What serving charts do y'all use?

I am finding that people in my area, when you mention 1X2 servings they look at you like you're trying to starve them.  I always provide a cutting/serving guide during consultations and then again when I deliver. 

Do any of you just do straight 2X2 servings no matter the cake?

What serving charts do you use?

the serving size is 1x2x4

so an idea is to say --it's approx the size of a cupcake plus fillings--

or get a piece of foam this size--even decorate it to mimic a slice of cake--just to show that is a most reasonable serving size--

i use wilton's wedding cake --chart

so it sounds like you need to convince yourself first ;)

AI give a choice of three different serving sizes,and charge for the number of the one by two slices in the cake

AI use 1x2x4 and give them a cutting chart. If they want to serve or eat bigger slices, they have to order more servings.

I think it is plenty of cake. The only time I'd advise ordering more is if it was a cake-only reception or if they're ordering more than 2 flavors, ESP of cupcakes. Having More flavors encourages people to try more!

nothing is a given i don't think--bottom line, paperfishies, it's up to you to educate your client on what to expect from your product--

i build in an average of 10-15 servings into most every tier cake so there's a little wiggle room for dowel rods knocking out a few servings, they are my peace of mind servings--i never tell the client--

did your bride serve the entire cake or did she reserve the top tier for the anniversary?

y'know when you bake a cake in a 9" pan you then have an 8.5 inch cake to ice--so there's that too--the cake itself is not fully 9"--it shrinks 1/2" to an 1"--so...sometimes i'll bake a 10" cake to make a 9" tier--i shave off the sides a bit anyhow so it helps when i'm ensuring i have more than enough servings--

but it's up to you to tell them how it all works--at the consult i tell them that if they want bigger servings they need to buy more cake--that if they get aunt louise's 13 yr old twins to cut the cake they need to buy more servings--that she needs a real responsible person to cut it or she will not get her servings--

the last cake i did--the caterers cut the cake to per.fec.tion--it was fun to watch them--fast and efficient

another thing--this is expensive cake--it needs to cut clean and not crumble so all the servings are available--not that yours isn't--i'm just saying--and that's what i tell the brides too-1x2x4 is industry standard size--it fills a cake plate comfortably--you (the bride) wanna be generous with your expensive dessert no problem  i've been to events where the cake was cut so thin you could see the china pattern on the plate--not my problem--

fwiw--one more thought--i deliver two 4 inch cakes tidily boxed up in cute little 6" boxes with every wedding cake i make (for every bride that didn't piss me off hahaha) an anniversary cake and a honeymoon cake just made from leftover batter or from trimmings--so that's an extra few servings too if it ever came down to it--plus it's a great selling point when i tell the bride she gets to serve her whole tier cake and these two are my gifts to them--

so...cake servings a discourse by acmecakes ♥

AEvery cake that goes out the door gets written instructions plus a cutting chart. I always explain that while they are welcome to cut the cake however they want - if they want the amount of servings we agreed upon they need to follow the chart.

I use Wilton, and I have examples made of a paper print out I found on here ages ago to show the size. If they want more, they can order more.
A 1"x"2"x4" is a generous piece of cake, I do a follow up with most of my brides and I have never once heard that there wasn't enough.
I also send out a cutting guide, but venues tend to do things their own way.

As far as cakes shrinking, I have never heard of that.

AYou can give them whatever size you want so long as you are charging the appropriate amount. 1x2x4 is the basis for most pricing policies, if you're giving 2x2x4 then you need to charge twice as much per serving as you would for the standard size serving.

ADon't sell yourself short because people are greedy. I wrote this last year, i can't believe it was that long ago, I'm old and time is passing faster. http://acaketorememberva.blogspot.com/2013/02/tell-me-about-those-serving-sizes-again.html

AI think the key to what everyone is saying to you is let them know up front. Customers do not know the inch size of industry standards. They are used to cutting birthdays cakes for years and years with huge slices. It will be a big shock if they get a smaller cake than they thought. We give out cakes a bit bigger than industry standards and still people still think its too small. You can also let people know the cake sizes youre using and ask if they want to upgrade to the next serving size.

Very true...good analogy in your blog too.

Easy to understand why obesity is an epidemic when they want to 'biggie size' their wedding cake slices. 

ALike K8 said above, it's up to you to make sure you're communicating with the customer. The first time I mention servings, I always say "up to X number event style servings which are 1x2x4". If they are having 32 guests for a 32 serving cake, I make sure they know cutting 32 servings will require precision and advise extra servings.

I LOVE this picture of cake slices, it has me in stitches every time I look it. http://acaketorememberva.blogspot.com/2012/12/cake-serving-charts-have-nothing-to-do.html

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I just about had a fit when the bride sent me that, but that's how they cut wedding cake. The proof is right there.

The brides I work with tell me that they like being able to choose their cake based on the range of servings. The range is based on the Wilton chart, which tells you that the tier will give you more servings, for the high end, vs the number that I actually took my pans and marked off at a correct 1"x2"x4" for the low end. If you do that you get fewer servings than Wilton says you'll get, so anyone who's using the Wilton chart is charging for more servings per tier, but smaller ones. I went with an average serving count per tier based on that and set a price for each tier without worrying about a price per serving. Here's the full explanation if you want to read the whole thing, I can't write it all out again... http://acaketorememberva.blogspot.com/2009/11/how-i-price-my-wedding-cakes.html

oh god--i started to read your well written blog and my mind just exploded remembering how i arrived at how & why i do this--it was when you said you did not count the top tier--help me jesus--

i remember figuring out servings for a large cake and the bride would change the number back & forth and the top tier size kept changing--so after i reconfigured i had to reconfigure the whole damn thing again when i subtracted the top tier servings because i used to do this too--wilton did so i did but that left the servings short--this back 40 years ago--so back then i fully imploded and there's a crater hole (where there used to be some sense) in my brain--and eventually i started the freebie anniversary cake thing but only to protect whatever sanity i had left--

such a simple thing -- so unutterably minutiae laden confusing

ugh

AInteresting, I guess it just shows how different each bakers cakes are. Mine don't pull away from the sides unless they manage to get pretty over baked. (not saying yours are overbaked, just how my recipes/pans work!) Do you grease the sides of your pans? I'm just interested,not trying to interrogate :) I'm a parchment only user, and just on the bottoms.

AI use earlene's cake chart ... earlenescakes.com/ckser.htm...

i often slide the knife around the edge of the cake while it's warm to loosen it-- then when completely cool--to ensure that i can get the cake to flip out i make the cake slide in the pan north south east & west-- by holding the pan at an angle & bopping it on the side--after bopping all the way around--when the cake is slid all the way to one side the amount of empty pan on the other is at least a half inch--baked cakes are usually a liittle bit smaller than the pan they were baked in--

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If the customer thinks the serving size is too small, they are free to order more servings and tell the venue to cut bigger pieces. Wilton is the industry standard, at least in the US.