Ok so when I have a cake request for a cake I have never made in this case. Hannah Montana. I go to cake central to borrow some pictures.
So this lady's little girl lvoed this cake by: messybaker

here's the link
http://www.cakecentral.com/modules.php?name=gallery&file=displayimage&pid=1209586

Out of all the cakes you know of course they always pick the two tiered ones.

It's cool you know this type of cake is no biggie cause I took a class on colorflow. Until she tells me the cake is for 15 PPL.

The only thing I can think of doing is making a 2" square cake I have an 8" pan and cutting it to make a smaller 4" tall square cake then top it off with a 4" round. Does this make sens?
Anybody else have any other tips. If I just make a 2" tall 8" square cake it won't look the same I think it will look short on the other hand, it will be a tiny cake I'm afraid it won't look right. Should I talk her out of it? Please help me fast!!!!!!!!!!!!

What about making 3 8" cakes - use two for the bottom layer and then cut the other to create the top? Or is that what you already said? I know that is way more than 15 servings.....cute cake though.

I would still do the 8" & 4" combo. Cut the 8" and save the 4" for the next day.... Leftovers are always good. Cute cake. Post picture of yours when done.

I would tell her you can do that cake, but it will cost more than a cake for 15 people. She may really want that cake and be willing to pay for it.

I tell my customers that the smallest two tier cake I offer is 21 servings (8" and 6" round double layers) and I charge accordingly. You lose the design in the small shape. So, if they do not want to go up to the 21 servings, then I tell them I can make the cake with some of the same design elements in a one tier. They will be dissapointed in a very small two tier mini cake in which you can't fit half the stuff that they liked in the picture, onto that small cake.

I agree with Kyleen. I have minimum sizes that I bake. If they really want the design, they'll pay for the extra servings.

Plus, who doesn't love leftover cake??

Well, for that design which is iced in BC, color flow appliques and pretty basic would be $52.50. The thing is I have a minimum of $100 order and only make tiered cakes covered in fondant. My tiered celebration cakes start at $2.50 a serving, which is what this cake would be. You spend more time making this cake and not really getting any profit out of it. I have worked up to a $100 minimum order, since I have been making cakes for years now and stay booked at least three months in advance. Not bragging, just saying. With the demand you can charge more. I personally would sell her a more elaborate design, larger and covered with fondant and probably wire toppers to bring it up to $100 in which I can actually make a profit. I like to make no less than $15 per hour for each cake. I have made a Hannah Montana cake, two tier, a few months back. It was a 6" and 8" rounds. It is in my photos if you want to take a look. I charged $160 with no problem about the price. I guess it also depends on what the price of cakes are going for in your area and of course the amount of details you put into the cake.

No, no! I disagree strongly.
any cake that is 4" tall is cut, calcuated, priced per piece 1x2x4.
An 8x8x4 sq will serve 32; a 6x4 round = 12 servings which gives a total of 44 servings.
If you say it is figured at 'party serving sizes' that means you will serve a piece gthat is 2x2x4 - a huge hunk for anybody
If your customer wants more cake that the 1x2x4 they can order a bigger cake.
Just because someone only wants/needs cake for 10 dosen't mean you have to decrease what you make for them. YOU tell them the design will serve XX and cost you ?$$$.
If they don't want that much they have to choose another design but the smalles cake I make would be one mix or 15 servings.
The design she has choosen is much larger....no way to cut it down - take it or leave it.
Is it really worth making a cake to serve 10? Is it worth turning on your oven for maybe $25? ($2.50 a serving times 10)

By my chart, a 6" and 8" square tiers, which are each 4" tall, feeds 32. I am just saying that my smallest two tier cake is the round which feeds 21 and this design can be made in round vs square. I agree with kakeladi. The design they chose is a two tier and they need to conform to the fact that trying to make the cake too small with change the design. So they need to go with more servings or a one tier with a modified design. I use the wilton cake chart, which is posted on their website. I did not make the servings sizes up. It is a standard that many bakers use.

i dont think anyone mentioned this yet, but you could do one tier as a dummy.

You could do a dummy tier, but it would cost the same as if you just ordered the cake. Dummy cakes are just as much work (more so because they slip and slide) as real cake.. and I would charge no differnt.

I have a minimum order too. 20 servings for a single tier and 50 for a multi tiered cake. I would sinply tell her that the cake she is ordering will feed much more than 15 and if she wants it she can pay the price it will cost for the amount of servings. Remember.. just becase a customer wants a cake for 15 people doesn't mean that the big cake they are thinking of getting will only cost them what 15 servings woudl cost. An 8" cake is designed to serve 20 people.. you can cut it into 2 pieces if you would like to, but you are still paying for 20 servings.

Even if you use a dummy the price is going to be more because of the price of the dummy, decorations and your worktime, now you can get the dummy back (against a deposit if you plan to use it again in the future) but it's going to be your client's call. Good luck on this one!

Why couldnt you do a 7 inch and a 4 inch?

You could also do a 9 x 13 and cut it into squares...

I tell you what those special pans that you can make little mini squares would come in handy right now.. I just can't seem to bring myself to spend 80 bucks on a pan right now

Thank you for your input I will go ahead and tell this lady this I gave her 5 pictures to choose from round cakes, sheet cakes. I guess I just wasn't planning on her having a cake for 15 ppl. mostly litle girls. Next time I better ask how many servings they want before I show tiered cakes