A half sheet cake is the bottom half of a sheet cake. They are rectangular in form and may be easily adorned and served.
My name is Angie, and I’m a dessert fanatic and self-taught baker who launched a home baking company. I am an expert in baking and cake decorating, and I appreciate simplifying the process and making it more accessible to everyone!
In this post, I will define a half sheet cake, discuss its proportions and measurements, demonstrate how to create one, and answer any further concerns you may have.
Continue reading to find out more!
Contents
What is a Sheet Cake?
A sheet cake is a flat, rectangular cake made in a sheet cake pan. Some people refer to sheet cakes as slab cakes. They may be frosted on top or stacked with a filling before being frosted.
What is a Half Sheet Cake?
A half sheet cake is merely half of a full sheet cake, as the name implies. A half sheet cake pan may be used to produce a half sheet cake, or a full sheet cake can be divided in half to make two half sheet cakes.
Half Sheet Cake: Benefits
Sheet cakes are a crowd pleaser, ideal for large events since they are much simpler to cut and serve out. The flat top provides plenty of space for you to paint and personalize with text.
Half sheet cakes are simple to create and one of the more cheap cake alternatives for big groups.
Half Sheet Cake: Pan Sizes & Dimensions
The size of your half sheet cake may vary significantly depending on the brand of your cake pan. Half sheet cake pans are typically 18 x 12. Most bakeries and grocery shops sell half sheet cakes that size 15 by 11 and have an average height of 2, give or take an inch.
The size of the finished cake will also be determined by how you chose to design it. Some people like to cut the cake’s edges, making it smaller, while others prefer to add a thick coating of icing, making the cake somewhat bigger.
Half Sheet Cake: Servings
A single layer half sheet cake may often feed up to 40 people. Hence, the larger each individual slice, the fewer pieces you will get.
A sheet cake slice might be 1 x 2, 2 x 2, or 2 x 3. They will each serve 36, 54, or 108 people.
How to Decorate a Half Sheet Cake?
Most half sheet cakes are adorned with buttercream icing or ganache. With the flat surface of the cake, you may easily get a smooth-frosted appearance by spreading your frosting uniformly on all five edges, however I like a more textured rustic look.
When you’ve coated all of the edges of the cake, use the leftover frosting to create a lovely border around your cake. You may achieve this by piping around the borders of the cake using your preferred piping tip. I recommend a 1M or 6B French star tip.
The border will serve as a wonderful frame for any text or edible printed image you like to include on the cake. If a bordered appearance isn’t your thing, another quick method to dress up a half sheet cake is to pipe rosettes all over it. This is a quick and simple technique to give your handmade cake a professional appearance.
As with any cake, it should be served on a cake board. To prevent your cake from slipping, I always suggest using a waxed, grease-resistant board.
To avoid injuring your cake, choose your box and board a bit larger than usual. You don’t want all of your hard work piping the borders and icing to go to waste, believe me. Choose something with dimensions of 19 x 14 x 4.
How to Make a Half Sheet Cake: Recipes
Although you may discover sheet cake recipes on the internet, the selection is limited.
So don’t worry! All you need is a layer cake recipe that generates 16 cups of batter, which is the equal of three 10 round cake layers. If you need additional assistance with converting, you may refer to this tutorial.
You may create a half sheet cake using the following recipes:
- Vanilla (by Life Love Sugar)
- Texas Chocolate (by Tastes Better from Scratch)
How to store a half sheet cake?
Unfrosted half sheet cake may be frozen after carefully wrapping it in plastic wrap. A frosted half sheet cake (decorated without fresh ingredients) may be stored at room temperature for up to four days if covered in a bowl or container that keeps dust and other particles out.
If you’re going to freeze a frosted half sheet cake, put it in the refrigerator for 15 minutes before wrapping it up and putting it in the freezer. This allows the frosting to thicken and not be readily harmed during the wrapping procedure.
Covering the cake, freezing it, or putting it out at room temperature all help to keep it moist. A frozen sheet cake may be stored for up to a year in the freezer. You may preserve your cake in the refrigerator as well, but it will dry out.
FAQs
The following are some frequently asked questions about half sheet cakes.
How many boxes of cake mix do I need for a half sheet cake?
A single-layer half sheet cake requires three boxes of cake mix.
Half Sheet Cake vs. Quarter Sheet Cake vs. Full Sheet Cake
Sheet cakes come in a variety of sizes. A full sheet cake is approximately 18 by 24 inches in size and serves up to 117 people. A half sheet cake is 13 x 18, serving about 54 people, while a quarter sheet cake is 9 x 12, serving approximately 18 people.
How do you cut a half sheet cake?
Always use a long, thin knife that is simple and not serrated. Calculate the number of guests you will serve before cutting into your cake using our guidance above. I suggest scoring your cake to ensure that there are enough pieces for everyone.
To obtain a nice and clean cut, have a clean hot cloth on hand and wash off your knife after each cut.
Why is it called a half sheet cake?
A half sheet cake is so named because it is half the size of a conventional entire sheet cake.
How many does a half sheet cake serve?
Depending on the size of the slices and the number of layers, a half sheet cake may feed 108, 54, or 36 people.
How much is a half sheet cake?
Supermarkets and bakeries sell half sheet cakes. Prices may vary depending on how premium the merchant is. A half sheet cake costs $20 at Costco and $30 at Walmart.
Final Words
Bringing a half sheet cake will almost certainly make you the favorite person at any event. They’re delicious, simple to create, and don’t take long to prepare.
Calculations might be tedious at first, but after you’ve mastered them, I’m confident you’ll be making sheet cakes all the time.
If you have any further questions about half sheet cakes, please leave them in the comments and I’ll get back to you as soon as I can!
Angie’s Bio
