I delivered a cake Thursday morning for a corporate kick-off event. They wanted 100 servings so I did a 12 x 18 (the largest pan I have). Several times during negotiations I stressed that my cake is 4" so the pieces are cut pretty small 1" x 2" and that she could get 108 servings out of this cake - as long as the cake is cut properly.

The event is being held at the baseball stadium before a game where hot dogs and root beer, etc. will be served. Then one of the survivors will blow out candles on the cake and everyone will leave to find their seats and attend the game. The stadium is doing the catering and will be cutting the cake so people can pick up a piece as they're heading down to the game. I'm imagining someone who puts hot dogs in a bun and calls that catering isn't going to be taking the time to make sure that these cake slices are cut all that precisely. (no offense meant towards the food laborers of the world!)

Maybe I should've just done 2 cakes side-by-side so it's only 2" tall and let the slices be a little more what people expect. I know wedding cakes are standard 4", but what about other types of parties? Do any of you change the height of your cake depending on what kind of event and circumstances youâre baking for? I know the Wilton charts have wedding servings as well as party servings, but that just doesn't seem fair to me to have 2 different prices for the same size cake.

When I delivered the cake, she really liked it but did mention that she pictured something a lot bigger. I left a message yesterday but she hasn't responded yet. I'm freaking out because I think they probably hacked the cake up and only got 50 servings and now she's deciding how to respond to me.

Sorry so long, I'm probably blowing this all out of proportion!

I tried to attach the picture, but it must be too big. It's in my photos.

For a sheet cake, I only do one layer. I've seen a few do 2 layered but it's rare. For what you gave her, she would have been fine with cutting. If it makes you feel better, the ladies at my church usually give people 2" pieces of cake so 8" of cake would feel like a lot!!! You did what you needed to. Now it's up to her to make it right.

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Ok I somehow managed to delete my whole post except the smiley face and I right before I posted it. So what it originally said was: I always do my sheet cakes one layer, but that's mostly just because I think that is what people are used to. If you told her ahead of time that it would be 4" tall and the pieces would be smaller then hopefully she didn't have a problem with it. Sometimes no news is good news

If you told her how to cut it, and she didn't inform the catering staff of this (and what's more, what kind of catering staff wouldn't know how to cut a cake?), then it is out of your hands. You fulfilled your obligation: You produced a great looking cake and told her how to serve it.

Mine are always 4", but I don't make sheetcakes so I don't know if that makes it different. You provided her with plenty of cake and explained to her how to cut it.. you did your part.

If you make your sheet cakes 2"...do you tort & fill them?

I notice everyone refering to sheet cakes. Did she specifically ask for a "sheet cake"?
Because technically a sheetcake is only one layer.

You did a great job on the cake and it should be plenty.
But I probably would have done a full sheet cake instead of a layered.

But you really shouldn't stress yourself over it.

Sheet cakes are only one layer.. but I am with JKalman...I always do 4 cause I rarely do a sheet cake..
Edna

I always try to steer customers away from sheet cakes because they are my least favorite to do. But there are some instance where I need the larger amount of surface stace for a design so I do them. They are usually 2 1/2 inches. I do not tort or do two layers.

Thanks everyone for your input! Everyone made me feel a lot better even if you do your sheetcakes 2".

Of course I finally got an email from her this morning.

"Hey - Got your message - it's crazy around here The cake was AMAZING - everyone wanted to know where we got it so I handed out a bunch of your cards."

Doesn't she know I've been sweating bullets for 4 days? I guess only other decorators know the stress we put on ourselves But your answers give me some food for thought.

Well there you go!! I do understand the sweating.. I hate not hearing about a cake, but it happens more often than not.. you learn to just let go. If there was an issue.. you'd hear about it in a flash.. .. so I count the silence as a good thing now.