Who's Wedding Cake Serving Chart Do You Use?
Business By littlecake Updated 8 Apr 2008 , 9:44pm by mommicakes
i was going to update my prices...and make a chart easier for the customers to understand...
i've been using the same chart for years....i think my old partner got it off of wilton.
well i started looking around online and the servings really vary alot.
for instance....on my chart it says a 6-10-14 serves over 150.
on earlenes site it says that size serves roughly 105...which really now i take time to think about it sounds more realistic.
i think i might revamp everything and start going by her chart.
what do you guys do?
I made my own serving chart loosely based between Wilton and Earlene's numbers.
The cakes that give me a hard time are the big ones. I'm not really quite sure what a 16 inch round really serves acurately.
Great question.
Angie
I went with Earlene's, because Wilton's servings seemed tiny. In my family at least we serve large pieces, lol.
I use Earlene's chart--we like bigger pieces of cake too
That's a really good question, but sadly, I am no help. I have the same dilema with so many different serving size charts. You don't want to short change your clients, but you definately don't want to undersell yourself!! I'm sure some of our great CC members will kick in and add input soon.
This is a really hard question, and I'm interested to hear what everyone else thinks. I have been using the Wilton chart for wedding cakes, but I agree that it isn't realistic. Who is going to serve those tiny little slivers?? But the bad part about using a lower serving guide is that you get paid less if you charge by the serving.
No idea either but I have to agree with above. I was just looking at the Wilton chart and thinking "WOW who are these people?!?!?!?!" 
In my family we eat alot of stuff we like and feeding over 20 people with an 8in. round is ..well as scary as it is laughable!
~Alicia
I use Earlene's chart--we like bigger pieces of cake too
Hello, I am so new at this and would love to know how to access Earlenes chart?
Thanks so much!
I use Earlene's chart--we like bigger pieces of cake too
Hello, I am so new at this and would love to know how to access Earlenes chart?
Thanks so much!
Here is her site. She has a lot of helpful information!
http://www.earlenescakes.com/index1.htm
I have been using the Wilton chart for wedding cakes, but I agree that it isn't realistic. Who is going to serve those tiny little slivers?? But the bad part about using a lower serving guide is that you get paid less if you charge by the serving.
Acording to Earlene's chart a 10" round serves 30, a 6" round serves 8
Wilton chart 10" round serves 48, and a 6" round serves 16
I have personally measured the cakes and Wilton's chart is true. I show the customer the serving size and it is up to them to decide if they need to go to the next size up. We have served tiered cakes at our parties and the serving sizes are perfect. If someone wants seconds they will come back.
A 6" & 10" tiered-fondant covered cake at $3 pp
38 x $3= $114 Earlene (I don't know how much she sells her cakes for)
64 x $3= $192 Wilton (I start fondant cakes at this price)
The price per serving would need to go up if I use the Earlene chart
and that sounds worse to the customer.
For me I need to make $$ for the time I invest.
mpc
I have been using the Wilton chart for wedding cakes, but I agree that it isn't realistic. Who is going to serve those tiny little slivers?? But the bad part about using a lower serving guide is that you get paid less if you charge by the serving.
Acording to Earlene's chart a 10" round serves 30, a 6" round serves 8
Wilton chart 10" round serves 48, and a 6" round serves 16
I have personally measured the cakes and Wilton's chart is true. I show the customer the serving size and it is up to them to decide if they need to go to the next size up. We have served tiered cakes at our parties and the serving sizes are perfect. If someone wants seconds they will come back.
A 6" & 10" tiered-fondant covered cake at $3 pp
38 x $3= $114 Earlene (I don't know how much she sells her cakes for)
64 x $3= $192 Wilton (I start fondant cakes at this price)
The price per serving would need to go up if I use the Earlene chart
and that sounds worse to the customer.
For me I need to make $$ for the time I invest.
mpc
Actually if you are charging per serving then the cakes would cost the same regardless of which serving sizes you use. 100 serving for $3.00 will always be $300 whether it's being made with two tiers or three.
