Baking pans come in a wide range of sizes, from a round cake pan to a loaf pan.  Different size pans hold different capacities (volumes) of batters and this must be taken into account when substituting one pan size for another in a recipe.  If you use a larger pan than asked for in a recipe this will change the depth of the batter (shallower) and therefore the batter will bake much more quickly.  Likewise, if you use a smaller pan than asked for in a recipe this will also change the depth of the batter (deeper) and therefore the batter will take longer to bake.

 To measure the depth, place your ruler straight up from the bottom of the pan (do not slant the ruler). 

To determine the pan's volume (how much batter it will hold), pour pre-measured water by the cupful until the pan is filled to the brim.

Once you have measured the pan's dimensions and volume you can check the table below for pan substitutions.  The ideal pan substitution is one that keeps the same batter depth as in the original recipe.  In this way you do not have to make any drastic changes in baking times and temperatures.   For example;  you could substitute a 8 x 8 x 1 1/2 inch square pan (6 cups) for a 8 x 2 inch round pan (6 cups) without changing the baking time or oven temperature stated in the original recipe. 

If the new pan makes the batter shallower than in the original recipe, this will cause the heat to reach the center of the pan more quickly and you will have more evaporation.  To solve this problem you need to shorten the baking time and raise the temperature of the oven slightly.  Correspondingly, if the new pan makes the batter deeper than in the original recipe, this will cause less evaporation and the batter will take longer to cook.  To solve this problem you need to lengthen the baking time and lower the temperature of the oven slightly.  This will keep the batter from over-browning.

Note:  Keep in mind that most home ovens will only accommodate up to a 17 x 14 inch (43 x 36 cm) pan.

Conversions:  (Dimensions) 1 inch = 2.54 cm  (Volume) 1 cup = 237 ml

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