Have you been wondering how big a half sheet cake size and how many does it really feed. When entertaining, we all want to make sure that there is enough to serve our guests. If you are you planning a party that requires an impressive yet affordable cake, a sheet cake is a great option.
However, it doesn’t have to be reserved for special occasions and birthday parties, the rectangular size makes it great to have decorations and the flat top for writing on top of the cake as well.
It bakes quickly and serves a lot of guests with ease. However, to make sure that you have a piece of cake for all your guests, it is important to know how many people a sheet cake will feed.
With a half-sheet cake, it is much easier to cut equal slices of cake thanks to its large rectangular size. Additionally, the slices will also be neater and easier to serve.
What is a Sheet Cake
Before we talk about the size of a sheet cake, we should talk about what a sheet cake even is.
A sheet cake is a cake that has been baked in a rectangle baking pan. Therefore, rather than baking a cake in a 9 X 13 cake pan, or two 8 or 9 inch round pans, the cake batter is poured into the sheet pan and generally, the half sheet pan and baked into a rectangular shape.
Sometimes, a sheet cake is referred to as a slab cakes.
Difference Between Full Sheet Pans, Half Sheet Pans, and Quarter Sheet Pans
Sheet cake pans are a rectangular pan and come in varying sizes. A quarter sheet pan is typically 9 by 13 inches. Half sheet pan size is 18 by 13 inches. Full sheet pans are 26 by 18 inches.
Full Sheet Pan
The standard sheet pan size for a full-sheet pan measures 26-by-18 inches and typically has sides that are about one inch high. However, due to the size of the full sheet pan, most often, it is too large for home bakers. It will not fit in many home ovens. Therefore, they are more of a restaurant equipment staple.
How Big is a Half Sheet Cake Pan?
Half-sheet pans measure 18-by-13 inches, also with sides about one inch high. As you can see, this is half of the full sheet pan. This sheet pan is the perfect size for many uses in the home kitchen and restaurants alike for baking and cooking. You will see recipes for sheet pan dinners, roasting vegetables, and baking sheet pan cakes using this size. This is the size of most pans often described as baking sheets.
How Big is a Quarter Sheet Cake Pan?
Quarter-sheet pans measure13-by-9 inches. They are half of the half sheet pans. Or you will need 4 of the quarter sheet pans to make up a full sheet pan. This is a great size for smaller home appliances, such as a toaster oven. It is great for small batch baking and cooking. Perfect for small gatherings.
How Big is a Half Sheet Cake?
A sheet cake pan is also called a half sheet pan. It is a rectangle shape that is 18 inches long, 13 inches wide, and 1-inch high.
However, when you get a half sheet cake from a bakery at grocery stores, it is a slightly different size.
When you get a half-sheet cake from a bakery the size can vary greatly. They can be 15 inches by 11 inches, 15 1/2 inches by 10 1/2 inches or even as big as 16 inches by 12 inches.
How Many Does a Half Sheet Cake Size Feed?
A half sheet cake, typically measuring 11 inches by 15 inches, can generally serve around 36 to 54 people, depending on the size of the slices and the occasion.
In general, standard size cake slices are typically cut to be about 2 inches by 2 inches, which is a reasonable portion for most occasions. This size allows a half sheet cake to serve around 36 people. However, for smaller gatherings or if you want to stretch it further, you can cut smaller slices, which would increase the number of servings.
How Many People Does a Single Layer Sheet Cake Feed?
While there are standard sizes for sheet pans, there can be a variance as you can see. Therefore, it is good to have a general idea on how many servings you can get from a pan, so you know how much cake to make or buy.
While there are formulas you can use to determine how many pieces you can get when cutting various sizes as a general rule of thumb, a good estimate is that a half-sheet cake will likely serve 36 using 2 inch x 3 inch pieces.
You can always adjust the size of the serving based on how many people you plan to serve with the cake. If you are going to feed a large number of people, you can plan on additional cakes to make sure you have enough cake for a larger crowd.
How Many People Does a Two-Layer Cake Feed?
Often, at an anniversary party, weddings, baby showers, bridal showers, and other parties, you will see double layer rectangle cakes. Since there is double the cake in the same space, there are more servings. Therefore, a serving can be as small as 1 inch x 3 inches. If using the smaller slice, you can feed up to 72 people with one double layer cake. Therefore, it is a good idea to think about the serving size before cutting.
When I worked in a restaurant and we cooked for a lot of events, we made the size of the slices different sizes as needed as needed to make sure to have enough pieces for everyone.
A Quarter Sheet Cake Feeds How Many?
Since the quarter sheet cake is half the size of the half sheet cake, it will feed half as many people. Therefore, using the same 2 inch x 3 inch pieces serving size, the number of servings for a quarter sheet cake is 18 people.
How Many People Does a Single Layer Sheet Cake Feed?
Kitchen Essentials
Materials
- White Sheet Cake
- Chocolate Sheet Cake
- Red Velvet Sheet Cake
Instructions
- While there are formulas you can use to determine how many pieces you can get when cutting various sizes as a general rule of thumb, a good estimate is that a half-sheet cake will likely serve 36 using 2 inch x 3 inch pieces.
- You can always adjust the size of the serving based on how many people you plan to serve with the cake.
- If you are going to feed a large number of people, you can plan on additional cakes to make sure you have enough cake for a larger crowd.
How Many Cake Mixes for a Sheet Cake?
Each cake mix makes about 4 or 5 cups of cake batter. Additionally, the amounts shown are for baking a 1-layer cake.
If making a full sheet pan, you will need two boxes of cake mix to make one layer.
You only need one cake mix to make one layer of a half sheet cake.
Sheet Cake Recipes
Since each cake mix makes about 4 or 5 cups of cake batter. It will be enough for a half sheet cake. Many cake recipes will work for this baking vessel.
Red Velvet Cake Recipe this recipe works well baked as a sheet cake.
White Velvet Cake with Vanilla Buttercream Frosting
What are Different Uses for a Sheet Pan?
While a sheet pan cake is probably the most widely known use for this baking pan, it has other uses in the kitchen too. It is great for sheet pan meals. Placing the oversized baking sheet under a pie or casserole dish as it bakes in the oven to keep the oven cleaner. Using it as a baking sheet for making breads and pastries, roasting vegetables, or preparing full meals.
Breakfast Tray. Place all the breakfast items on the tray as a portable serving tray on Mother’s Day or another special occasion. It’s an easy way to carry everything all at once.
Using a sheet pan as a freezer tray to freeze items in a single layer before placing in an airtight container for longer storage.
Prep space. As you shred cheese or complete some other messy prep work, a sheet pan under your workspace will help with easy clean up.
Bake a Slab Pie. Just like cake, pie can be made in this rectangular pan.
Cooling Rack. If your sheet pan is fitted with a wire rack, it is wonderful for cooling all your baked goods, from cookies to bread to cakes.
Bake Cookies. Line with parchment paper and it is a great size pan to make your cookies.
Pan Pizza. Pizza doesn’t have to be round. Use this larger size baking sheet to make your next homemade pizza.
