Please Help Me Decide Tier Sizes To Feed Over 300?
Decorating By JodieF Updated 16 Aug 2008 , 12:06am by JodieF
I am doing a 50th anniversary cake for a couple I just love, for the cost of ingredients. Their daughter is throwing them a surprise party. She's even flying in family from Italy. How cool is that? The number of people attending has ballooned to 300-350 people, so the cake I'd planned for 250 needs to be expanded.
I've been pouring over Earlene's chart, the Wilton chart and everything else I can find. At this point I have totally confused myself! I had planned on a 4 tier cake, but now I'm sure I'll also need satellites. I had thought a square bottom tier, then 3 rounds. I own 6, 9, 10, 12 inch round pans. I also have the 1/2 sheet pan. I can rent any other size pans from my local cake decorating shop.
Also, can I put a 10 inch plate under the 12 inch tier (for example)? I don't want the plates to show.
It's going to be a photo cake, with edible image photos around the tiers, decorated with fresh roses. I personally prefer a 3 inch difference between tiers.
Please help my addled brain plan this cake! OH....I'm going to be cutting it, and I've NEVER cut a cake like this so I'm not counting on cutting as many servings as the charts say I should get! 
Any suggestions greatly appreciated. 
pick a chart, stick it and ignore all the other charts.
sooooo....using Earlene's (slightly larger portions)
size = servings (total servings)
6"= 8 ( 8 )
9" =22 (30)
12" = 45 (75)
15" = 80 (155)
18" = 115 (270)
now that's a five tier beauty of cake.
then satellite cakes, say 5 - 9" (110) more servings.
that would be 380 servings -- a whole ton of cake.
(tho' since this is an Italian family -- is cake the ONLY dessert thing that will be there? What about cannoli, etc.??? should you be taking that into account and downsizing a bit?)
you'd have to rent the 15" and the 18"half round (bake 2 to make full 18" round) or a 18" square if they have it (or trim two 1/2 sheets to size shape)
have you considered doing a Lady Windermere style?
http://family.webshots.com/photo/1194936010060067529ZnPYPb
http://www.wilton.com/wedding/makecake/building/centercolumn.cfm
http://www.miniasbakeshop.com/gallery.htm (see pic 73 in her gallery)
this style would require renting the center column cake stand.
as for 10" plate under a 12" cake -- yes so long as the 12" is on a 12" cake circle -- tho' some (but not "chicken" yours truly) will risk a 10 under a 12 direct.)
have you considered have the tiers stand apart for the rose tower effect (roses stuffed into spaces between tiers)? http://bp2.blogger.com/_wAdGkhxrDzE/RodIXGkxwRI/AAAAAAAAAPY/TQxWbZUB45A/s1600-h/IMG_0880-1.JPG as an example
as for cutting -- just do what IndyDebi shows here:
http://cateritsimple.com/_wsn/page10.html
and you'll be fine
Thanks Doug.....ya probably saved my ample backside once again. 
I was looking at Earlene's chart. I think I'd just come up with so many combos I had confused myself. It's summer and my brain function came to a halt when summer school ended last week! Maybe it'll start up again August 13th?
I think I may do the 6, 9, 12, 15, 18 tiered, and then do 2, 12 inch chocolate cakes. She had asked for some chocolate. That would still give me 360 servings.
As to the plates, yep, I would use the cardboard rounds on top of the plates for sure. That would be TOO scary have cake just hanging off the edges like that!
Now I have to figure up how much it's all going to cost. Ick! I would love to do the roses between all the tiers, but that cost would be on me and I'm not sure I can swing that. Just getting the edible images printed will be about $40. My thought was to do the roses between the 18 and 15, then roses on top, with the occasional rose on the sides of the tiers. My Sams club is now selling the rose heads for $9 a box, about 24 roses.
As far as I know, the only dessert is going to be the cake. Oh wow...just hit me that the DH will be out of town that weekend. I'm gonna have to wrangle this monster all by myself! 
I had to laugh...I talked to the daughter who's throwing the party. I did a whole bunch of figuring of costs and wrote everything up for her. I figured $200 for the cost of ingredients and another $45 to have all the edible images printed. That's for 360 servings.
Guess what????
That's WAY TOO MUCH!!!
I know, I know...folks don't get it, but holy cow! She's going to call some bakeries. I wonder what they're going to quote per serving??? 
I had to laugh...I talked to the daughter who's throwing the party. I did a whole bunch of figuring of costs and wrote everything up for her. I figured $200 for the cost of ingredients and another $45 to have all the edible images printed. That's for 360 servings.
Guess what????
That's WAY TOO MUCH!!!
