I Have My First Order And The Guest Count Changed...
Decorating By hmarie_73 Updated 25 Jul 2007 , 6:18pm by okieinalaska
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I am making my first paid order cake. It is a round stacked cake for 50 people (originally 30). I was going to do a two tier 6 and 8, but now with the change in people it looks like i will have to do a 3 tier...would that be a correct assumption? The last time i did a three tier was for my son's football cheerleeding banquet and I apparently didn't support it well enough becuase when I got up the morning of delivery the back half of the cake had fallen off, and one of the kids turned on the heat in the kitchen and it sat above a 80 degree baseboard heater all night and the frosting melted off...what a nightmare! I salvaged it by sheering off the back to make a straight cake and then used a wrapping paper covered cake board as a backdrop and pushed it flush with the back of the cake and no one knew the difference. (see pic)
Please advise me on whether I need the third tier and any additional thoughts on dowelling, cake boards and transport (2nd person to carry the cake or on the floor of my vehicle)...
BTW...I am getting $75 with delivery for this cake, just thought that may be a deciding factor as to whether to do a third tier. The cake needs to be done for this Sunday...any help, ideas, suggestions or words of wisdom would be greatly appreciated!
Heather
You don't need to do 3 tiers for 50 people. Just use larger pans. What is that 8" and 10"? I'm not exactly sure cause I don't have my chart here in front of me. But I don't see why you couldn't just make the tiers bigger. It'll probably be a little easier on you than doing a third tier. Good luck and post pics when your done!
Just a suggestion here... why not just increase the size of the two tiers? Make it easier on yourself. When your customer increased the number of servings, did you increase your price to coincide with the amount of work and materials?
I always use a 6 and 10 inch for 40-50 people. I have never had them run out of cake. They usually have a little left over. You could use an 8 and 10 inch if you wanted a few more servings!
I always use a 6 and 10 inch for 40-50 people. I have never had them run out of cake. They usually have a little left over. You could use an 8 and 10 inch if you wanted a few more servings!
Same here -- 6 and 10 is my standard for 50 servings.
My princess cake in my pics was a 10" on the bottom with an 8" on top of it... no doweling no board in the middle just crumb coated the bottom one slapped the 8" on top of it and crumb coated it waited for it to crust them iced them together as one cake. It sat in the fridge over night once decorating was completed, then it sat on a table in 90* heat in DIRECT sunlight for 2 1/2 hours before being cut and was in perfect condition.
The 10" and 8" should be perfect for you because the 8" gives 20 slices and the 10" gives 28 slices even though that comes out to be 48 I do not think my chart counts the rounded edge pieces (see this website for cutting and serving round cakes: http://cateritsimple.com/_wsn/page19.html) This is how I served it and it lasted a great deal after the party lol I had invited a great deal of people but only maybe 25 or so showed and everyone there didn't eat cake... But I do think an 8 & 10" would be perfect rather then doing 3 tiers. 
What serving chart is everyone else going by?? I'm not sure where mine came from because I printed it out from a Word document instead of their website... can yall share with me yours because mine is saying a 6" serves 12 and a 10" serves 28 that would only be 40 not 50 servings.... I checked Debi's website but don't see a serving chart anywhere lol
OMG You guys are awesome...see what happens when I start to panic I can't think right...LMBO. As far as the price goes...unfortunately that is what the price went up to after the addition...cheap huh? I read on another forum post that when someone asks you to do a cake you should just simply ask them how many people and what their budget is and go from there...If they say $40...say I can feed 50 people for $40 but you need to buy all of the supplies and decorations. If they say $100...then you are golden...you know what I mean...why is it so hard to put a price tag on your time????? 
Ok I see now you're using Wilton's Wedding chart and I'm using Wilton's Party chart lol.... I don't have any wedding orders so I only printed out the party chart because everyone I bake for usually cuts larger pieces then 1" lol
Each tier is one layer of cake 2" tall... I didn't want to torte and didn't want layers because I was trying to avoid having to dowel so I simply baked one 10" and one 8" and slapped em together 
And now that I'm looking at it hun I'm sorry it is 10" and 12" 
I thought it was 10 and 8" cakes... sorry bout that...
I always use a 6 and 10 inch for 40-50 people. I have never had them run out of cake. They usually have a little left over. You could use an 8 and 10 inch if you wanted a few more servings!
Same here -- 6 and 10 is my standard for 50 servings.
same here.....
Ok the one thing I don't understand how would being 2 layers or 1 make any difference? (This is to others who have more experience then I do lol) Because really you're serving the same amount of slices to people they are just going to be taller if they are 2 layers.... you wouldn't actually seperate those two layers would you? lol I know stupid question but I'm just lost....
Anyway if you do a 10" and 6" reguardless of 1 layer or 2 layer it's not going to be enough unless this is a wedding or they are going to eat wedding size slices which are 1" wide x 2" deep x 2 or 4" high... most parties don't serve that size which is why I used the party servings list lol.
If doing a 10" and 8" you will still be 2 slices under 50 but it can be worked out to be exactly 50 IF infact the Wilton chart does count corners but I don't think it does....
Yeah my brain finally woke up and kicked into the right gear and I'm no longer having my "DUH!" moment lol... Yeah having 2 layers per tier would allow you cut smaller pieces....
So....sorry if I am being thick here...2 8" and 2 10" should be more than enough? and if I went with 2 6" and 2 10" would also probably be plenty...
Visually...which, in everyone's opinion would look more appealing?
I think the 4" difference is the way to go.
ask them how many people and what their budget is and go from there...If they say $40...say I can feed 50 people for $40 but you need to buy all of the supplies and decorations. If they say $100...then you are golden...you know what I mean...why is it so hard to put a price tag on your time?????
The more cakes you make the more you will value your time and it won't be hard. If they don't want to pay they don't get a cake. I wouldn't go into that "you buy the supplies" stuff. No way, no how. : )
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