cake sizes, please help!!

[thecakerator]

I am trying to figure out a few cake options for a bride coming over tomorrow .. was just wondering how this would work ...

18in sq
14in round
8in square
6in round

would it look in proportion?? Thanks!!

[Amanda]

I guess that depends on what she wants. Do you have an oven big enough to fit the 18"? I only ask because I made the mistake of putting full sheets on my offerings list before I had the pans....and then had to tell someone that I couldn't do what they wanted.
If you have the pans already, set them up and see what you think! Anything goes now-a-days!

[laurafromtx]

I think the proportions would look great. My concern with using rounds and squares is not making allowance for the corners of square cake sitting on a round cake - I personally don't like the look of a corner coming right to the edge of the cake below it. I think you'll have plenty of room with the 8" square on top of the 14" inch round. Are you stacking the whole cake or going to have any pillars? That also makes a difference, but either way, I think you're covered.

[2sdae]

yeah set up your pans if at all poss. you can also buy and use 1/2 rounds to make a 18 inch if your oven doesn't fit one.
The sizes and shapes sound good as a stacked, can't say I see a pillared cake working well, looks wise. BUT last I looked my opinion wasn't law!!!!

[thecakerator]

thanks you guys! I have a bride coming over today and I want to have a few cake options open to her for the amount of cake she is wanting. I don't have those pans so I can't really stack them to see how they look, but I measured the pans that I do have, and I see that the 8in will fit onto a 14in with room around the sides so I just wanted to make sure it all looked in proportion! Thanks again!

[Amanda]

Let us know how it goes!!

[thecakerator]

ok well this cake consultation went a lot better then my last one!! Maybe it isn't so bad to do wedding cakes??? Anyways, she went with the smallest option I laid out for her, which of course is the lowest priced option, but you can't win them all!! I am going to be making her a 16in round, a 10in square, and a 6in round cake stacked, and then a 12x18x2 sheet cake to resemble a baseball jersey .. I charged her 370.00 for both cakes all iced in buttercream dream, filled with buttercream dream, the 10in square will be filled with strawberry preserves, she will be supplying me with the ribbon to go around the wedding cake. I also charged her an extra 50.00 deposit for my cake boards, which she will get back once I get the cake boards back. I also charged her 100.00 delivery/set up fee .. the reception is about an hour and a half away from me, one way. What does everyone think about this? this will be my third "real" wedding cake ...

[2sdae]

sounds like you may have under charged, what's her serving #?

[thecakerator]

Im almost positive I undercharged as I only charge $1.50 per slice .. total servings she should be getting 226. That includes the grooms cake, single layer sheet cake. But I really don't have the marketing around me to be competitive ... and I don't want to scare people off with my prices .. I really only do this as a hobby, nothing full time, and I'm not relying on the money coming in to pay bills, etc., so I am ok with that price per serving .. maybe in the future I will raise it up?

[missnnaction]

I agree with the 2sdae and you... you def. undercharged especially with the cost of ingredients on the rise. It may be harder for you to raise your prices later, unless you tell your customers that you are giving them a break or some type of introductory price.