Number Of Servings Per Cake Size
Decorating By kutabby Updated 9 Aug 2008 , 12:36am by deliciously_decadent
What size chart do you use? I have found the chart at http://www.earlenescakes.com/ckserchart.htm.
Do your serving sizes differ depending on the event? I know that wedding cake servings are small slivers. Piece sizes generally tend to be larger at baby showers and other events. How do you account for this?
I've got my first real cake order (they are paying me!!!) and I just don't think they would actually get 27 servings out of a 9in square pan. I'm planning on a two tier cake, and don't have a huge selection of pans to choose from - 4, 6, 8 in rounds and 9in square. They are also open to a smaller cake and cupcakes to make up the difference. Any advice or suggestions appreciated!!!!
Thanks!
I couldn't see the page you linked too, but here is one I found here on CC that I printed out and refer to:
http://www.cakecentral.com/article14-Cake-Baking-Cutting--Serving-Guide---2-in-Deep-Pans.html
Assuming a 4" tall layer, Wilton says wedding cake slices are 1"x2"x4". And size is 1.5"x2"X4".
Earlene's chart is figuring the wedding sized slices, but based on the fact that when she uses a 9" round, her resulting cake isn't 9" in diameter - it actually shrinks up some. Wilton has both the wedding and party serving charts in the Yearbooks, and somewhere online... I can never find anything on their site though, so I can't link you to it.
Here is the one from the Wilton website that is for party cakes:
http://www.wilton.com/cakes/cake-cutting-guides/party-cake-cutting-guide.cfm
Wedding servings are not "small slivers". People tend to hear "one inch" and they think "paper thin" .... it's not. I cut my wedding cakes according to the wilton chart. I have a number of guests who request that I cut them a smaller piece. Wedding cakes are desserts, not meals.
Here's a photo of a 1x2x4 piece of cake: http://www.cakecentral.com/modules.php?name=gallery&file=displayimage&pid=1156785
Here's my webpage on how to cut a cake to achieve these sizes: http://cateritsimple.com/_wsn/page10.html
How do I account for people cutting larger pieces? I don't. I tell them how many the cake will serve based on the standard serving size (and I tell them the standard serving size). I also tell them, "If you plan to cut them bigger than that, you should consider a larger cake."
They are welcome to cut those pieces any size they want, but they are PAYING for the number of servings the cake is designed to serve. If they want "more" cake in a piece, then they need to buy "more" cake.
It just worries me when I see the size pieces some people serve!
Do you remember the episode of The Mary Tyler Moore Show where she has one of her famous dinner parties, and Lou Grant takes half of the Prince Orlof?? And she makes him put it back because 3 people won't get to eat if he doesn't?
Same here. If someone takes 1/2 the cake in one piece, THAT'S why some people don't get any cake .... not because you "didn't make enough!" 
i find the wilton serving chart WAY WAY WAY to small my serves are all 1.5" by 2" sometimes x3" by the height of the cake generally 3.5" tall. a round nine inch gives me 22 serves and a square gives me 27. I only do coffee portions (1"x1") if asked to -i personally would feel completely ripped if my desert was a 1" square! but then i LOV LOVE LOVE cake! (shock!) i work all my pricing on these portion sizes and if clients wish to have different size servings i still charge for my 'standard' serve per that size cake ie if someone wants coffee servings from a 10" round cake i still charge at my 30 desert portions etc etc. i think the best way to get your serving size that you feel comfortable with is to get your tin and trace the bottom then 'cut' it up in to servings you feel comfortable with and make your own chart. but from my experience with clients 1.5" x 2"x 3.5" seems to be perfect for everything from wedding to birthday. my experience is that most cakes are used for actual desert these days instead of 'take home' and i think serving sizes need to be adjusted to comply with this, i always put myself in the clients shoes and the guests shoes and think 'would i be happy or not with this' ibviously at the end of the day of the day it is the clients call to what size they order but you need to havew a standard pricing guide to charge. (wow that was a long twp cents worth!! lol)
-i personally would feel completely ripped if my desert was a 1" square!
