I have not been here in what seems decades ( building a house so no internet ) so I need some refreshing... I just received a wedding cake order for June and I have never done a square cake. The girl wants a 3 tiered cake to serve 100 guest. What size pans do I need to buy? Also the picture shows fresh flowers on top what do you use to place them in the top tier so it doesnt lie on the cake? Please help an "old friend"!!!

In my photos there are two square cakes on the bottom the pink flower one is 12" 10" 8" The leaf is 14" 10" 6" to give you a size idea. According to Wilton 2 layers 8" = 16 10" = 24 12" = 40 14" = 54 servings

WOW!, Singsing..... I've got Wilton's chart in front of me, and the numbers are way different than yours... like a 12" will serve 72... I will never have enough cake with your numbers ! How can we find out for sure?

that seems to be my biggest problem too-i look at the wilton suggestions and it seems that it doesn't seem like it will serve that much (unless you serve very small pieces-which at a wedding i suppose you would but still) i would rather have leftover cake than not enough-and thankfully i haven't got a call about not enough cake- i would sure appreciate more accuirate serving=size of cake chart(?) thanks

I did a 12"9"6" square for a 100 guests and they told me there was a lot left-over (it was for a friend).

Check out http://earlenescakes.com/ckserchart.htm
I use this chart, it seems more accurate than the wilton charts.
a 6", 9", 12" will serve 99 (take away 12 servings if the bride wants to keep the 6"!)

I always use the party chart, never the wedding cake one.

12" = 40 pieces? If you cut the cake in 6 rows by 6 columns, you'd get 36 pieces and those pieces would be 2"x2"x4, so to get 40 pieces, they would be only slightly smaller. Cut in 5 rows by 8 columns would be 2.4" x 1.5" x 4" tall.

That's one big honkin' piece of cake!

I go by the wilton wedding cake and NEVER run out of cake. I cut the pieces 1x2x4, the industry standard, and I have people ask me for a "...smaller piece, please."

Here is how I cut the cakes to achieve these sizes:
http://cateritsimple.com/_wsn/page19.html

Notice the cut pieces of cake on the plates are NOT "teeny tiny". People hear "one inch" and they THINK "paper thin" .... it's not.

Here is a pic of some cut pieces of cake ... wilton wedding size .... http://www.cakecentral.com/modules.php?name=gallery&file=displayimage&pid=1156785

Cake is a dessert ... not a meal.

I use the wilton wedding chart to determine pricing. If the bride plans on cutting the pieces larger than 1x2x4, then she's ordering more cake. She wants double the size ... she's paying double the price.

Im with you debi.. I have always used the Wilton cake chart as well and have never had anyone say they didnt have enough cake I use the wedding cake serving chart. Its all in how the cake is cut. Make sure they understand they need someone that knows how to cut a wedding cake or you could end up with a BIG MESS OF CAKE AND FROSTING.

I just grabbed whatever old book was on top of the pile. I bet if I pulled another book it would be different. It sounded like not enough servings to me too, but I went with it. I never have people request cakes based on serving size, just on what they want it to look like. It seems like Wilton changes their mind a lot.

Follow these other suggestions, They are all very much more talented and knowledgable than I am (Sincerely!).

You know .... I bet that 40 servings is based on a single layer and not a 2-layer (4 inch tall) cake. Because if you cut a 12" square as I mentioned above..... single layer cakes are usually cut in approx 2x2x2 squares.

Just a thought so we all don't think we're going daft!!!

I pulled the book out again and it WAS the PARTY GUIDE I was looking at. 2 layer. the wedding is 72 for 12"

Sorry for the confusion. Like I said, most people I deal with don't care about serving size, just what the cake looks like and here they don't do the same type of reception they do elsewhere. The normal is more like an open house. If you are still there at the end then they cut the cake and serve it to whoever is left. usually only family around 50.

Thankyou all so very much, especially the "How to cut a wedding cake" on the cateritsimple.com website. SO MUCH easier. I will have to print that up for the bride because I will not be the one for serving the cake, it will be my 10th wedding anniversary too! So thankyou, my best bet is going by the wilton chart and cut it into the 1x2x4... I was figuring it at 2x2x4!! Gosh I have been missing this site so much, I have to come to my sisters every once and a while to work on it. I will be back on here soon, we are fixing to move in about 2 weeks so look out!!!!