How Many People Does a Sheet Cake Feed?
So you’re going to have a party and you want to serve a sheet cake but you aren’t sure how many people a sheet cake will feed. The answer get much simpler if we break the decision down into the two questions you need to answer. First, how big is the sheet cake you’re planning to purchase or bake? Second, how big do you want to make the servings.
Sheet cakes from the bakery come in three basic sizes. There is the 1/4 sheet cake that measures 9 inches by 12 inches. A 1/2 sheet cake measures 11 inches by 15 inches. A full sheet cake measures 18 inches by 24 inches. Notice that the 1/2 sheet cake is neither twice the size of a 1/4 cake or half the size of a full sheet cake. It’s actually only 50% larger than a 1/4 cake.
So how generous do you want to be with the serving size? If you make it too small, some people may sneak a second piece. Who can blame them? If it’s too big, some guests watching their waistlines might be reluctant to take any or you may run out.
The serving size chosen most often by caterers is 2 inches by 3 inches. I personally really like cake and would find that a bit on the small size but it’s certainly not stingy. For a formal dinner where the cake is meant just as one delicious course of a multi-course meal, a 2 inch by 2 inch or even smaller piece might be appropriate.
The chart below should give you a pretty good idea of how many people your sheet cake will feed!
|
|
1/4 Sheet |
3″ X 4″ |
9 Servings |
|
1/4 Sheet |
3″ X 3″ |
12 Servings |
1/4 Sheet |
2 1/4″ X 3″ |
16 Servings |
1/2 Sheet |
2 3/4″ X 3 3/4″ |
16 Servings |
1/2 Sheet |
2 3/4″ X 3″ |
20 Servings |
1/2 Sheet |
2 1/5″ X 3″ |
25 Servings |
Full Sheet |
3″ X 4″ |
36 Servings |
Full Sheet |
3″ X 3″ |
48 Servings |
Full Sheet |
2″ X 3″ |
72 Servings |
If the actual pan you are using does not exactly match the size of any of those mentioned above, pick the one that’s closest and “fudge it” a bit. And don’t be surprised when after all your work to choose the perfect size pieces is over, some guest will still chop one in half or take 1 1/3 pieces.
If the guests coming to your occasion are going to be mostly men, plan on several “two-piecers”. If they will all be women, plan on several “no thank yous”. Hey, don’t kill the messenger! It’s a fact that more women watch their waistlines and more men indulge.
Oh yeah! Don’t forget to save me a piece!
Thank you for visiting our How Many People Does A Sheet Cake Feed post!
Exactly the info I needed. My daughter is getting married in July and I’m making cake for 136 people!!!! Now I know how much cake to make. Thanks.
Great! Now I know how much cake I need. Anyone have a recipe that will knock my socks off?
So I guess that if I decided to make a taller cake by putting one sheet cake on top of another, all I would have to do is double the number of people it will feed? Is that right?
I doubt that putting one sheet cake on top of another will double the servings. I think that most people take a slice of so many square inches no matter how thick the cake is. It might serve 20-40% more but probably not 100%.
Your chart showing the number of servings in different sizes of sheet cakes is very helpful. Thanks.
Potato Coffee Cake INGREDIENTS3/4 cup dry potato fleaks1 cup boiling water1 cup warm milk3 tablespoons butter, softened2 eggs1 cup white sugar4 1/2 cups bread flour1 (.25 ounce) package active dry yeast3 tablespoons white sugar1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon3 tablespoons butter, melted DIRECTIONSIn a small bowl, dissolve potato fleaks in boiling water. Let stand until lukewarm, about 15 minutes.Place ingredients in the pan of the bread machine in the order recommended by the manufacturer. Select Dough/Manual cycle; press Start. The mixing and first rise of the dough will be completed in the bread machine.When Dough/Manual cycle is finished, remove dough and briefly knead on a floured board. Divide dough into 3 round loaves and place in three lightly greased 8 inch pie pans. Cover and let raise until doubled in size, about 60 minutes. Meanwhile, preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).In a small bowl, combine 3 tablespoons sugar with 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon. Brush risen loaves with melted butter and sprinkle with cinnamon sugar mixture.Bake in preheated oven for 20 minutes, or until golden brown.
With my appetite a sheet cake only feeds one.
As hilarious an eapmxle of poor communication this is, all the people deriding the decorator as stupid are being a little unfair. Imagine this alternate scenario.”Hi, I need to order a cake for my boss. He just oversaw the launch a new style of USB drive and we want to celebrate this”"Ok, just bring a photo of the drive in and we’ll duplicate it.”"I’ll do better than that, I’ll bring in a sample this afternoon.”Later…”Hey, Jill, what am I putting on this cake?”"Oh, check the counter; I left the jump drive out for you there.”[calling from the back room as they open the drive and stare in horror at the picture on their computer screen] “Really, This is what they want on the cake?”"Yeah, the customer just brought it in.”"Okey dokey!”Later, 150 comments on cake wrecks mock the decorator for being so stupid as to print on the cake the picture of the boss picking his nose.