Hi All,
I've been a lurker up to this point but now I have a reason to speak up....I'm new at decorating cakes with a whopping three under my belt. I've been asked to do a cake for a wedding shower at work. It seems very simple and I'm confident that I can do it. However, I have a couple of very basic questions I know you all can help me with....
1) When someone says they want 1/2 a sheet cake....what does that mean? What are the dimensions?
2) When making a 1/2 sheet cake how many boxes of cake mix do you use?
3) Any other tips for a newbie?
Thank you all!
mlianes75 (already addicted to Cakecentral! LOVE IT!!)
Just wanted to say hello.
From what I know 12"x18" would be half a sheet cake (correct me if I'm wrong).
Not too sure about how many boxes you would need though. I've only done round, heart, and oval shapes before...but this would be good for me to learn!
I have only made the 11 X 15 size....and it uses two boxed mixes....so I am guessing that it would be somewhere between 2 and 3.... or maybe a full 3??? There is a chart somewhere (I think on this site or maybe its the wilton site) that tells how many cups of batter go into each pan...and I think most mixes are 4-5 cups?
15 cups of batter. each cake mix is about 4 and 1/2 cups when mixed. So you would need a bit over three boxes. The answer to your next question is yes, you do need at least 15 cups, otherwise you will not have a high enough cake....TRUST ME, I KNOW! 
~Aimee
JUst my 2 cents worth: Bakeries in my area say that thier 1/2 sheets are 12x18 but they are really 11x15. And the 1/4 sheets are 7x11 (pans no longer made but when bakeries use frozen cakes they cut thier 1/2 sheets in half and it seems to become 7x11) but day they are 9x14. You can see by the way they sit the cakes on thier boards. All cake boards are the same size every where. And the 1/2 sheets cakes are short on the 1/2 sheet boards. HTH
I think it differs upon what region of the country you live. My region is as follows and the amt of mixes per size is what I use to get a full 2" high cake:
9x13 = 1/4 sheet (2 mixes)
11x15 = 1/2 sheet (3 mixes)
12x18 = 3/4 sheet (4 mixes)
(2) 11x15's = full sheet
I do have some leftover mix....but if I don't use what's listed it never rises above the cake pan, so I don't get a 2" high cake. I just make practice cakes and/or cupcakes with the leftovers! It's a great way to promote my business! I just take the cupcakes in to local businesses so they can try them....with LOTS of business cards!
11 X 15 is really a 1/3 sheet, isn't it? I can't even fit a 12 X 18 in my oven.
To do a half sheet, I usually make 2 quarter sheet cakes and butt them together, which would actually make it three mixes (1 1/2 each).
Debbi
Debbi
That's a GREAT point Debbi! I'm not sure if a 1/2 sheet would fit into my oven.....so if I do two 1/4 sheets and butt them up together, is there a trick to getting a seamless icing layer? I'm worried that the icing will crack or something. Now I'm worried...
Hi mlianes75 ~ WELCOME to a fun place!!! 
I use 3 mixes per 12" x 18" pan.
I also bake at a low temp., starting at 325 degrees and half way turning down to 300 degrees.
It takes longer but it cooks evenly.
Knock on wood, the cake rises nice & full.
Good luck, have fun decorating, keep reading all of these questions/answers for more hints, etc.
My 1/2 sheet pan is a magic line 11x15 and I use three mixes. If I'm making a full sheet I bake 2 and put them together. If I want a 1/2 sheet with two flavors (ie half white and half choc) I make two 1/4 sheet pans (9x13) and put them together. This may make a slightly larger 1/2 sheet so it's a little bonus. Ü I like my cakes to rise above the pan so I can level it off high and to lose any browness around the edge. The inside of Duncan Hines boxes have a nice chart with pan sizes, cups of batter needed and baking times. I taped this to the inside of my cupboard for quick reference.
The inside of Duncan Hines boxes have a nice chart with pan sizes, cups of batter needed and baking times. I taped this to the inside of my cupboard for quick reference.
I didn't know there was a chart inside the box. That is a great idea. I am going to tape one inside my cupboard.
I use 2 cake mixes for the 11 x 15 size pan - cake mixes, 8 eggs, 2 cps water, 1 cp crisco or wesson oil and 2 small boxes of instant pudding - makes a thick batter. If making chocolate cake add 1/4 cup additional water for each cake mix. This bater is thick enough to do chocolate and yellow in the same pan. Do the yellow batter first and you don't even have to was the bowl, just add the chocolate mix and go. Bake starting at 275 degrees and every 15 minutes raise temperature 25 degrees till you get to 350 degrees and cook till toothpick comes out clean. This gives you a nice moist and firm cake, have been using this recipe for 30 years. Brand of cake mix doesn't matter. HTH
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