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 determine the
pan's dimensions always measure inside edge to inside edge of the
pan so that you do not include the thickness of the pan in your
measurement.
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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