Definitive Pan Size/serving Guide?

Decorating By EnglishCakeLady Updated 13 Jul 2011 , 7:51pm by EnglishCakeLady

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EnglishCakeLady Posted 13 Jul 2011 , 4:57pm
post #1 of 13

Hello, all.

I'd like to ask your advice about how many servings each pan size yields. I know there is a Wilton serving guide that people use, but I've also read that it might not be very accurate. I've also seen Earlene's serving guide which is wonderfully comprehensive, but seems only to be for wedding cake sized servings (should I just half the number of servings for a party slice?). I've also read that people think it causes waste.

I found a guide I found here on CC by lexi55033, which I use just because it gives wedding and party size servings. However, it doesn't include 5, 7, 9 or 11" pans sizes (I just guess from the two pans either side).

Here's the link: http://cakecentral.com/gallery/1300478

Is there a definitive serving guide? If not, what do you recommend I use? Although I haven't made a wedding cake yet, I am ideally looking for something that gives yields for party servings (2 x 2 x 4") and wedding servings (1 x 2 x 5"). I only use round and square pans, so don't need anything too fancy, unless it's out there!

Any advice would be so gratefully received!
Thank you.

12 replies
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metria Posted 13 Jul 2011 , 5:04pm
post #2 of 13

here's a handy online helper ...

if you want to go off of Wilton charts:
http://shinymetalobjects.net/cake/calculator/cake_calculator.cgi

if you want to go off of strictly volume:
http://shinymetalobjects.net/cake/calculator/cake_calculator_byVolume.cgi

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EnglishCakeLady Posted 13 Jul 2011 , 5:19pm
post #3 of 13

Thanks, metria!

So, if I select '2" party pans' does that assume I'm wanting to calculate a 2 x 2 x 4" high serving?

This guide is WAY off the one I'm using now, so I'm still so confused! I am baking a 12, 10, 8 and 6" round cake, all tiers will be 4" high. The guide I use tells me this will yield 71 2 x 2 x 4" servings, but the guide you've given me says 100!

*SOB!*

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EnglishCakeLady Posted 13 Jul 2011 , 5:21pm
post #4 of 13

OK, I've just used the volume guide putting in a 2 x 2 x 4" serving size and choosing 6, 8, 10 and 12" round pans and it gives me 67 servings. That's more like it, so why are they so different?! What haven't I figured out?!

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johnson6ofus Posted 13 Jul 2011 , 5:22pm
post #5 of 13
Quote:
Originally Posted by EnglishCakeLady

I've also seen Earlene's serving guide which is wonderfully comprehensive, but seems only to be for wedding cake sized servings (should I just half the number of servings for a party slice?).




I think you reversed that. "Party" pieces tend to be larger than "wedding" pieces- the argument being that people have dinner at a wedding, drink, and may leave before the cake is cut. At a "party", there may be cake only so the pieces are bigger.

EDIT-OOPS- reread this ... you got it right!

I like cake, so a big thick wedge of cake is a "serving" to me, not a 1"x2"x4" "wedding" size piece. You will never satisfy everyone, because one Big Mac is clearly a serving, but my teenage sons in the their prime could eat 3!

I just think whatever chart you adopt should stay the same so customer know what to expect, much in the same way I know which local restaurants give giant portions, average portions, and small portions.

I just don't think there is ONE fits-all answer. thumbs_up.gif

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metria Posted 13 Jul 2011 , 5:22pm
post #6 of 13

ugh, I kinda hate the Wilton charts because they are not consistent. For the 2" party pans, the documentation says:

Quote:
Quote:

Serving amounts are based on party-sized portions of approximately 1.5 x 2 in. Cakes from 3 to 6 in. high, baked in the same size pan, would yield the same number of servings because they follow the same pattern of cutting. Cakes shorter than 3 in. would yield half the number of servings indicated for that pan. Number of servings are intended as a guide only.


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metria Posted 13 Jul 2011 , 5:24pm
post #7 of 13

anywho, that's why I like using the volume chart. it's just math, no mystery there.

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leah_s Posted 13 Jul 2011 , 5:28pm
post #8 of 13

in my world a 6/8/10/12 round serves 134.

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CWR41 Posted 13 Jul 2011 , 6:19pm
post #9 of 13
Quote:
Originally Posted by EnglishCakeLady

I am ideally looking for something that gives yields for party servings (2 x 2 x 4") and wedding servings (1 x 2 x 5").




Industry standard party servings are 2" x 2" x 2" (8 cu. in.), and wedding servings are 1" x 2" x 4" (8 cu. in.). That's how venues will cut when serving to accommodate the guest count.

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EnglishCakeLady Posted 13 Jul 2011 , 6:31pm
post #10 of 13

Thank you all for your replies so far!

leah_s - which guide do use in your world? Is it your own or can you let me know where to find it?

CWR41 - I thought the industry standard party serving was 2 x 2 x 4" and wedding servings were 1 x 2 x 4? Have I had it wrong all this time?!

metria - I think I'll stick to the volume guide you suggest. So far I'm only doing this for family and friends so don't need to worry about venues (yet). I'll let them worry about how to cut the cake up!

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kakeladi Posted 13 Jul 2011 , 6:53pm
post #11 of 13

One of the things you can do to help you figure this out is to cut pieces of styro (or if you want to eat it *real cake* -hahaha) into the sizes you are deciding on.
A 2x2x4 piece is rather large! If people would forget those so called party sizes we'd all be better off!icon_sad.gif

When you look at the Wilton serving charts of 30+ yrs ago they said an 8x4" round would serve 8; Today, that same 8x4" round serves 24!!!!!
There are few people who would eat one eighth of cake at one sitting. Try the various sized servings and come up with your own chart.

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CWR41 Posted 13 Jul 2011 , 7:20pm
post #12 of 13
Quote:
Originally Posted by EnglishCakeLady

CWR41 - I thought the industry standard party serving was 2 x 2 x 4" and wedding servings were 1 x 2 x 4? Have I had it wrong all this time?!




I should have said slab/sheet cakes = 2" x 2" x 2" (8 cu. in.)

A party serving 2x2x4 is huge... (16 cu. in.) double the industry standard compared to wedding servings.

The Wilton party chart says 1.5" x 2" (3 cu. in.) X 3 (for 3" tall) = 9 cu. in. (not too huge), but if it's 4" tall--a 12 cu. in. serving is 50% larger than a typical slice, and if it's 6" tall--an 18 cu. in. serving is ridiculously large!
http://www.wilton.com/cakes/making-cakes/baking-party-cake-2-inch-pans.cfm

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EnglishCakeLady Posted 13 Jul 2011 , 7:51pm
post #13 of 13

I did think that 2 x 2 x 4" was rather large, but I'm English (living in California) so I thought perhaps Americans liked bigger slices.

I'm still none the wiser then! Is Earlene's chart for a 1 x 2 x 4" high serving size? I couldn't really tell...

So 1.5 x 2 x 4" high does seem like a sensible party serving. Is there a chart out there that will give me pan yields for this size serving, or do I have to work it out myself? icon_sad.gif

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