I have a bride that wants her tiers to alternate square round. I was looking over some photos and noticed that the sizes she has selected may not work. I am trying for a 14" square, 12" round, 10" square and 8" round. Will these not fit on top of each other?
Measure your pans.
A 10" square is 10" from side to side, but it's like 14" from corner to corner. You'll have overhang on the 12" round. If she wants that configuration, she'll most likely need to go to a 16" square, 14" round, 10" square (and that might be tight).....
Get out your pans and stack them up to see what works. I usually find that brides who want a mixed cake like this end up buying more cake tan they need to get the look they want.
REmind her it's simply geometry on what will work or not.
CarolAnn, my brother the engineer showed me that program. Just do a search on Google and it will come up. I think there is a newer version than I use and of course there is an even better one you can buy. I just use it to make a blank template for sizes and shapes and then sketch onto that. I have to scan the picture of the model and then copy it to Paint and save it as a JPEG file.
Yup, basic rule of thumb for putting squares on top of rounds is that they must be AT LEAST 4in smaller in size. How many servings do you need? You may find that you need to start with a square on top. The sizes you quoted will give you 226 servings. If you do a 6in square, 10in round, 12in square, 16in round, you will have 228 servings (or do the smaller cake suggested in the above sketch by PP and then a kitchen cake for the rest of the servings).
easiest way to figure if a square will fit:
the Pythagorean Theorem -- the Csquared (the diagonal measurement) of the square cake is the DIAMETER of the round cake.
so ....keeping the example simple
a 10 inch square as a diagonal measurement (the hypotenuse, the C) of 14.14 inches (before shrinkage and application of frosting/fondant).
so it will be tight if not a bit too big fit for a 14 in round and will fit nicely on a 16" round.
and just because I know you all will not want to whip out the calculator or Excel --- here's a handy little chart of squares and their diagonal measurements (the diameter of the matching round)
SQR....RND....Fits on:
4.........5.66.......6"
6.........8.49.......9"
8........11.31.....12"
10......14.14.....16"
12......16.97.....18"
14......19.80.....20" (barely -- 22 safer)
16......22.63.....24"
18......25.46.....26" (barely -- 28 safer -- golly that's a big round!)
easiest way to figure if a square will fit:
the Pythagorean Theorem -- the Csquared (the diagonal measurement) of the square cake is the DIAMETER of the round cake.
so ....keeping the example simple
a 10 inch square as a diagonal measurement (the hypotenuse, the C) of 14.14 inches (before shrinkage and application of frosting/fondant).
so it will be tight if not a bit too big fit for a 14 in round and will fit nicely on a 16" round.
and just because I know you all will not want to whip out the calculator or Excel --- here's a handy little chart of squares and their diagonal measurements (the diameter of the matching round)
SQR....RND....Fits on:
4.........5.66.......6"
6.........8.49.......9"
8........11.31.....12"
10......14.14.....16"
12......16.97.....18"
14......19.80.....20" (barely -- 22 safer)
16......22.63.....24"
18......25.46.....26" (barely -- 28 safer -- golly that's a big round!)
Thanks Doug! That is fantastic! 
easiest way to figure if a square will fit:
the Pythagorean Theorem -- the Csquared (the diagonal measurement) of the square cake is the DIAMETER of the round cake.
so ....keeping the example simple
a 10 inch square as a diagonal measurement (the hypotenuse, the C) of 14.14 inches (before shrinkage and application of frosting/fondant).
so it will be tight if not a bit too big fit for a 14 in round and will fit nicely on a 16" round.
and just because I know you all will not want to whip out the calculator or Excel --- here's a handy little chart of squares and their diagonal measurements (the diameter of the matching round)
SQR....RND....Fits on:
4.........5.66.......6"
6.........8.49.......9"
8........11.31.....12"
10......14.14.....16"
12......16.97.....18"
14......19.80.....20" (barely -- 22 safer)
16......22.63.....24"
18......25.46.....26" (barely -- 28 safer -- golly that's a big round!)
Thanks Doug! That is fantastic!
LOL! Leave it to Doug!!! As someone who walks around all day with a calculator in her breast pocket, I love love love these breakdowns. 
I have looked through it but I don't find cakey stuff there. Help! Could someone respond to cakes@angelic-cakes.com?
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