A 6" & 10" tiered-fondant covered cake at $3 pp
38 x $3= $114 Earlene (I don't know how much she sells her cakes for)
64 x $3= $192 Wilton (I start fondant cakes at this price)
The price per serving would need to go up if I use the Earlene chart
and that sounds worse to the customer.
For me I need to make $$ for the time I invest.
mpc
Actually if you are charging per serving then the cakes would cost the same regardless of which serving sizes you use. 100 serving for $3.00 will always be $300 whether it's being made with two tiers or three.[/quote]
So, I can say an 8, 12, 16 serves 100 or I can say a 6, 10 serves 100.
No offense but your post doesn't make sense when you divide the cake up into equal portions. Each cake size will equal a different amount of servings and if you multiply that by $3 each cake size will cost a different price.
I'd rather get paid $192 over $114 for the same size cake any day.
If you choose Earlenes chart for larger portions or Wiltons chart for smaller portions, the cake size remains the same it is divided up differently.
I have had to argue this FACT many times with my husband.
mpc
you make some good points MPC.
i've been using that chart a long time now, maybe i should keep it.
plus i guess everyone knows at a wedding you don't get a big ole hunk of cake anyway.
Actually if you are charging per serving then the cakes would cost the same regardless of which serving sizes you use. 100 serving for $3.00 will always be $300 whether it's being made with two tiers or three.
I'm with mpc on this one because you have to take into account that there ist a tired cake that will serve exactly 100 people. For example, using Earlene's chart, you have to ask the bride if she wants a cake that serves 95 or a cake that serves 115. One will never have an exact number of servings.
Thank you so much for posting her site for me!!!!
Actually if you are charging per serving then the cakes would cost the same regardless of which serving sizes you use. 100 serving for $3.00 will always be $300 whether it's being made with two tiers or three.
While that is technically true... 100 servings will always cost $300 at $3 per serving, the point is, if you use Earlene's guide, you are making a LOT more cake! I'd rather make $300 on a three tiered cake, then on a six tiered cake, if you get my meaning. 
With Earlene's guide you are putting out more for ingredients and your effort. Not to say it shouldn't be used, I was simply stating that Wilton's will make you more money. I always tell the brides the amount of servings by Wilton, and charge them for that amount, then I tell them if they'd like to serve larger servings they should consider ordering extra cake.
We have served tiered cakes at our parties and the serving sizes are perfect. If someone wants seconds they will come back.
Although I totally understand what you are saying, if you order 300 servings because you are expecting approximately that many guests, but 100 people take seconds because the pieces are small... well you get where I'm going with that! Where the difference really comes into play is what else they are serving. One of my first questions when determining how much cake they need is, "What else are you serving?" If it's a huge meal, then the little slices really are perfect. If it's just appetizers or something like that, the cake needs to be a little bigger because people are going to eat more. And, honestly, it depends on the family. While the more modest slices are great for some people, there are others that will never be satisfied with a 1" by 2" slice of cake. To them that's just a tease! 
Actually if you are charging per serving then the cakes would cost the same regardless of which serving sizes you use. 100 serving for $3.00 will always be $300 whether it's being made with two tiers or three.
While that is technically true... 100 servings will always cost $300 at $3 per serving, the point is, if you use Earlene's guide, you are making a LOT more cake! I'd rather make $300 on a three tiered cake, then on a six tiered cake, if you get my meaning.
With Earlene's guide you are putting out more for ingredients and your effort. Not to say it shouldn't be used, I was simply stating that Wilton's will make you more money. I always tell the brides the amount of servings by Wilton, and charge them for that amount, then I tell them if they'd like to serve larger servings they should consider ordering extra cake.
Lol, yeah that is what I was trying to get at in my reply to Pastry. I only do cakes for friends and family so right now I prefer more work for larger portions. Maybe I will become more thrifty when I branch out.
