How Big Of A Sheet Cake You Need To Feed Over 100 People

Whether you have a graduation coming up or a milestone birthday to celebrate, there's a good chance you're trying to plan out everything you need to host the perfect event. Part of that is ensuring you buy the right-sized cake, which can be tricky depending on how many people you have invited. A sheet cake is a pretty safe bet when it comes to feeding a crowd, especially if you're trying to get everything together at the last minute.

Sheet cakes can be picked at nearly every large grocery store or bakery, and the turnaround time isn't usually too long, regardless of whether or not you order in advance. There are some things you should know about ordering Costco sheet cakes, if that's your go-to. But no matter where you order, you do need to have a size in mind for when you get there. If you're planning to host over 100 people, a 12x18-inch cake could get you there, but it's best to aim somewhere around the 18x26-inch mark.

A standard slice of cake at an event is typically about 2-inches long and 1 to 3-inches wide. If you're cutting exactly 2x2-inch slices, an 18x26-inch cake should technically feed around 117 people — here's the way to determine how many people your sheet cake will feed, should you feel like doing the math. You might need to stretch it a bit further, though, if you start off with thicker slices.

When you go to order a cake this large, you can ask for a full-size sheet cake. Walmart's full cakes are designed to feed 96 people, so that should work if you cut modestly. If you want to be exact, maybe order an extra ¼ sheet cake. Here's exactly what you get from a Walmart bakery graduation cake, if you want a better idea.

If you're hosting a wedding, or similar celebration, the slices typically only measure about 2x1-inches. Cutting pieces with these dimensions is a good move if your cake is particularly rich, as people will usually eat less of it. When serving sizes this small, a 12x18-inch half sheet cake should do. But if you have extra cake to spare, and it's a light flavor, aim for the 2x3-inch mark to be polite.

After you've done all of this calculating and gone to the effort of picking up a cake, make sure you don't ruin it by cutting it with a blunt tool. Try to use a sharp chef's knife to ensure all of the frosting stays intact, dipping it into hot water in between slices to keep everything looking smudge-free and void of crumbs. Finally, should you want to make your own cake, be it a Texas-style sheet cake or a fun pink lemonade sheet cake, you'll need quite a few cups of batter for a full size option — if you're taking this on, we commend you.