Hi everyone, 

I have used this forum so much for advice, but this is my first time posting. 

I need some help crafting my first wedding cake!

My friend is getting married and wants me to make her cake. She only has 40 guests, and want to save the top tier for the 1st year anniversary. 

I am torn between using a 6" and an 8" vs. an 8" and a 10". The sizing charts online say that a 6" and an 8" will serve 40, but I don't want them to run out of cake! 

Any advice would be great!

Thanks in advance!

Alanna

You could do a 5-7-9 to give it some height. I think that's around 50 servings not including the top tier, but I could be a little off. With a cake that small, though, it's nice to have the taller size. Or you could do a 4-6-8 and give them the top tier and that should be enough and still give you three tiers.

I suggest a 10/6 or 7 round  - or 10"sq w/6" round combination.  The 10" round will serve 48(?) wedding sized pieces.    Give the bride a choice of what you can do and how close to her #s it will come to. 

Another option to make a 'bigger' cake is to use a styro tier -  either the top or bottom tier -  but than you need to charge just a bit less than it would cost if 'real' cake was used as most of the work is in decorating - not the baking of cake. 

I personally do not like the cakes that have only 2" difference ie: 4,6,8 etc).  They don't look right to me  AND they are much more difficult to deliver:(   Here are a few I have made in those sizes to give  you an idea of how they will look.  

costumeczar- I think that the bride really wants a traditional round cake. Great thoughts, though! I am leaning towards the 4, 6, 8 idea, as the next size up is definitely too large. 

kakeladi- These pictures are great inspiration. I love the ones with spacers. Maybe I will suggest these to her, and the Styrofoam idea. 

lannabelle~~Who will be cutting the cake?  Since it is only for 40 guests, my assumption is that a non-professional (grandma, you, cousin...) may be cutting and serving the cake.  Depending on the person cutting the cake, a 10" round may serve 10-38.  See these charts:

http://www.wilton.com/cms-baking-serving-guide.html  

http://www.wilton.com/wedding-cake-cutting-guide.html

Have you ever personally cut and served a small cake to achieve the number of "servings" written on the Wilton chart?  Here is a wonderful method shared by Indydebi:

http://cateritsimple.blogspot.com/search/label/cake%20comb  

If you will be cutting the cake and haven't already done so, I recommend making and cutting a couple of "practice" cakes.

i vote for a 9x6 -- just the sweetest size ever for a petite cake -- then deliver a replica of the top tier already boxed up ready for the freezer -- and while you're at it toss together a little 4" cake from trimmings into a cute little 6" box for their 'honeymoon' cake -- a little take out for them -- decisions decisions

best to you

Oh k8 the 6,9 w/a honeymoon cake is just the right idea:)  How come you are still so sharp? :)

And about cutting the cake - I don't worry about who/how it is cut.  That also should have been addressed at the consultation - giving the bride the same instruction sheet.   Then I leave a paper w/cutting instructions - preferably given to whoever is there to 'accept' the cake setup.   

'still so sharp' you made me laugh out loud -- thank you though heheheheh

K8memphis--Fabulous ideas! 

Kakeladi~~Ditto to what you said.  Out of curiosity, did you ever have any complaints about not having enough servings because the cake was cut wrong, or have people stare at you and say, "Are you kidding?  How am I gonna get 38 servings?"    I kinda obsess about the tiny wedding servings because until a cake class in 2012 I would NEVER EVER have believed it was possible to get 38 servings from a 10x4 cake. 

One of my proudest cake moments was getting exactly 72 servings out of a 12x4 square cake that was on the Wilton chart as having 72 servings.

You can do all the planning you want to, and it's totally out of your control if you don't cut the cake. This is a photo that the bride sent me after a wedding once...http://acaketorememberva.blogspot.com/2012/12/cake-serving-charts-have-nothing-to-do.html 

at the consult i tell my brides a serving is about the size of a cupcake plus fillings -- that's a visual they can easily grasp -- and i say if they want to get the most bang for their buck don't let aunt louise's 13 year old twins cut the cake -- get someone experienced -- otherwise buy more servings -- i've never done the charts -- i just tell them to cut a circle or a strip 2" deep and cut 1" servings from that -- bam

and i never determine the number of servings they tell me how many they want to pay for -- i help them with how many will probably show based on the number of invites etc. but that's all their decision --

@apti-- thank you

kakeladi -- i especially like your purple one and the last one the pink one -- i did the same cake for my kid a martha stewart if memory serves -- so pretty

I cut some pieces of styro as sample show & tell of the size.   I also served 1/2 of a wedding size piece for a tasting , explaining that a 'serving' was about dbl what they were eating. 

Did I ever have complaints about not enough cake??  Not that I can remember.  As far as someone staring and saying your kidding....YEP, that did happen.  I just tell them that is the industry standard and if they really want bigger servings than buy a bigger cake.   I can only remember 1 customer who insisted on a 12"R b'day for something like 10 pople.  Then I had a mother/daughter come in to order.  Daughter was maybe mid-20s and knew what she wanted.  We agreeded on a size/design & they left.  The next day mom comes in and insists on another tier added because what daughter ordered wasn't grand enough.  They ended up having that added tier (a 16"R if I remember right) leftover. 

Hi all!

Thank you so much for your replies! Their wedding is at a hotel, and I assume that the staff there will cut it. I guess I will have to ask!

If the wedding is held at a hotel, you should probably ask a few questions:

1.  May a wedding cake be brought in from the outside?  (Sometimes hotels 'force' you to use their own kitchen products. )   IF it is ok to bring in a wedding cake from outside the hotel, are there are requirements for the cake to be from a licensed vendor?  Will a wedding cake from a home kitchen be ok?

2.  Will the staff be cutting the cake?  Will the wedding party be charged a cutting/serving fee for cutting/serving the cake?  (Sometimes this can be $1 to $3 per serving, depending on the venue.)

Kakeladi~~That's funny that there was a 16x4 round tier left over...  However, I'll bet the cake did look grand!