Our standard cakes are about 4.5 to 5" tall. Assuming each slice to be about 4.5" (the height of the cake) by 1.5" by 1.5" = 10 cubic inches, we have done a table of cake sizes to portion serving sizes. Obviously how many slices a cake actually yield totally depends on the person cutting it. As a guide, be it square cakes or round cakes, view from the top and divide in 1.5" by 1.5" grid and start slicing!
ROUND CAKES
Diameter
of Round
| Volume |
Serves
|
5inch
|
88 inch3
|
9
|
6inch
|
127 inch3
|
13
|
7inch
|
173 inch3
|
17
|
8inch
|
226 inch3
|
22
|
9inch
|
286 inch3
|
28
|
10inch
|
353 inch3
|
35
|
11inch
|
428 inch3
|
42
|
12inch
|
509 inch3
|
50
|
13inch
|
597 inch3
|
59
|
SQUARE CAKE
Side of
Square
|
Volume
|
Serves
|
5inch
|
113 inch3
|
12
|
6inch
|
162 inch3
|
16
|
7inch
|
220 inch3
|
22
|
8inch
|
288 inch3
|
28
|
9inch
|
365 inch3
|
36 |
10inch
|
450 inch3
|
44
|
11inch
|
544.5 inch3
|
54
|
12inch
|
648 inch3
|
65
|
13inch
|
760 inch3
|
76
|
My suggestion is this. Most of the cost of getting a fondant cake is not in the size, it is in the sculpturing, the customization. A 20% increase in size will correspond to a much lower than 20% increase in price. That works for reducing a cake size also.
As a rough guide, your cake size should serve +-10% of the corresponding serving size. So a 10" round should be good to serve 31 to 39 guests.
If one is already ordering a customized cake, always err on the side of being more generous, so that the cake will look better. A bigger customized cake ALWAYS looks better. Heard enough regrets from people who ordered for the number of guests to have a cake that serves just nice but looks half good. My own dictum is, prepare just enough food for the guests, order the cake to look GOOD for the occasion. It is also much easier to pack cakes for guests to bring back than to pack a box of fried vegetable for someone to bring home!
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PLANNING CONSIDERATION
Some advice that we will suggest in your planning process in terms of sizing your cake:
1. Most of the price of a customized cake is in the design rather than the size, so a bigger cake does not increase the price proportionately for the same design and vice versa.
1. Most of the price of a customized cake is in the design rather than the size, so a bigger cake does not increase the price proportionately for the same design and vice versa.
2. A customized cake looks nicer bigger and taller - so we normally advice against diluting the presentation of a cake with cupcakes
3. Unlike a food table, a customized cake serves more than just edible "food". It is a centerpiece, that is why people get us to deliver the cake early, and you display it throughout the party and then cut it only at the end of the party.
4. Photographic memories. If you look at party photos…. having a photo with the cake is one of the must-haves….. a smaller cake = a less impressive cake.
5. You can pack cakes for friends as party favors.
With the above, we are not hard selling you into making gigantic cakes, a birthday party is celebrated once a year. For us, it is another cake amongst the several we have for that day. For the person having the birthday celebrated, it is that only cake meant for him/her for that whole year. SO, if you are already considering a customized cake, do bear the above in mind.
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CAKE CUTTING GUIDE
I think there is no embarrassment when someone is suddenly confronted with an odd shaped cake that is 15 inches tall and realize, HOW TO CUT!?!?
Similar to all of us eating chicken regularly but, when confronted with a whole chicken, one realizes he/she has no clue how to start!
GENERAL GUIDE
1. Take note of the number of guests and then have a mental picture of how to cut the cake, then cut. NEVER start cutting without taking note the number of guests first.
2. If you seemed to have ordered a bigger cake than required, Cut your cake to portion serving size, NOT, to distribute your cake. Butter cakes are already denser and richer than fresh cream sponge cake, never serve your guests a bigger portion than you would a sponge cake. They can also always come back for seconds.
3. Prepare a paper napkin and clean your knife after each smooth stroke. Do not cut cake with a back and forth sawing action. The cake crumbs will latch on the cream onto the side of the knife and they start tearing up the sides of the cake if you pull your knife back and forth.
4. Each portion should be served with all the layers - Fondant, Cake and Fillings in between.
REGULAR SHAPED SINGLE TIER CAKES
1. Remove all the surface decorations onto a plate. Remove visible skewers or supporting dowels.
2. Lay out your plates, one hand holds paper napkin to remove crumbs after each stroke and the other the knife and start cutting and serving! You may set the decorations aside for keeping or pair one or two with each portion, especially for the kids.
IRREGULAR SHAPED / TALL CAKES
1. Remove all the surface decorations, visible skewers or supporting dowels.
2. For tiered cakes, move the top tier down. I always have a cake board below each tier, so take a spoon/fork in each hand and slip it below the sides and move it for cutting. Then go on to the second tier and so on. Avoid cutting the cake in their tiers as that could crush the levels on each other.
3. For irregular sized cakes, visualize square grid blocks. Cut along those blocks but taking note that the irregular edge portions are compensated.
4. Lay out your plates, one hand holds paper napkin to remove crumbs after each stroke and the other the knife and start cutting and serving! You may set the decorations aside for keeping or pair one or two with each portion, especially for the kids.
KEEPING THE DECORATIONS
The sugar moulded decorations can be kept for a long time since sugar is a preservative. Carefully trim any supporting skewers or dowels and then place the decoration in a plastic box and refrigerate it.