I've been asked to do a 3 tier wedding cake to feed 200 people. I've read the cutting guide, but do you think a combo of 16", 12" and 10" would be too squat? Or would a cake for 200 look nicer as 4 tiers instead?

Are you not including a top anniversary tier?

If you include an 8" top anniversary tier, it'll be perfect.

4 or even 5. 200 as a three tier will be very short and fat.

I think it might look a little squatty. It would seem to need a little smaller top. I have the same request for this weekend. I bought the three inch pans, and I am making them double stacked with a 14", 10", and a 6". It's my first and I am very nervous!! That feeds a little over 200, I think, I hate serving guide charts, cause I feel like an idiot!

Christie

Thanks everyone, I had a feeling it would be kind of stumpy

Whether or not it looks squatty will surey depend on the design............ Is there a pic around of what she wants, or something she likes??

how about adding a 6" for an anniversary topper. i think that without it , it will definately look too wide and short, but if you add it, it will balance a bit better.

16, 12 ( a four inch diff) and 10 , 6 (another four inch difference) .

kory, that cake makes me want to CRY, it is so damn beautiful!
and yes, I think if the design is not a bold one with big "shelves", she will have to stack and support taller tiers

Okay, now I pretty much just freaking out! Anyway, it says in the wilton chart, that one 14" by 3" layer serves 78, so two of those should serve 156, right, then two 10" by 3" should serve 76, right? I asked a friend on here, and she told me this was right, and she just did the same cake in square and it came out great! So, I don't know, but now I am doubly nervous!

http://www.wilton.com/wedding/cakeinfo/cakedata.cfm

I looked at the chart and you're right .... it showed a one layer 3" cake and a 2-layer 2" cake both serve 78. I can only assume that they are cutting the 3" cake the same as the 2", 2-layer cake.

The surface area is the same.....so if you cut it 1x2x(height), you are going to get the same number of pieces no matter if the cake is 3" tall or 4" tall.

I do a lot of square cakes and I notice the square cake servings work the same way. A 10" square on a 3" cake serves 50.....that means you are cutting the cake into 10 rows x 5 rows ..... the exact same cutting as you do on a 2-layer cake made in 2" pans.

The reason you can double the number of servings if you double the layer is because you are cutting the cake pieces smaller in width (but it's double in height so your guests are getting the same amount of cake - a sheet cake is cut 2x2x2; a 2-layer is cut 1x2x4). If the chart assumes a 1x2x3" cut, then you can't really cut more pieces out of it by making it two layer .... or you'd have to cut it 1/2x2x3.

It would be nice if the charts told you what size piece they are working with, but since they don't, sometimes you just have to do the math.

That does make sense, but I don't know how to do a 3 tier cake (this is what they wanted) for 200 people any differently, unless I made sheet cakes to serve too or something, so they might just have to cut small, tall pieces, and I told them if they had to use their top tier, I would make another replica of it on their anniversary. They are having a lot of food, and a big grooms cake too, so hopefully everything will be fine. Thankfully, they are very laid back people, and they keep telling me not to stress over it cause it's no big deal,(even though, I know it is!); they know this is my first wedding cake, but they still want me to do it.

christielee, this is my translation of what was recommended that you do by your friend by stacking 2 each of the 3" tall cakes...

each tier would be two 3" tall cakes right? two 14"s, two 10"s , two 6"s .... so after one 14", place dowels, ice, cardboard, THEN the second 14" , doweled and iced. a 10", doweled, iced, cardboard, another 10", doweled and iced. a 6", doweled, iced, cardboard, another 6"- iced.

each 6"+ tall tier would be cut as if it were two tiers. cut down 3" until you hit cardboard, 2" wide, by 1x thick. so your slices would be 3x2x1. a little shorter, but still a serving. once you are done with the top half of each tier, remove the cardboard and cut the bottom half of each tier. so in reality, this is almost like having a 6 tier cake. its going to be tall. BUT its going to look like a 3 tier cake , simply because for every two tiers, the cakes are the same size.

i may be way off, BUT i think that this is what she meant, and i think- what you had in mind. am i right?

*EDITED CAKE SIZES.

melysa, that is a fabulous idea!!!

Oh....and ask them how many people they actually invited? For them to expect 200 people to show up, did they really invite 350 people?

Here is an example of the cake the bride wants done, but in 3 tiers for 200 people. http://www.cakecentral.com/modules.php?name=gallery&file=displayimage&pid=47017. Its from a CC member. What do you think, is it nicer as 3 or 4 tiers?

Thanks Melysa, I will definately make it 4 tiers