How to Adjust Baking Times for Different Pan Sizes

Question

Is there a valid list that shows pan size exchanges? I've looked online and the results are varied.
Can a 10 inch round cake be divided into two 8 inch pans? or 7 inch pans? Is there a fast way to figure this out?
And when you go from one big size to two smaller sizes, would you start checking your product halfway through the cooking time or sooner? I'm assuming the baking temp will stay the same....??????

Lynn Clark · Accepted Answer

Hi Teresa and Lynn - I'm so sorry for the delay in answering your questions. We published a guide on baking in different pan sizes back in 2018 that is a good guide for modifying cooking times for different baking pans. Lynn, I think the chart in the attached guide will address your question - it will take about 5 minutes less to bake in a 9x9 square pan and about 1 minute less in a 9-inch round pan. As a general rule, baking in a smaller pan than called for means the baked good has less surface area and will generally take longer to bake. Accounting for the different amounts of batter when using two smaller pans or one larger one is a little more complicated. I would refer to this guide by Stella Parks at Serious Eats. In it she says a 10" cake pan should have 35 ounces of batter, an 8-inch would have 24 ounces, and a 6-inch would have 12 ounces. So, in theory you could put the amount of batter for a 10-inch cake (35 ounces) into two 8-inch pans (17.5 ounces in each). The only question is if that difference of 6.5 ounces between what you have and what Stella says is the volume for a proper 8-inch cake will yield layers that are too thin. Unfortunately, that's the question I can't answer since I'm not sure how much volume (in cups) 6.5 ounces will amount to. It's probably worth trying it though! I hope that helps you both. Best, Lynn C.

How to Adjust Baking Times for Different Pan Sizes

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