I know, I know...folks don't get it, but holy cow! She's going to call some bakeries. I wonder what they're going to quote per serving???
ROFLMAO! Oh PLEASE be sure to tell us what she said when they quote her $1300+ ... a mere $4/serving!!!!
Give her the shopping list and tell her, "Ok ... if YOU buy the stuff, I'll make it." That's usually an eye opener!
Debi....I even broke it down by ingredients! Twenty one cake mixes, 12 pounds of butter, 10 dozen eggs, etc..... I was going to pay for the flowers and the fondant for decorations. I love these folks and my time would be my pleasure to give. Plus it would be great experience.
Anyway, who knows what she's going to end up asking for? Whatever sizes it ends up, I'm going to give it my best and make it lovely for them.
I knew folks here would get a laugh......
If you can't afford less than $1 a serving for dessert, then you can't afford to invite 350 people....simple enough, eh? 
I'm not sure it says exactly what size her portions here. Here is her serving chart:
http://www.earlenescakes.com/ckserchart.htm
Thanks JodieF,
I have looked at her chart, but she doesn't mention the size of the individual servings. I am actually following her chart for a wedding cake for 200, but everyone seems to say that her portions are more generous than Wilton's. I just don't know how much bigger...
I went back and looked and she doesn't say her sizes are bigger. The servings are still 1 x 2 x 4.
http://www.earlenescakes.com/cakeservinst.htm
She says that you can't get the number of servings that Wilton says you can from any given pan size. So, Earlene's serving chart is unrealistic. In other words, you tell people you can get 38 servings from a 10 inch cake which is what Wilton says, but Earlene says you can really only get 30.
I think a lot of folks here adjust their prices up a bit and go by Earlene's chart.
I hope that makes sense!
Jodie
I went back and looked and she doesn't say her sizes are bigger. The servings are still 1 x 2 x 4.
http://www.earlenescakes.com/cakeservinst.htm
She says that you can't get the number of servings that Wilton says you can from any given pan size. So, Earlene's serving chart is unrealistic. In other words, you tell people you can get 38 servings from a 10 inch cake which is what Wilton says, but Earlene says you can really only get 30.
I think a lot of folks here adjust their prices up a bit and go by Earlene's chart.
I hope that makes sense!
Jodie
I cut my wedding cakes in the 1x2x4 and when you cut it my way, I can get about 10% more pieces than what Wilton says ... and 1x2x4 is NOT a teeny piece ... many guests ask me for ".... a smaller piece please".
Here's my website page on how to cut a wedding cake: Notice the cut pieces of cake on the plates .... a nice dessert size. http://cateritsimple.com/_wsn/page10.html
Here's another pic of cut pieces of cake from one of my weddings ... 1x2x4 ... not teeny tiny: http://www.cakecentral.com/modules.php?name=gallery&file=displayimage&pid=1156785
Oh please keep us updated. I'd love to know that you got to do the cake.
I went back and looked and she doesn't say her sizes are bigger. The servings are still 1 x 2 x 4.
http://www.earlenescakes.com/cakeservinst.htm
She says that you can't get the number of servings that Wilton says you can from any given pan size. So, Earlene's serving chart is unrealistic. In other words, you tell people you can get 38 servings from a 10 inch cake which is what Wilton says, but Earlene says you can really only get 30.
I think a lot of folks here adjust their prices up a bit and go by Earlene's chart.
I hope that makes sense!
Jodie
You are right, there is no mention of a bigger serving. I think Earlene's calculations are to be on the safe side since all numbers are approximate. I did a test with a piece of parchment paper 14" round and got 74 pieces 1x2x4. I just want to make sure I have enough cake. I have never done a cake that big and it is going to be my first wedding cake!!!!
Thanks Indydebi, I will definitely use your cutting advice, it seems much simpler than the round chart.
If you can't afford less than $1 a serving for dessert, then you can't afford to invite 350 people....simple enough, eh?
I agree! And I hope you included the cost of the boards & dowels, supports, etc. How kind of you to gift your time to make the cake.
I LOVE indydebi's cutting chart. so simple to understand and follow.
I think this is just another situation of someone thinking "but, it's JUST cake!". I'm also guessing this party is costing her far more than she had dreamed it would. We've been good friends for 10 years, so I'm not holding it against her. She's pretty stressed.
This is one of those situations where I'll just bite my tongue, find out how much she's able to spend and base the cake on that. I want to make it.
I love her folks and am very happy to make a special cake for them, if for no other reason than that.
Jodie, your cake is fabulous! I bet the family was totally blown away Very, very special...I'm sure they were all so touched.
Quote by @%username% on %date%
%body%