How Big Is 1/2 Sheet Cake? Confused!!!
Decorating By aprilmanning Updated 2 Feb 2007 , 6:35pm by vdrsolo
Please help... I'm so confused! 
All of this time I though a 1/2 sheet cake was approx 11x15 (someone here on CC told me that!) so that's what I've been selling my customers. 
But I've been looking around today and saw someone say that a 1/2 sheet was approx. 12x24. I got worried that I've been selling my customers short so I called the 'legal' lady in town but she closes at 1pm. Out of desperation I called Kroger to see what my customers are expecting their 1/2 sheet cakes to be (Kroger is the most popular place to get cakes here since I'm in such a rural area) and she told me that a 1/2 sheet is two 9x13 together - making it 18x26. Of course, a light came on and I was like, 'DUH' because it makes alot of sense - since a 1/4 sheet is 9x13. 
Can someone please tell me if this is right or not? What are you selling as a 1/2 sheet?
I don't know the answer, but I would like to know too.
Here is a bump!
In my area the measurements are;
9/13 = 1/4 sheet
11/15 = 1/2 sheet
12/18 = 3/4 sheet
(2) 11/15 = whole sheet
I found this on Yahoo - "A full sheet cake is 18" x 24", and will serve 70 to 80 people. A 1/4 sheet cake is 9" x 12". That means a 1/2 sheet should be 12" x 18" and serve 35 to 40 people I think.
It is very confusing but the bakeries in my area sell a half sheet which is 12 x 16
If you look at the more "proffessional" cake pans, they sell a 12 x 16.
Wiltons cake pans, 12x 18 are meant for home use.
At school, we also used the 12 x 16 pan for a half sheet and it was by magic line
See? This is why I just refuse to say "half" or "whole" in reference to a cake size. If someone asks me how much a 1/2 sheet cake is, I reply with "How many do you need it to serve?" I get answers from 24 to 100, so the average consumer has no idea what it is either. They've just heard the "lingo" and they're trying to talk in "our" language.
I reference them as "Sheet cake to serve 24" and Sheet cake to serve 100".
Indydebi - that isn't a bad idea. I think maybe I'll go that route from now on. Thanks for the advice, everyone!
I always wondered this same thing with all the different variations form different people....indydebi, you're on to something that sounds a lot less confusing.
from what we sell at the bakery i work at a half sheet is a 11x 15 which serves between 32 and 48. a full sheet is two of these put together. but most bakeries vary. so the easiet way to go is to ask how many serving they need.
This was posted here and I saved it.
1/2 sheet to be 12 x 18 and you can get 40 - 48 pieces.
Full sheet pan Standard 24x16x2
3/4 sheet pan- 18X12X2
Half sheet pan Standard 16x12x2
Quarter sheet pan Standard 13x9
Quarter Sheets, Half Sheets, and Full Sheets Explained
The retail baking industry developed standard sizes for rectangular sheet cakes, beginning with their standard sheet pan size of 16 by 24 and dividing it into halves (half-sheet) or quarters (quarter-sheet). The manufacturers who supply paper and plastic items to the baking industry use these standard sizes to create a variety of cake boards, boxes, and domes.
In an effort to develop a unique market share, some manufacturers began promoting pans of slightly different sizes, selling mainly to home bakers through hobby and specialty stores. Since home bakers do not have the volume purchasing power of retail bakers, most of the paper and plastics manufacturers have not created boards or boxes to accommodate these sizes.
The bottom line: Boards and containers for sheet cakes will always be easier to find if you use the retail baking industry's standard size pans. You will save yourself a lot of frustration by sticking with the standards.
Baking and Paper Industry Standards; The sizes below are recognized as industry standards.
Quarter Sheet Cakes: 8 x 12 pan, 10 x 14 cardboard
Half Sheet Cakes: 12 x 16 pan, 13.5 to 14 x 18.5 cardboard
Full Sheet Cakes: 16 x 24 pan, 19 x 27 cardboard
Non-standard Sizes. These sizes are not standard sizes. Suitable boards and containers can be very difficult to find.
9 x 13 pan: We call it the large quarter size. Very few of the paper suppliers carry the boards (11 x 15) and boxes (12 x 16) for cakes made in 9 x 13 pans.
10 x 15 pan: Use the standard half sheet boards and boxes
11 x 15 pan: Use the standard half sheet boards and boxes
12 x 18 pan: We call it the large half size. This size pan will not fit in most home ovens. Wilton sells a set of 14 x 20 boards that can be used with this pan, but they sell no boxes. If you cannot locate a large half board (14 x 20) and box (14.5 x 20.5), you will have to use full sheet boards and boxes.
I use:
1/4 sheet: 8x12
oversized 1/4 sheet: 9x13
undersized half sheet: 11x15
1/2 sheet: 12x16
oversized 1/2 sheet: 12x18
undersized full sheet: 15x22 (2-11x15's together)
full sheet: 16x24 (2-12x16's together)
Of course, every one and every bakery is different, but the dimensions add up perfectly with these sizes. I normally just ask people how many servings they need.
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