How Big Is a Sheet Cake?

Sheet cakes are ordinary cakes we see in the grocery stores. They are simply frosted, either in chocolate, mocha, or vanilla flavor, and are mostly single layered.

Well, it depends on a number of factors. It depends whether we are talking about commercial sheet cakes or homemade sheet cakes. It depends whether we are talking about a quarter, a half sheet, or a full sheet. Finally, it depends on the baker or the bakery where the sheet cake is obtained.

Commercial or Homemade? Full, Half, or Quarter?

Sheet cakes vary in sizes, depending on the mold or sheet pans used. Commercial sheet pans come in three standard sizes: 16”x24” for a full sheet; 12”x16” for a half sheet; and 8”x12” for a quarter sheet cake. Homemade sheet pans are sized at 12”x17”, 10”x15”, and 9”x13”.

Based on the dimensions provided above, it means that commercial sheet cakes are quite bigger than their homemade counterparts.

For big parties, like a corporate affair, it is far more convenient to pick a sheet cake from the grocery store. If you are hosting a family reunion, however, and you decide to bake the cake yourself, choose the pan size that will fit the number of people you expect to feed.

Sheet cakes come in a variety of sizes to give you a comfortable time choosing. Size your cake according to the size of your party. Choose your sheet cake size according to the number of people you are likely to feed.

The biggest sheet cake can feed up to a hundred people. That is how big a sheet cake can be. The smallest, meanwhile, can feed about 12 guests. The number of servings are based on the standard serving size of 2”x2” or 1”x3” – big enough to fill your guests with the delightful treat. Then again, some people a 3”x3” or a 2”x4”. That would certainly trim down the numbers served. Also, remember that we are talking about approximations here. Some guests would insist to have just a small chunk while others would love to have a bigger bite. Still, some would request for a second serving and you must also make allowances for that.

Making the Cake

Sheet cakes are very easy and very simple to make. They can be based from any of your favorite cake recipe. The only difference is that you will be required to use a sheet cake pan or a jellyroll pan. But since you are baking a pretty large cake, you will be required to do special handling, when taking the cake out of the pan.