If you're making a cake and the recipe calls for a pan size you don't have, do not despair. Even the most ardent home baker—the one with a baking cabinet filled with pans of all sizes—runs into this situation now and again. You don't have to change recipes or head to the nearest store to buy a new pan, all it takes is a little adaptability. The following suggestions and guidelines will help you turn out a great cake, no matter what size pans you have at home. (To keep things simple, our information applies to most layer cakes, sheet cakes, and loaves, but should not be used for cheesecakes, flourless cakes, and meringues.)
30 Easy Cake Recipes Every Home Baker Will Love
Standard Cake Pan Sizes
Most cake recipes call for round, square, rectangle, or loaf-shaped pans.
- Round or square pan: These popular pans are most often 8 or 9 inches
- Standard loaf pan: The main sizes are 9 by 5 inches or 8 1/4 by 4 inches
- Rectangular cake pan: Used for sheet cakes, they are generally 13 by 9 or 10 by 15 inches.
But what do you do if the recipe calls for 9-inch rounds and yours are 8 inches, or you want to bake a 13 x 9-inch sheet cake using a recipe that calls for a 9-inch square? Maybe you want to convert a triple-layer cake into cupcakes? And how on earth do you bake a conventional cake recipe to work in an unconventional pan? These conversions are easier than you think.
Don't use a flimsy aluminum baking pan from the grocery store; you're better off making do with any good-quality pan than trying to bake in something poorly constructed, even if it's the size your recipe calls for.
Determine the Volume of Your Pan and Adjust the Batter
Many cake pans have sizes marked on the bottom, but rather than focusing on the dimensions and size of the pan, the best way to convert a recipe to a cake pan you have is to consider its volume and adjust the amount of batter accordingly.
How to Measure the Volume of a Cake Pan
To measure how much your cake pan will hold, fill it with water and then pour the water into a liquid measuring cup. (This helps if you're baking a recipe in a whimsical shape like a princess, a battleship, or something much more elaborate.) Bear in mind that the batter should only fill the pan by one-half to two-thirds to allow for rising. With that in mind, you'll find that an 8-inch cake pan has a volume of 8 ounces, and takes about 6 cups of batter.
How to Measure Cake Batter
Measuring batter by cups can be messy. Many bakers prefer to weigh the batter on their kitchen scale for more accuracy. Others generally try to eyeball it, sticking to the rule of thumb of two-thirds of the pan depth. For layers, it matters most that the batter is even in each pan.
Here's a standard conversion for many basic cake recipes: A recipe that makes three 8-inch layers will make two 9-inch layers, one 13-by-9 inch sheet, or three to four dozen cupcakes.
Adjusting Cake Baking Times by Pan Size
Once you’ve selected a suitable cake pan to substitute for the size your recipe calls for, use the cook time on the recipe as a guideline, and then consider whether your substituted pan will have more or less surface area. The more surface area there is, the faster the cake will bake.
For example, if the recipe calls for an 8-inch round and you are using a 9-inch round, your pan has more surface area exposed and the cake will probably bake faster. If the recipe calls for a 9-inch round and you are using an 8-inch round, the batter will be deeper and need to bake a little longer.
Tips for Baking Success
No matter what pan you're using, follow these tips to ensure your cake bakes perfectly.
Avoid Overfilling
Unless a recipe advises otherwise, fill cake pans (including muffin tins for cupcakes) about two-thirds full. If you have leftover batter, which can happen when you're substituting a different size pan, resist the urge to use it up by overfilling the pan. The deeper the cake batter, the longer it will take to bake, and if the proportions aren't right, the harder it will be to bake it to the right texture. Instead, reserve leftovers until your cake has finished baking (most batters will keep well for a bit in the fridge), and then bake a few cupcakes with it.
Set a Timer
That might seem obvious, of course you should set a timer for the bake time specified in the recipe. True, but you should start checking your cake about five to ten minutes before the end of the recommended bake time. You might want to check even earlier if you've scaled up in size (a thinner batter will bake through more quickly.).
Pay Attention to Other Cues
Don't set a timer and leave the kitchen until it goes off. Baking times are suggestions, and all kinds of factors can cause a cake recipe to take more or less time to cook through without drying out or burning. A cake tester inserted into the center of the cake is the best indicator, but check as well to see if the cake is pulling away from the side of the pan. You can also press lightly with your fingertip; if it's springy to the touch, it's done (depending on your recipe, of course).
