I have an order for a cake that needs to feed 65 people. She only wants one cake. I'm having a problem deciding what pan I need to use. I would probably need a full sheet cake pan, right? What size would that be? I have a 11x19 pan...could I put two of those size cakes together to make one big cake? And how would I go about doing that?
Another quick question: Where is the best place to shop online for cake supplies such as cake boards, and boxes? I'm figuring if I'm going to do that HUGE cake I mentioned above I'm going to need a huge cake board and box too! I've not worked with those huge cake sizes before, and where I normally buy my cake supplies; they don't carry those big sizes.
Thanks! Any help or advice is appreciated!
For a cake 11x19x4" tall you will get 90 servings (each 1x2x4).
11x19 is a very unusual size pan - most are 12x18 or 12x16 or 9x13.
Do you have any other pans you might use?
A good on-line source for boards & boxes is CountryKitchen.
Michael's & Hobby Lobby have some box & boards if you have one near you. Where every you do get them make sure the two match in size & are 2" bigger than the cake.
I run into a problem all the time with cake orders over 30. My oven won't fit my large sheet pans, so I end up going with a 2-layer cake to get the appropriate number of servings. To me it's easier to do a 2-layer 11x15, then it is to do two 11x15 sheet cakes side by side. Plus, you don't have to invest in the huge full-sheet cakeboards. You can still use the same size boards and boxes, just double up on your boards. Also, instead of doing a 2-layer 11x15, I might recommend going with a 2-layer 14" round or square. It makes it seem a little more special than a "sheet cake".
Sorry, the pan size I refered to is a 12x18...not a 11x19.
Okay, so I could do a 2 layer 11x15 cake, right? How many pieces would I get from that? I am needing it to feed around 65.
This is just me.... for that number of people, I say that a 12x18" 2 layer cake serves approx 60 or so. My cakes aren't quite 4" tall though. That's in line with the other bakeries in my area also. It also makes a difference if you're having the cake along with a meal or not.
I definately agree with the 12x18 inch sheet cake. If you wanted to do anything different than that you could do a 2 layer 12" square which feeds 72 people. A great place to buy boxes and cake boards is Michael's. Also check out wilton.com for other cake supplies and different shaped pans. Hope this helps you. Good luck.
This is just me.... for that number of people, I say that a 12x18" 2 layer cake serves approx 60 or so. My cakes aren't quite 4" tall though. That's in line with the other bakeries in my area also. It also makes a difference if you're having the cake along with a meal or not.
Those are pretty big pieces. A SINGLE layer 12x18 serves 54 standard 2x2x2" servings.
A double layer 12x18, when cut in the standard 1x2x4 (8 cubic inches) will serve 108. Elvis, you're giving away a lot of cake.
To get 60 pieces, you'd cut 6 colums by 10 rows. That's a piece that is 2" x 1.8" x 4" (14.4 cubic inches). I hope you're charging almost twice as much per serving since they are getting almost twice as much cake in a serving.
Thanks everyone for your replies. I love hearing everyones ideas and takes on these things.
But, I am afraid that I am confused now more than ever! lol I thought that a single layer 12x18 cake would feed around 36-40 people...a half sheet cake. Never knew that you could feed 54 people with it! But where I'm from, people like a nice sized piece of cake to eat, not just a little square. Just curious as to what everyone is charging for their 12x18 cakes and their 2-layer ones as well?
I always fear that people won't have enough. I'm doing a cake for 60 for Sat and it's going to be a 12 x 18 x 5 (3 layers cake, 2 layers filling). It's a tombstone so one end will be carved and I'll lose some servings there, but still.
I do agree that if cake is the only thing being served, people will serve larger pieces and everyone will eat a piece.
The biggest, most important, and best advice (can you tell I'm serious?) I can give is make sure that your cake board is sturdy and will not bend in the slightest or your icing will crack. My cakes tend to be 4" tall and heavy. I cut to size 2 of the thinner foamcore boards taped together for smaller cakes. For the larger cakes (beyond 9x 13"), I use 1/2 inch plywood only. It's a small investment for having your cake look perfect. I have learned my lesson on this one.
I charge $65 for a 12x 18 double layer with filling. My prices will be going up Jan 1 for sure.
For a 12x18, I charge $60, plus extra for anything other than basic design....plus $3-$5 more for fillings other than buttercream. That's for a 2 layer cake.
cms2 is so right about proper support & cracking. I usually triple my cardboard cakeboards & I'm still not always satisfied. If I go to a sturdier material, I'll up my price to cover it.
I'm sure that you could make an 11x15 work as long as it is tall enough, since Wilton's chart says so :O) --But for me, I always do 12x18 for around 60 servings. I make 11x15" birthday cakes for businesses of about 35-40 and those cakes are gone in about 10 minutes. Of course, they cut their own slices :O)!
On Wilton's party cake chart, it says that a 12x18 serves 72 and an 11x15 serves 60...but if your cakes are under 3" high, to split that number in half for an approx. number of servings. My servings fall somewhere in between.
Thanks everyone for your replies. I love hearing everyones ideas and takes on these things.
But, I am afraid that I am confused now more than ever! lol I thought that a single layer 12x18 cake would feed around 36-40 people...a half sheet cake. Never knew that you could feed 54 people with it! But where I'm from, people like a nice sized piece of cake to eat, not just a little square. Just curious as to what everyone is charging for their 12x18 cakes and their 2-layer ones as well?
There are "party" servings and "wedding" servings and then everything in between. I tell my customers a range of servings. For instance, I tell them a 12x18 sheet cake (1-layer) will serve anywhere from 36-54 depending on how you cut it. "Cake squares" are usually measured in 2x2 portions, but most people when cutting their own cake for a party, will cut larger pieces. I give them the dimensions and them let them decide if it's enough cake for them. I have a set price for my 12x18 so I don't care what size piece they cut it into!
BTW - a 2x2 sheet cake piece is equivelent to a 1x2x4 2-layer piece.
For a 12x18, I charge $60, plus extra for anything other than basic design....plus $3-$5 more for fillings other than buttercream. That's for a 2 layer cake.
I get $150 for two 12x18 (a 2-layer stacked or a single layer side by side, it's still the same amount of cake ..... over 100 servings).
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