I am making a cake that will be for about 25-30 people and I don't know what size pan I should use. I want to use a rectangle pan. Does anyone know what size pan I should get? Thanks!!

let's do math!

GET BACK HERE -- no running away screaming!

-----

start with...

well, just how piggy do the guests want to be?

ignore the teenage boys who will ask for one whole cake each!

so...

do you want 2x2 pieces of single 2in layer? (that would 8 cubic inches of cake -- a fair amount excpet for the those teen boys -- have baseball bat handy to beat them off)

or do you want 1x2 of a 4 inch double layer (well look at that -- it's also 8 cubic inches)

or maybe you want 2x2 of a 4 in double layer (hoo boy -- that's 16 cubic inches of cake -- the teen boys are still complaining TOO small!)

ok...3x3 of single layer (18 cubic inches)

or 3x3 of double layer (36 cubic inches -- teen boy's call this one bite!)

-----

in any event (including teen boys trying to run off w/ cake -- use baseball bat!)

it all comes down to....

pick a size of serving...

pick a size of sheet cake (rectangle)

then divide size of cake by size of serving to get number of servings.

so.....

if you start with a 9x13 cake and 3x3 slices...

9 / 3 = 3
13 / 3 = 4 and some "crumbs"
3 x 4 = 12 servings.

but you're on the never ending diet so you go with 2x2 (hey this is cake -- I'm not going to starve ya know!)
with that we get
9 / 2 = 4.5
13 / 2 = 6.5
forget the .5 (that's the cake cutter's cutting fee!)
4 x 6 = 24 --- or double the servings of 3x3 pieces.

ok the doctor called and yelled at you.
down to 1.5 x 2 we go.
9 / 1.5 = 6
13 / 2 = 6.5
give the ".5" to the dog (that is until the vet puts him on a diet too!)
6 x 6 = 36! a 50% increase in servings over 2x2 and 3 times the amount of 3x3

all from one 9x13 cake.

it's all in how big you cut those servings.

works the same for any size rectangle or square cake.

to wit:

11x15 --

3x3 serving
11 / 3 = 3 (with a big strip for the dog)
15 / 3 = 5
3 x 5 = 15

2x2 serving
11 / 2 = 5 (with a smaller strip for Killer)
15 / 2 = 7 (and a strip for Fifi too)
5 x 7 = 35

1.5x2 serving
11 / 2 = 5 (killer is fighting fifi for the strip -- fifi wins!)
15 / 1.5 = 10
5 x 10 = 50

etc, etc, etc.

now if you'll excuse me, I have some teens to chase down ....

COME BACK HERE WITH THAT CAKE!