I made my own serving chart loosely based between Wilton and Earlene's numbers.
The cakes that give me a hard time are the big ones. I'm not really quite sure what a 16 inch round really serves acurately.
Great question.
Angie
This is what I've done also-sort of an average between these two. I sure don't want to ever have a bride call me and tell me that they ran out of cake 
Another pricing question...I know that the top layer isn't counted as "servings", but do you charge for this? Or is it a "gift"?
TIA
I only do cakes for friends and family so right now I prefer more work for larger portions. Maybe I will become more thrifty when I branch out.
Hahaha! Trust me, the first time you let a $200 cake (that you worked on for two days) out of your kitchen for $50... you will become that thrifty baker!! When I'm doing a cake for family... I will go all out and not care how much it costs me, but when I'm selling it, I am concious of how much I am spending versus what I am making!
Another pricing question...I know that the top layer isn't counted as "servings", but do you charge for this? Or is it a "gift"?
TIA
No, you charge for it, then be clear to the bride that it is not to be considered as part of the servable number unless they do not want to keep it. Most of my brides are not wanting to save theirs these days, and what I like to do it surprise them about 6 months after the wedding with a gift certificate for a free 6" cake to celebrate their anniversary. They love this, and it drums up more business! It's my anniversary present to them!
[quote and what I like to do it surprise them about 6 months after the wedding with a gift certificate for a free 6" cake to celebrate their anniversary. They love this, and it drums up more business! It's my anniversary present to them![/quote]
What an excellent idea Melvira...can I please copy it
Melvira, I do the same thing. Let the Bride count the servings from the top teir to serve, and offer a 6 inch replica for the 1 year anniversary. It keeps you in their thoughts for birthdays and baby showers.
I made the serving sizes out of some cardstock, the wilton size and earlene's size. I sit them both out and show the size difference in cake and explain that the larger piece costs more per serving, but people would be getting more cake. I have both serving charts and let the customer decide how they want their cake. I would not charge the same price per serving for a wilton vs. earlenes serving, that's bad business.
aligotmatt,
That's a very interesting idea! I hadn't thought of that! What a great way to give the customer more control and choices. I personally would have liked that option! I may start doing this!
aligotmatt... that is a very bright idea!! I think I may try the same thing! I know sometimes one of the first questions I encounter is, "Do you give those teeny little servings that you can read through?"
Of course, any of you may adopt that idea for the anniversary cake! Like someone said, keeps you in their mind for other events. I also include a letter with the certificate that explains I will need at least 2-3 weeks notice as to when they would want the cake and it states that 'an additional order is not required, however, would be cheerfully accepted!' That way they know they don't have to buy something to get this 'gift', but it encourages them to buy something anyway!
I made the serving sizes out of some cardstock, the wilton size and earlene's size. I sit them both out and show the size difference in cake and explain that the larger piece costs more per serving, but people would be getting more cake. I have both serving charts and let the customer decide how they want their cake. I would not charge the same price per serving for a wilton vs. earlenes serving, that's bad business.
Great idea...I know there was a member who had her husband cut her serving sample out of wood and she painted it like cake so she had a 3-D example for the bride...pure genius!! 
Do you guys have a problem when the cake is being served by the reception site as far as how it should be served if you are using earlene's method? The wedding cake I did last year was served by the staff they automatically used the wilton method for serving(which I think most sites do). I'm just wondering if they would use a different method if you told them to.
Of course it's different if a family member/friend would be serving since the bride would have more control over that (one would hope anyway! )
I made the serving sizes out of some cardstock, the wilton size and earlene's size. I sit them both out and show the size difference in cake and explain that the larger piece costs more per serving, but people would be getting more cake.
Brilliant!!! Love, love, love that idea! Can I 'borrow' it? 
I just had a bride email me back that instead of my 3 tiered cake to feed 75 for $150 (and that's delivered, set up, etc.), she decided to go w/ a $90 cake (supposed to feed 75 also) from someone else....I hope she gets what she pays for!
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