After talking with Cali4dawn, this is a quote from her (with her permission) on the sheet cake size question:

"1/4 sheet - 9*13
1/2 sheet - (2) 9*13's equaling 18*13
whole sheet - (4) 9*13's equaling 26*18

When I make the whole sheet, I have to shave off just about 1 inch of the cake (on one 26" side and one 18" side) to fit on a standard whole sheet cake board (it fits, but no room for borders). I do this after torting and filling but before icing. This brings the cake down to 25*17 (and provides taste testing samples for me!!). If I make my own board out of plywood, I do not shave it off, I just make the board big enough.

In doing it this way, I have eliminated the need to purchase more pans (I own 2 identical 9*13's and have baked and sold many whole size and half size cakes this way). I also have less pans to store and in the end less hassle for me."

This is what I've been using, as have several others here on CC, although I have never made a full sheet cake, but it does simplify some of the cake pan dilemma. Janice

your 25x17 and the 24x16 is basicly the same it is still a standard full sheet size please thank Cali-Dawn and ty for trying to clear that up be blessed

Also--I was thinking that because you just use 9x13's it makes your torting and filling much easier. I don't generally tort my 1/2 or full sheets. I will fill them if they are a double layer, but that's it. It's too hard to keep it all in one piece.

On another note--when somebody wants a full sheet--I usually can talk them into going "up", rather than "out" for their servings. I think that full sheets are a bit outrageous looking because they are SO big. That's what I did for the grad/bday cake this past weekend and the client LOVE it. She kept telling me that I was so right about it looking more elegant, etc.

Just a thought!

Lisa

Lisa,

I agree that the full sheet just looks huge. What size pans did you use for the graduation cake?

Thanks,
Cindy

I don't know about everybody else, but my kitchen/work area is not big enough to handle a full size sheet cake (not even baked in 4 sections), I would definitely have to go up in layers or tiers.
Janice

im in apartment so that tell you how big my kitchen is
(SMALL)

I hear you on the apartment kitchen size! Hardly enough room to turn around in...and my dining table where I "decorate" is only about 40" square. I could almost put a turning device under it and use it as a turntable! Janice

I have a big kitchen....but I need more room when I'm baking alot of cakes.... dh got me a beautiful dinning room suite for mother's day.... sooo I bake in the kitchen...and take my cakes into the dinning room to cool.... then back one by one to the kitchen when ready to decorate them...then back to the dinning room table when finished to keep them out of my way....whew!!!!!!
I don't like that big bulky looking full sheet cake size either... and for some reason.... I love making round cakes more than I do oblong or square.....
cakegal

i did two full sheet cakes in the past two weeks and i have one for this weekend. they are a lot of hassle, but being on a military base, a full sheet cake is popular with the here because it has to feed a lot of people.

You read my mind! I was wondering what those dimensions for sheet cakes were. I'm glad not to have to buy more pans, which would just take up more space. Thanks again.

We built the kitchen ourselves when we remodeled this house. It's not perfect, but I have a nice big kitchen and an eight foot bar! I don't know how i would work without it! We had to give up the upgrades, but at least we have so space!