Here is my favorite baking tool - a cake pan converter - I can't live without it! If you are annoyed with complicated baking charts, discover the best tool you need during your baking journey!
Cake pan sizes converter
Also, get the free printable baking pan conversion chart in the guide on how to adjust a cake recipe to different pan sizes.
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How to use this calculator
First and foremost, you do not need to measure the radius of the pan; calculate the area of the pan in square inches, the pan's volume, or the volume of batter.
What do you need to do?
- Enter the shape and size of the baking pan required in the recipe.
- Input your pan dimensions.
- Press the button "Calculate," and you will get the conversion coefficient, or the conversion factor, to calculate the ingredient quantities.
- Multiply your cake recipe ingredients by this coefficient.
And voilà! Proceed to bake and enjoy your favorite layer or sheet cake! Now you can make your favorite recipes more exciting by using various, even weirdly shaped pans.
Special notes
- To get the most accurate dimension of a pan, measure the inside pan edge to the opposite inside edge so that you do not include the thickness of the pan.
- This cake calculator considers different types of pans (round pan, square pan, loaf pan, or rectangular pan) and the surface area of baking pans. The height of the cake remains unchanged.
- For springform pans, use this tool to scale the recipe for a springform pan with another springform pan (i.e., a 10-inch springform pan recipe to an 8-inch springform pan).
- Adjust the baking time as needed (read below).
- If you want to recalculate ingredients for molds with different heights or weird-shaped silicone molds, please read on how to adapt your recipe.
- Read on how to bake with silicone molds, if you can bake a cake in a glass pan, and how to bake with Pyrex.
When you should not use the calculator
So, how to scale a recipe for special cake pans? Is it possible?
- The cake tin conversion calculator works for regular cake pans. But it does not work for specially designed pans such as a chiffon cake pan, a tube pan, a bundt cake pan, and a muffin pan.
- The volume of the cake batter they contain is not as standard as regular round, square, or rectangular pans hold.
- To convert such a specific pan, use a handy infographic created by Allrecipes.
How to calculate recipe ingredients
Once you get the cake pan conversion coefficient, multiply the amount and volume of all the recipe ingredients by this number.
Use your common sense and adjust the ingredients. You will need to round up or down the resulting numbers to work with.
Most of my recipes use US measurements and the metric system. I firmly believe that baking needs precision, and weighing ingredients with a kitchen scale helps get the best baking results.
Moreover, it might be easier to adjust ingredients using the metric system.
Let me show you an example: if you have a 10-inch cake pan and the recipe indicates an 8-inch cake pan, the conversion coefficient is 1.56.
It means that you need to multiply the ingredients by 1.56. Yes, just a little math helps here!
In this case, if the original recipe calls for 1 cup (125 g) of all-purpose flour, multiplying by 1.56 makes 1.56 cups (195 g) of flour.
Using the Ingredients Conversion Tool, you will need 1 ½ cups plus one tablespoon of flour. However, it seems that measuring 195 g of flour is easier.
Let's say that you calculated all the ingredients except whole eggs. What if you need some part of the egg?
A good technique is to beat the egg and use whatever part of the egg mixture you need.
To be precise, weigh the beaten egg on a scale and measure how much you need.
How to adjust baking time for different-sized pans
There are no formulas for adjusting the baking time once you use a different pan size.
If you double the ingredients, it does not mean that your cake requires a longer baking time, and you need to double it. It does not work this way.
The baking time remains the same in most cases since the cake converter does not change the cake's height.
The baking time may be a bit longer if you make the cake larger than the original recipe.
If you make a smaller cake, it is good to check its readiness before the original baking time.
And don't forget the general rule of thumb: don't change the oven temperature recommended in the recipe.
But there is one exclusion: if you substitute your molds with the glass pans, reduce the baking temperature by 25 degrees F and bake for up to 10 minutes longer.
How to test cake doneness
As per Kitchn, there are five ways to tell when a cake is done. One of the easiest methods is to use your preferred cake tester.
It is a metal cake tester, a thin, sharp knife, a skinny bamboo skewer, or a wooden toothpick. According to FOOD52, "The toothpicks are the best cake testers."
Just remember that various types of cakes have different kinds of readiness.
For example, while testing French Chocolate Cake, you will want the tester to come out of the center of the cake with some streaks of batter or crumbs that stick to a toothpick since the cake is moist. Italian Sponge Cake is ready when the tester comes out dry.
Mast-have baking pans
As a sequel to my freebie Baking Essentials Checklist, today, there is no better time than now to show off all the baking pans I use while baking and which ones are my favorite.
