Think Wilton Servings Chart Is Fair?

Decorating By Angela93 Updated 6 Apr 2014 , 2:53pm by Katebaker

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leah_s Posted 12 Aug 2009 , 12:45am
post #31 of 48

Another vote for the Wilton charts and straight line cutting. I switched to that cutting method years ago. With apologies to Earlene, she's just wrong. The Wilton charts provide plenty of cake.

And you will make more $$ using the Wilton charts.
And, every caterer in the country cuts to those charts. Every. One.

OK, I guess I haven't met every one, but all the ones I know do. It's their industry standard.

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Angela93 Posted 12 Aug 2009 , 12:45pm
post #32 of 48

I WAS THINKING OF MAKING FOAM ONESicon_smile.gif

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grandmom Posted 12 Aug 2009 , 4:02pm
post #33 of 48

Angela93, I was just about to post that I was going to try making some foam cake slices! I constantly think about caking, and was walking past a pile of packing styrofoam from a package we opened last night, when the idea hit me it would make great cake slices!

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pamconn Posted 12 Aug 2009 , 4:27pm
post #34 of 48

So Wilton's charts for wedding cake and party cake have different size servings from the same size cake. If you are charging by the slice for your cakes and let's say you bake a two tier 8" and 10", do you charge the same price for it whether they say they want it to serve wedding size slices or party size? I think I'm confused icon_redface.gif

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MikeRowesHunny Posted 12 Aug 2009 , 5:16pm
post #35 of 48
Quote:
Originally Posted by pamconn

So Wilton's charts for wedding cake and party cake have different size servings from the same size cake. If you are charging by the slice for your cakes and let's say you bake a two tier 8" and 10", do you charge the same price for it whether they say they want it to serve wedding size slices or party size? I think I'm confused icon_redface.gif




NO! You always charge by the larger serving amount (wedding slices), as otherwise you are giving away cake for free!

For example, I did a wedding of a 6, 9 & 12in round. They were serving it as dessert, so went with the 'party' sized slice (74 servings). That cake will serve an equivalent 100 wedding servings (No-one here saves the top tier so that amount is included). This cake design was $7 a serving, so if I had charged them only for the party slices ($51icon_cool.gif, I would have lost out on $182! That's what you have to remember!

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cylstrial Posted 12 Aug 2009 , 5:33pm
post #36 of 48

I have never had anyone say they are too small. In fact, people complain that my slices are too big. And I'm just using the 1x2x4.

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PinkZiab Posted 12 Aug 2009 , 5:36pm
post #37 of 48

I always tell them that my pricing is based on the industry standard 1x2x4 slice, and that if they choose to serve larger slices they are free to order additional servings at the same per-slice price quoted for the cake, but that they would wind up with a lot of wasted cake. Most of my clients listen to me... most. lol

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cutthecake Posted 12 Aug 2009 , 6:02pm
post #38 of 48

I always wondered what that thing was in my mother's kitchen drawer! It as an angel food cake cutter/slicer/server/comb! NOW where is it?

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pamconn Posted 12 Aug 2009 , 8:53pm
post #39 of 48

Thanks for the explination-I was having a hard time wrapping my brain around it this morning!

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fostergirl77 Posted 25 Oct 2009 , 7:30am
post #40 of 48

Hi guys,

Just want to vent out and hopefully feel better. I follow the wilton cake serving guide when I make my cakes and I tell the people who order from me how many servings they get for a particular cake pan size. Well, this morning I delivered a birthday cake for a 1 year old boy ( it was for 60 servings - 6,8 and 10 inch pans - tier cake) and the mother won't believe me that it was for 60 people!!!! I guess my mistake was, I should've shown her beforehand how big a slice should be. She then started to pick on every tiny detail on the cake and ended up concluding that my work was sloppy. This was so uncalled for. I take pride in my cakes and I hand made all the decorations. I was floored and I felt so embarrassed. When I told her I'd give her a full refund, her mood changed.I sent her back her check and told her she can keep the cake. I just didn't want to deal with it anymore. She was expecting a huge cake!!! She even told me she should've just gotten a sheet cake from the local bakery - hello! The cake I made for her had 3 different flavors, different fillings in fondant with handmade chocolate decorations. I know what sloppy work is, and that was far from it. Sorry, I just feel terrible. This the first time this happened, somebody not liking my cake and I somehow lost my confidence. I have another cake order for tomorrow, it's 1 a.m. now and I still can't make myself go and start making it.

