Wedding cake sizes... what gives???

I recently added a bit about this on our FAQ page, but since it comes up quite a bit, I figured I would blog it too.

Wedding cake sizing can be a real point of confusion for couples when meeting with different cake companies. I mean, if you order a cake that "serves 100" from one company, it's going to be the same size as a cake that "serves 100" from another company.... right?

Umm... no. Unfortunately, this is where some couples can end up paying more for less if they don't do some research. To some cake shops, a 3 tier cake that consists of a 12" round, 9" round, and a 6" round, feeds 100 guests. Based on the serving chart that we use, those same cakes feed just 84 guests. Yep, you read that right. You can order the exact same size cake from 2 different companies and one will charge you for 84 servings and the other will charge you for 100 servings.

If the 100 serving place is $3.50 a serving and the 84 serving place charges $4.00 serving... then the $3.50 per serving place is cheaper....right? Not so much. (84 servings x $4 = $336, 100 servings x$3.50 = $350). And now you know how a $4.00 per serving cake can be less expensive than a $3.50 per serving cake... even for the exact same size cake.

Don't get me wrong, the bakers that say that say a 12-9-6 configuration feeds 100 guests aren't trying to screw anyone, they are just using the industry standard Wilton serving chart to calculate their servings... most bakers use it... but not everyone.

My tip: Always ask what sizes your cake layers will be so that you can accurately compare 2 or more companies wedding cake pricing, you may be surprised.