I am about to go crazy with the cake serving chart I am doing a wedding next week and the cake will need to feed 200. The bride would like to have the bottome tier a square followed by a hexagon than circle, hexagon circle ending with a hexagon. I choose to do the following cake pan size which I am not sure about (square14, hexagon 12, circle 10, hexagon 9, circle 8 and hexagon 6) The bride wants 6 tiers. Each of the tiers will be 4", but when I look at the cake serving chart it states the serving amount for only 2 layers. What am I doing wrong? I don't want to screw up, this is my first weddding.

stop panicing. you'll be ok.

2 layers, when baked in 2" pans, will give you a 4" cake. So that all works out.

Here's the chart I use ... wilton wedding chart: http://www.wilton.com/wedding/wedding-cakes/wedding-cake-data.cfm

Here's the page from my website that shows you how to cut a cake to achieve these servings (same technique for all shapes of cake): http://cateritsimple.com/_wsn/page10.html

Thanks I know I shouldn't panic so much. Do you have any suggestions on how I could make the 6" and 7" look like it's not the same size. I think it will look like one large cake. I couldn't think of another way to size the cakes.

This is where I have a problem with cake civilians trying to design a cake.

I think the sizes you picked are ok for the number of servings you need. A couple of suggestions .... measure the 9" Hexagon from point to point (not from flat edge to flat edge) and make sure it's not more than 10" ... otherwise the points of the hexagon will overhang the 10" round cake. Even still, this is going to be tight. Same with the 6" hexagon on the 8" round .... will the 6" hex overhang the 8" round? (I'm not at the shop or I'd measure them myself for you).

If you have any overhang, or if it's just too tight for your comfort, then tell the bride that the cake she "designed" isn't going to work well. Be ready with some alternate suggestions for her that will work. If the measurements work out ok, then let out a big sigh of relief and go for it!

Give her your concerns that the differences in sizes are not that great and it may not have the look she envisions. Then let her make the call ... and get it in writing that she signed off on the design.

Thanks. I know that I will have to cut the cake down on the sides to prevent the cake from looking like a large ice mountain. . Thanks for the help. I do plan to change the size of the square cake from 14" to 15".