Sheet Cake Questions

Baking By monkbun Updated 28 May 2016 , 2:14am by monkbun

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monkbun Posted 26 May 2016 , 10:18pm
post #1 of 8

I am a first timer when it comes to naking large cakes (I usually bake cupcakes) and I've been asked by family to make a graduation cake. They weren't very specific, just that they wanted half chocolate and half somethng else to please everyone and that they wanted it to be big enough.

I've been reading up on the boards and online and finally decided to just ask. I have a few questions and help would be VERY much appreciated! It's confusing! So here are my questions: 


1- What is the norm for half sheet cake size? I'm seeing 11x15 most often. 
2- How can I get two diffrent flavors in the pan? Or should I bake two seperate cakes and put them together and if so, which size pan? 9x13? 
3 - Is the standard sheet cake two layers or one? If one, how do I get filling in there? Slice it in half? 
4 - I have seen that a 9x13 pan needs 7 cups of batter and the 11x15 needs 11. Is this accurate? I worry about over filling. 
5 - Freezing cakes, I've never had to do this before. Is plastic wrap ok and how long do they take to thaw? 
6 - Will I be ok with a Wilton pan or should I go with Magic Line? 

I know this a lot but I really do feel overwhelmed at baking a larger cake when people think of me as the baker of the family. I don't do cakes. lol I have a week to find a recipe, buy a pan online and start practicing my decorating skills. :\ , I appreciate any and all help you guys can give me! I'm also looking for a great stawberry recipe that tastes similar to a cake mix. I don't know if such a thing exists! 


7 replies
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yjflores1 Posted 26 May 2016 , 10:46pm
post #2 of 8

Hi I don't often do sheet cakes but when I do for flavors I just poor both batters inside evenly for example vanilla on one side and chocolate on the other until it mets halfway in the pan. But you only wanna do this if they both take the same amount of time to bake and I found this too... Hope it helps [postimage id="3993" thumb="900"]

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monkbun Posted 26 May 2016 , 11:38pm
post #3 of 8

Thank you for that! I completely forgot about the bake times! 

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hippiecac Posted 27 May 2016 , 3:31am
post #4 of 8

1- What is the norm for half sheet cake size? I'm seeing 11x15 most often. 

Yes, 11x15
2- How can I get two diffrent flavors in the pan? Or should I bake two seperate cakes and put them together and if so, which size pan? 9x13? 

I would bake 2 cakes, put them next to each other on the cake board sandwiched with frosting. Then you don't have to worry about the bake times being different
3 - Is the standard sheet cake two layers or one? If one, how do I get filling in there? Slice it in half? 

Mine are 2 layers with 1 layer of filling. Bake 2 thinner layers and fill them.  Torting a half sheet cake evenly is damn near impossible
4 - I have seen that a 9x13 pan needs 7 cups of batter and the 11x15 needs 11. Is this accurate? I worry about over filling. 

Every cake recipe rises differently, so there's not a standard answer on that. I fill pans 3/4 of the way. 
5 - Freezing cakes, I've never had to do this before. Is plastic wrap ok and how long do they take to thaw? 

Yes. Wrap well in plastic. I find it easier to fill & stack cakes frozen; less crumbling/breakage

6 - Will I be ok with a Wilton pan or should I go with Magic Line? 

Wilton is fine

I know this a lot but I really do feel overwhelmed at baking a larger cake when people think of me as the baker of the family. I don't do cakes. lol I have a week to find a recipe, buy a pan online and start practicing my decorating skills. :\ , I appreciate any and all help you guys can give me! I'm also looking for a great stawberry recipe that tastes similar to a cake mix. I don't know if such a thing exists! 

Not trying to sound like a jerk (really!) why not use a cake mix if that's the flavor you want? 


Read more at http://www.cakecentral.com/forum/t/831278/sheet-cake-questions#q5eEvQsxqtauvIza.99

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hippiecac Posted 27 May 2016 , 3:34am
post #5 of 8

Wow, I made the mistake of questioning my half sheet size and fell down the rabbit hole. There are a lot of different answers on that! 

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CWR41 Posted 27 May 2016 , 9:00am
post #6 of 8

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


^^^^^^^^Industry standard^^^^^^^^

12x18 half sheet serves 98-108 w/double layer, single layer serves 54.

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kakeladi Posted 27 May 2016 , 6:36pm
post #7 of 8

What size a 1/4, 1/2 or full sheet has been discussed to death :)   If one goes by the size of a cake board & box then a 1/4 sheet cake is 8x12; a 1/2 sheet is 12x16 and a full is two 1/2 sheets.

2- How can I get two diffrent flavors in the pan? 

......It's easy to put 2 flavors of cake into one pan.  Cut a thick cardboard 2-3" tall the length of your pan (example for a 1/2 sheet pan 12x16, make your cardboard just under 12" long x 2 or 3" tall) cover w/a couple layers of aluminum foil.  Pour one different batter of cake mix in each side of the cardboard, then remove it.  The batters will flow/&bake together into one cake.

3 - Is the standard sheet cake two layers or one? If one, how do I get filling in there? Slice it in half? 

........It can be either - as you wish.  Most commercial /bakeries probably use on one layer w/o filling.  Besides slicing the 2" deep cake in 1/2 (called torting) to add filling you could use the injection method.  Using a pastry bag filled w/your choice of filling & a tip 3 or 4 push the tip into the cake and squeeze - do this about every 2-3" all over the cake.   

4 - I have seen that a 9x13 pan needs 7 cups of batter and the 11x15 needs 11 I worry about over filling.

I *never!* measure batter into cups.  It's as inaccurate as heck and sooooo messy.   Instead use my *original* WASC recipe - just the perfect amount of batter for a 9x13. Another way to tell if there is enough batter (or too much) is to fill you pan just over 1/2 to 2/3rds - so if using a 2" deep pan, the b atter should measure at least 1" to 1 1/2"
Here's the recipe:  http://www.cakecentral.com/recipe/7445/the-original-wasc-cake-recipe#8YvzbAzBi7RoH8U1.99 

5 - Freezing cakes, I've never had to do this before. Is plastic wrap ok and how long do they take to thaw? 

...........how I wrap the cake depends on how long it will be in the fzr.  If just a couple of days or less then throw it in a plastic bag.  If longer wrap in plastic wrap, then into the plastic bag; if length unknown/longer than a week plastic wrap, foil, then into a cake box which is then put into a plastic bag.  Length of thawing time depends on the size of the cake but generally it's best to take from fzr into frig the night before you want to work on them.

6 - Will I be ok with a Wilton pan or should I go with Magic Line? 

.............Sure it will be fine w/a Wilton pan but if you intend to do a lot of cakes in the future it would be wise to invest in ML ;)

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monkbun Posted 28 May 2016 , 2:14am
post #8 of 8

Wow, thank you all so much. I have heard about WASC recipes before but had never used them. I usually make cupcakes from scratch and don't have  experience with larger cakes and extended recipes. 

Also to answer the question about the strawberry cake mix, I'm just wary about using cake mixes in general. I don't want any backlash I suppose.  But I might just go with it after all. 


Thank you for the replies! I hope I can pull it off. 

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