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cs_confections Posted 25 Oct 2009 , 7:54am
post #41 of 48

First of all - I'm sorry you had such a bad experience. ((hugs)) I know it's hard, but you have to dust it off and get started on your next cake - look at it as a clean slate. It's not fair to your next customer to let your previous customer affect this new cake, right?

Second - of course her mood changed when she found out she was getting ALL of her money back AND got to keep the cake. It sounded like she was fishing for a partial refund and she then caught a whale of a deal! Did you explain what sizes she was getting when she placed her order? I don't sell, but it seems like that would be discussed - then you could tell her to break out the ruler and see that she received what was ordered.

If she's your first customer to complain, that shows you're doing something right! I can understand feeling frazzled when you're work is getting picked apart, but next time please don't give all of the money back - plus the cake. You don't want to be known as the lady that gives away cake. Hope that doesn't come off as harsh - I might have done the same thing in your situation as I don't like confrontations either. But chalk this up to a lesson learned and try not to repeat. Maybe a partial discount or a coupon towards a future order.

Good luck with your new cake! And try to get some rest, too!

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CakeDiva73 Posted 25 Oct 2009 , 8:10am
post #42 of 48
Quote:
Originally Posted by fostergirl77

Hi guys,

Just want to vent out and hopefully feel better. I follow the wilton cake serving guide when I make my cakes and I tell the people who order from me how many servings they get for a particular cake pan size. Well, this morning I delivered a birthday cake for a 1 year old boy ( it was for 60 servings - 6,8 and 10 inch pans - tier cake) and the mother won't believe me that it was for 60 people!!!! I guess my mistake was, I should've shown her beforehand how big a slice should be. She then started to pick on every tiny detail on the cake and ended up concluding that my work was sloppy. This was so uncalled for. I take pride in my cakes and I hand made all the decorations. I was floored and I felt so embarrassed. When I told her I'd give her a full refund, her mood changed.I sent her back her check and told her she can keep the cake. I just didn't want to deal with it anymore. She was expecting a huge cake!!! She even told me she should've just gotten a sheet cake from the local bakery - hello! The cake I made for her had 3 different flavors, different fillings in fondant with handmade chocolate decorations. I know what sloppy work is, and that was far from it. Sorry, I just feel terrible. This the first time this happened, somebody not liking my cake and I somehow lost my confidence. I have another cake order for tomorrow, it's 1 a.m. now and I still can't make myself go and start making it.




icon_surprised.gificon_eek.gif

You gave her a full refund and let her keep the cake? I am speechless......

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SugarFrosted Posted 25 Oct 2009 , 8:13am
post #43 of 48

fostergirl77, I agree with cs_confections about most everything she said. That woman was fishing with hopes of getting something back, and boy! you sure gave it to her.

When a client orders a cake, the wilton chart is how you know what to charge for a particular cake, since we cakers charge per serving. If they say, "well that doesn't look big enough," you tell them the serving size is the industry standard. A cake will serve a certain number of a certain size serving, but if she wants bigger servings, she must order a bigger cake. Period.

I say this with tenderness and love, you must grow a backbone and a thicker skin. Learn to stand your ground. If you don't, you will be giving a lot of cakes away, because the wants-something-for-nothing crowd is not going away.

Tomorrow is a new day. Your next cake is a new experience for a new person.

Good Luck! thumbs_up.gif

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bakery_chick Posted 25 Oct 2009 , 8:18am
post #44 of 48

I am floored at the difference between Earlene's and Wilton's chart. Apparently I have been using Earlene's (I didn't realize--I just stole the chart from the place I worked previously) but no wonder people keep telling me they have cake left over.


P.S. Fostergirl: I am very sorry for your experience. That was a horrible woman. She did not deserve a full refund. Good luck with your new cake.

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indydebi Posted 25 Oct 2009 , 11:59am
post #45 of 48
Quote:
Originally Posted by bakery_chick

She did not deserve a full refund. Good luck with your new cake.




Especially since the cake she rec'd served about 74!

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JenniferMI Posted 25 Oct 2009 , 1:04pm
post #46 of 48

I use Wilton but I tweak it a bit.

Jen icon_smile.gif

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fostergirl77 Posted 31 Oct 2009 , 12:42am
post #47 of 48

Thank you for all the support guys! I really needed it. I feel a lot better knowing that there are a lot of you out there who understand what I'm going through.

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Katebaker Posted 6 Apr 2014 , 2:53pm
post #48 of 48

I'm only a hobby baker myself but I have made wedding cakes for friends and family, I've recently started using an app by a company called bakingit.com. I can put it my own requirements and it shows me how to slice the cake based on my own cake and if it will serve enough people. 

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