Hello all at the CC world.
A friend of mine has asked me to make a 4 pound cake. no other information yet as i have to call her and discuss. so would like your tips and guidance plz.
I would like to ask What is better: cakes by weight or servings?
I am wondering how can we make a make a cake whose final weight is 4 pounds? HOw do the bakeries do this? I mean i have no control on the weight of the cake plus frosting and icing on it. and i do only buttercream cakes. NO FONDANT.
Plz PLZ i need ur expert opinions at the earliest. If cake by pound is not ok i can also talk her into making the cake by servings. then again , how can i calculate the cake by serving. how big will it be. also as im a beginner, i havnt made tiered cakes. so i will making only a single tier cake . iv only made 6 inch round cakes and heart cakes. How can we calculate the size to make a single cake without tiers depending on the number of servings in mind??
eagerly waiting for all ur replies.
THANK YOU.
If the iced cake will weigh 4 pounds, the cake part should weigh about 2.5 pounds. But that will depend on whether you have a deep pan and do not add icing to the middle of the cake. It will also depend on what kind of icing you put on.
Please tell us about this customer--it is not a usual question to be asked to make a cake by weight this way.
You are making me think I am nuts 
I just replied to this and thought ... sheesh - what happened to my post?
Then I realised you have posted same question multiple times 
My answer is on other post LOL
What country are you from?
I am wondering how can we make a make a cake whose final weight is 4 pounds?
In countries where cake is sold by the pound, I don't believe it's for the final weight including icing, I think it's the weight of the cake alone.
Here are a few examples of typical cake weights (uniced) around 4 pounds (64 oz.) for white, yellow, or devils food (carrot, gourmet carrot, and German chocolate weigh more)...
2 - 12" layers = 57.50 oz.
2 - 14" layers = 76.00 oz.
1 - 12x18 half sheet = 36.00-46.00 oz.
1 - 9x13 quarter sheet = 20.00-25.00 oz.
Icing could easily add another 5-10 lbs. for these sizes.
So I understand always trying to please the customer but if you don't already sell cake by the pound, don't start now. I personally would save my self the headache of trying to figure this out by telling the customer, "I do not happen to sell cake by the pound, but I do sell it by the (insert how ever you sell it)." you have to learn to guide customers through the order making process that's best for you and your style/ business. I find my customers like it so much more when I break down exactly what info I need from them to make a good quote and a great design.
Selling cakes "by the pound" is very common in many countries (the Caribbean, Africa, etc.).
Personally, I'd think that it makes a lot of sense for very dense cakes like fruit & Dominican cakes, but not too sensible (or common) for things like sponge & American style cakes because those recipes could vary wildly from baker to baker.
I, too, would explain that I sell by the serving, so just tell me how many people you want to serve, whether or not you want big pieces or those cited in the serving charts, and see what happens.
JMHO
Rae
I have never heard of someone asking for that -
I think you need to get clear instructions from her as perhaps she is asking for a Pound Cake.... x 4 of them.
That makes more sense to me.
This link explains better as to what i am thinking.....and typing loll
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pound_cake
Scroll down the page a little and you will see different variations...
And there is even a photo showing a Pound Cake filled and decorated...
Bluehue
This link will clarify it some with regards to Dominican cake:
http://yolandascakesenglish.blogspot.com/2011/05/dominican-cake-one-pound.html
And, in reality, it is basically a "pound cake" because the standard formula is a pound each of sugar, flour, and butter for a one pound cake.
In the blog above, it looks like a single recipe will yield a 12x2 round.
So, presumably, a 4 pound cake is a quadruple recipe and enough to make a 2 tier cake of maybe a 12"+10", or more.
HTH
Rae
The only time I hear this is for fruit cakes. It is very common to do for e.g. a 1lb or 2 lb fruit cake in the Caribbean. It is done in all pound sizes depending on the cake pans we need to fill. We don't sell by the servings like in the U.S. We charge by how much batter we use. Sounds like the customer has some experience with cakes or from a family member who bakes and they told her she needs 4lbs of cake. Yes?
People in the US used to do this, it's an old-fashioned way to size the cakes. There's still a bakery in town here who sells by the pound, and they don't do Dominican cakes! I think it's a leftover from when all wedding cakes were pound cakes and were easily measured by weight.
If you don't do it that way just tell her that and ask how many servings of cake she'd need based on her guest list.
You are making me think I am nuts
I just replied to this and thought ... sheesh - what happened to my post?
Then I realised you have posted same question multiple times
My answer is on other post LOL
Sorrrrrrry , 
was desperate to get an answer so posted in different forums.
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