I'm looking for a serving chart for birthday cake that gives nice size cake pieces. I am doing a birthday cake this weekend that is stacked and they just asked me to add 25 more servings to the cake to make a total of 100. The sizes I had figured for 75 were 6", 8", 10", and 12". When they wanted 25 more, I went back to the chart that I had originally used and came up with 6", 8", 10", and 13". This morning I check my email and they're wanting an explanation as to how adding one more inch equals 25 more servings. So I want to double check some other charts to see if I do indeed need to make any of the other tiers bigger. I need to keep it 4 tiers to match the photo they want. Thanks!
~nicole
Here is Wilton's guide: http://www.wilton.com/cakes/cake-cutting-guides/wedding-cake-cutting-guide.cfm or there is one on this site: http://www.fairydustcakes.com/cakeservingschart.html
So what sizes would you use to keep it a four tier cake? It is a topsy turvy cake so I will have to do some trimming.
Lot's of people think the serving sizes for Wilton are too small. Several people recommended Earlene's serving chart at http://www.earlenescakes.com/ckserchart.htm
I like it because you can use the groom's cake and just add up as you go.
I like to go by earlene's serving charts. I've never had a problem so far...
http://www.earlenescakes.com/ckserchart.htm
According to her, 6, 8, 10 & 13 will give you 108 servings so you should be good with that. Do you have a 13 inch pan though, it's an odd size? I can understand their confusion, according to her chart going from a 12 inch to 13 inch will only give you 10 more servings. What you can say, is that your original plan already provided 98 servings so that bumping up to a 13 inch will be sufficient. Give them a clear cutting guide when you deliver the cake. I think indydebi provided cutting guides for cakes under templates too, it's pictures of actual cake being cut so they can see how they need to cut the larger cake...I don't really know how to describe it. I'll see if I can find it.
Just to be on the safe side, since I assume you will be carving it in at the bottom, you might want to bump up to the 14 inch round on the bottom even though it's probably not necessary. I found these cutting guides, hopefully the links will work.
10 inch cutting guide:
http://www.cakecentral.com/modules.php?name=gallery&file=displayimage&pid=623593
12 inch cutting guide:
http://www.cakecentral.com/modules.php?name=gallery&file=displayimage&pid=623603
14 inch cutting guide:
http://www.cakecentral.com/modules.php?name=gallery&file=displayimage&pid=623613
16 inch cutting guide:
http://www.cakecentral.com/modules.php?name=gallery&file=displayimage&pid=1269046
I decided to go with 6, 9, 12, and 14. Its so hard to explain to people that adding that inch can make a difference. This gives ample servings, probably way too many, but I also am taking into consideration that I will be doing a little carving since its a topsy turvy cake and some of the tiers will taper in at the bottoms. I was using Earlene's chart, but the servings sounded like they'd come out so small, so I added a little extra to make the servings slightly larger. Thanks for all the input!
~nicole
yea... way too much cake, but better to have too much than not enough. I was thinking after my last post, that the jump from 10 to 14 might look unbalanced and I was trying to work out how else to do it. Your idea will look much better. good luck!
Boy, I'll say that's plenty of cake! The wilton chart tallies this to be 178 servings!!!! 
I do understand you will lose some in the carving.
Do you charge more per serving when you sell party-size servings? Or are you just throwing in free cake?
Standard servings: 1x2x4 = 8 cubic inches.
Larger serving: 1.5x2x4 = 12 cubic inches. 25% more per serving.
So if your standard serving price is $3/serving, if you're giving them 25% more cake in the serving, then your price should reflect that and the price should be $3 x 1.25 = $3.75/serving.
Here's how I cut a cake for the wilton wedding chart: http://cateritsimple.com/_wsn/page10.html Notice the pieces of cut cake ... they are not teeny-tiny. I've cut cakes this way at family birthday parties and I watch the reaction .... it's perfect for little kids, and the adults comment on how it's a nice piece of cake, not too big and not too small (because after they're done eating, I survey them!).
If you're giving away 75% more cake than they need, please be sure you are charging appropriately for it.
AI see that many of you recommend Earlene's serving chart, it seems clear except one point it doesn't mention height of the cake, 2 x 1" layers etc, what do you all assume is implied (or did I miss something) - thanks
I assume that the height would be a standard of 3.5 to 4 inch cake.
Btw, indydebi is spot on (she normally explains the math part correctly). For future readers... the difference between 8 and 12 cu. in. servings is 50% -- meaning you should charge 50% more per serving ($4.50/serving instead of $3.75/serving in the example).
Standard servings: 1x2x4 = 8 cubic inches.
Larger serving: 1.5x2x4 = 12 cubic inches. 25% more per serving.
So if your standard serving price is $3/serving, if you're giving them 25% more cake in the serving, then your price should reflect that and the price should be $3 x 1.25 = $3.75/serving.
AThanks Rhiannon1060 that would seem to make sense, so that would be two layers plus filling I suppose
I have a silly question. When you have a wedding cake and you are pricing it per serving, do you always go by the wedding size serving chart? I recently did one and the bride requested larger serving sizes. She felt the small wedding serving size would not be enough. So I based that cake off of the party size serving to figure out what size tiers I needed but charged according to wedding serving. Was that right?
Most people use the wedding chart for everything so that it is less confusing. If you charge by the party size your per serving price would be higher since the cake size is higher. Then you would have a lower price per serving for wedding sizes since the serving size is smaller. This would be really confusing. Simpler to just use the wedding for everything.
A
Original message sent by leah_s
You charge by the Wilton wedding cake chart. If they order 100 servings, but sit down with a fork and eat the whole cake in one sitting, it doesn't become a serving for one.
And I say a 4 inch tier serves 5 people [@]komalali[/@]
http://shinymetalobjects.net/cake/calculator/cakulator.html
A 4" round serves 6.28 industry standard portions (1x2x4" -- 8 cu. in.). If you are making it 8" tall, it would serve double if you use a board in between to cut as 2 separate 4" high cakes.
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