Hey all, what size pans do you use when making sheet cakes? I went to my local cake supply store and they had so many different sized pans so I had no idea which one was right! Most of the pans looked to be about 2" deep...if that is typical, do you make your sheet cakes two or more layers? I love the look of perfectly square cakes and want to offer them for sale but don't know if there is a specific size they need to be. I'm looking to offer 1/4 sheet cakes, 1/2 sheet cakes and full sheet cakes. Thanks!
There's a bit of disagreement when it comes to sizes. A quarter sheet is typically 9 x 13 (this is the size most home bakers use for rectangular cakes), but some bakeries use an 8x12. Half sheet is then 13x18 or 12x16. Home ovens won't fit a full size pan - but if you have a commercial oven, full size is 18x26 or 16x24.
There's also a 2/3 pan - 10x15. I've heard some bakers use this as a half sheet - and put two together for a full (not sure about boards and boxes though).
Personally, my favorite way to bake sheet cakes is with disposable aluminum pans. There's a "not quite a dollar" store that carries 1/4 and 1/2 pan sizess - 1" high. Easy to use...cakes release easily... and no trying to split a 1/2 sheet cake - you can just flip the cake over onto the last layer (my sheet cakes are always split - 2 cake layers for "regular" cakes, 4 for "party" or wedding 'kitchen" cakes You can freeze the layers right in the pans as well - just wrap tight. Gordon Foods has the pans as well. I highly recommend them. There usually $1 each - and can be washed - be sure to use a regular sheet psn underneath for support.
I just do the size that has the servings count they need. But if someone says they need a half sheet, check to see what they mean by that. Most grocery store bakeries will refer to a quarter-sheet pan (9x13 like @SweetNeddy said) as a half sheet. So people would call and ask me if I did a half sheet when they were really thinking they wanted 24 servings (a quarter sheet.) If you just stick to the serving count it makes it much easier to talk to cake noobs who don't know what the pans are called.
The best way to decide what pan to purchase is to match it to the board & box sold as a 1/4 or 1/2 sheet. That means a 1/4 sheet is baked in a 12x8; a 1/2 in 12x16. Cakes made in those sized pans allow just enough room for a border on the board. Any other size will not fit the boards & boxes - which means you have to come up with special sizes & that ratchets up the prices.
Customeczar is right to see how mamy servings they want - not what size they say. Often people would say they want a full sheet when they only need something like 15 servings.
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