I'd probably feel the same way if I got a 1 inch "square" piece of cake .... but a 1x2x4 is plenty. A 1" square is what I put in those little plastic cups to give away at bridal shows.
This is a great illustration of what I mean when I say "People hear 'one inch' and they think 'paper thin' (or teeny tiny) .... and it's not."
i think the best way to get your serving size that you feel comfortable with is to get your tin and trace the bottom then 'cut' it up in to servings you feel comfortable with and make your own chart.
Be aware that when you draw out the serving size on a flat piece of paper, it looks SO different than an actual piece of cake because you don't have the visual of the height of the cake, also.
I have a question about the 1x2x4. I understand 4 is the height, but what does the 1 and 2 stand for? Is 2 the width? Then what is the 1? I've never really understood this and am finally brave enough to show some of my ignorance! LOL! indydebi-i can't believe how large of a slice this looks-thanks for posting that pict! I always have used the wilton party chart to figure all my cakes-wedding (not that i've treally done these) or party. There is always cake left over, even when I'm told how great the cake tastes. I might have to rethink my serving sizes. indydebi do you say all your cakes-wedding and party are 1x2x4? How large are your single layer sheetcakes? Thank-you!
oh sorry i didn't mean i would feel ripped of by your serving size indydebi 
I was referring to 'coffe portions' which here in aus are 1"x1" by height -sorry if i offended you. thats what i meant by 'i only do coffee portions if asked' as i think they are to small.
1x2x4 is width x depth x height in inches debeer. both my sizes and indydebi are roughly the same if you look at the difference in height (mine being shorter and fater indydebi's beigh taller and thinner) so that gives you a good range to work on woth your heights that you bake. hope we have helped.
We don't really have the coffee portions here in the states adatay.. I remember the first time I even found out about them.. they are about 1/2 the size of a wedding slice.. a little bigger than 1" square, but still small. (at least that's my understanding of them) I serve 1x2x4 inch servings.. they are a decent size for a dessert after a meal and perfect for kids. A slice would be 4" tall 2" in depth and 1" in width. If you picture a 3-D rectangle.. that's what it'd be. 
It's not miniscule at all and I find Earlene's chart to be too big and if you bake a cake (especially a wedding cake) using her chart your bride will have a lot of leftover cake and you will have lost out on all that money. I made my own chart.. I like round numbers so I came up with what I was comfortable with.. I lose out on a little money (about 4 servings per tier) but I charge enough where that doesn't matter to me.
you don't have coffee portions! wow i didn't realise! cakes decorating is so different in the states although it is becommore similar now. coffee portions must be an english thing then? it is used when the wedding is already having a desert of another sort and the cake is for after that served with coffee, they are half the size of a standard desert piece ans usually doesn't get eaten at he wedding much as by the time it is served most people have drunk to much alcohol to warrant cake 
(weddings in aus cotain a LOT of alcohol) and most of it gets sent home with the guests as a kind of bonbonierre.
-sorry if i offended you. thats what i meant by 'i only do coffee portions if asked' as i think they are to small.
No offense taken! It's always interesting to learn how things are done in difference parts of the world!!!
oh good! yes it is all very interesting! i just learnt what baking strips are today what an odd idea!!!
I found out what they were looking at Planet Cake's website.. Looking at the servings and the sizes of the cake thinking WTF??? 
Then I read further and learned about the coffee servings. Now THAT is a teeny piece of cake.. 
.. but I can see it if you are having other desserts along with your cake.
No offense taken at all.
yep planet cake are the best cake artists in australia and are just amazingly talented!! and so helpfull they have there own forum and help out all us aussie decorators that aren't quite as amazing as those guys!! they are the cake srtists to the stars in aus they actually did a cake for celine dion not long ago!
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