Here are my top 9 baking pans, most with nonstick coating - all you will ever need for any recipe situation:
- Calphalon Rimmed baking sheet
- USA pan bakeware rectangular cake pan
- Fat Daddio square cake pan
- Nordic Ware round cake pan
- Le Creuset springform round cake pan
- 12-count Wilton muffin pan
- 24-count Wilton mini muffin pan
- Rachael Ray nonstick loaf pan
- Wilton fluted tart pan
To learn about other baking tools you need while baking, check out a post full of baking must-haves to ensure your next sweet treat turns out perfect.
Conversion tables
In addition to the principal cake pan calculator below, I think it would be helpful to provide a few conversion tables for different-sized pans and their volume capacities.
Round pans
| Pan size in inches | Volume in cups | Pan size in centimeters | Volume in milliliters/liters |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6 x 2 inches | 4 cups | 15 x 5 cm | 948 ml |
| 8 x 2 inches | 6 cups | 20 x 5 cm | 1.4 liters |
| 9 x 2 inches | 8 cups | 23 x 5 cm | 1.9 liters |
| 10 x 2 inches | 11 cups | 25 x 5 cm | 2.6 liters |
Square pans
| Pan size in inches | Volume in cups | Pan size in centimeters | Volume in liters |
|---|---|---|---|
| 8 x 2 inches | 8 cups | 20 x 20 x 5 cm | 1.9 liters |
| 9 x 2 inches | 10 cups | 23 x 23 x 5 cm | 2.4 liters |
| 10 x 2 inches | 12 cups | 25 x 25 x 5 cm | 2.8 liters |
Rectangular pans
| Pan size in inches | Volume in cups | Pan size in centimeters | Volume in liters |
|---|---|---|---|
| 11 x 7 x 2 inches | 10 cups | 28 x 18 x 5 cm | 2.4 liters |
| 13 x 9 x 2 inches | 14 cups | 33 x 23 x 5 cm | 3.3 liters |
Springform pans
| Pan Size in inches | Volume in cups | Pan size in centimeters | Volume in liters |
|---|---|---|---|
| 9 x 2 ½ inches | 10 cups | 23 x 6 cm | 2.4 liters |
| 10 x 2 ½ inches | 12 cups | 25 x 6 cm | 2.8 liters |
Bundt pans
| Pan Size in inches | Volume in cups | Pan size in centimeters | Volume in liters |
|---|---|---|---|
| 7 ½ x 3 inches | 6 cups | 19 x 8 cm | 1.4 liters |
| 9 x 3 inches | 9 cups | 23 x 8 cm | 2.1 liters |
| 10 x 3 inches | 10 - 12 cups | 25 x 8 cm | 2.6 - 2.8 liters |
| 10 x 3 ½ inches | 12 cups | 25 x 9 cm | 2.8 liters |
Tube pans
| Pan Size in inches | Volume in cups | Pan size in centimeters | Volume in liters |
|---|---|---|---|
| 8 x 3 inches | 9 cups | 20 x 8 cm | 2.1 liters |
| 9 x 3 inches | 12 cups | 23 x 8 cm | 2.8 liters |
| 10 x 4 inches | 16 cups | 25 x 10 cm | 3.8 liters |
Jelly roll pans
| Pan Size in inches | Volume in cups | Pan size in centimeters | Volume in liters |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10 ½ x 15 ½ x 1 inches | 10 cups | 27 x 39 x 2.5 cm | 2.4 liters |
| 12 ½ x 17 ½ x 1 inches | 12 cups | 32 x 44 x 2.5 cm | 2.8 liters |
Loaf pans
| Pan Size in inches | Volume in cups | Pan size in centimeters | Volume in milliliters/liters |
|---|---|---|---|
| 8 x 4 x 2 ½ inches | 4 cups | 20 x 10 x 6 cm | 948 ml |
| 8 ½ x 4 ½ x 2 ½ inches | 6 cups | 21 x 11 x 6 cm | 1.4 liters |
| 9 x 5 x 3 inches | 8 cups | 23 x 13 x 8 cm | 1.9 liters |
Heart-shaped pan
| Pan Size in inches | Volume in cups | Pan size in centimeters | Volume in liters |
|---|---|---|---|
| 8 x 2 ½ inches | 8 cups | 20 x 6 cm | 1.9 liters |
Check out my favorite cake recipes
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What's next?
Bake until you make it! I hope you return to this post next time you need some adjustments with your baking pans. Happy baking, and enjoy!