
Jacqui

Thank you for sending me everything!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Well, I didn't email Earlene...ya mean, I can do that? Never gave it a thought. I guess I'll do that, too, then.

There are supposed to be around 200 guests.

Thanks so much!!!!!! You are all so much help!!!!
You've definitely calmed me down...a little!

Oh...sorry, I read through these forums so fast sometimes that I read them wrong. When you said you were going to call "her", I see you ment the brides mother and not Earlene I guess it wouldn't hurt to call or email Earlene though. Good Luck and I'd love to see your cake when it's done!
Jacqui

ladyonzlake, would you mind emailing me (or PM) those 2 links please? I have a wedding and a baby shower in June to prepare for and that information might help me. My email is: [email protected]

Could you please e-mail the charts to me also? I would be very happy.

thanks a lot

I got it - thank you

Hello,

Can i have to please : [email protected]

Me i take the wilton size and i divise by 2 and multiplicated by 1,5

But it's not easy to know.

Thank you

May I have it to please? You can PM me or e-mail: [email protected].

Thanks so much!!!

Okay, I've sent the serving charts. If you didn't recieve it please PM me and I'll try again.
Jacqui