Standard baking pans are 8 to 9 inches round pans and usually come in sets of two to make a 2 layer cake.
Loaf pans are rectangular and are deeper than the standard cake pans and are not the best choice for making regular cakes since the depth would make the outside of the cake bake first before the middle which would make it dry and crusty.
Bundt pans are more known as “ring pans” because there is a pillar in the middle. This is used to cook heavy cake batters without burning the outsides. This cake pans is best for coffee cakes or fruit cakes.
Brownie pans are square or rectangular in shape and are flat which makes it easy to cut the brownies into squares. It can also be used for cookie squares.
Novelty cake pans are pans that are specially made for design. You can shape cakes into a bunny, a heart or any cartoon character. They are very popular for children’s birthday parties.
Tips To Choose The Right Baking Pans
There are 3 basic tips to consider that will help you choose the right baking pans for any occasion.
The first thing to consider is size. The difference in the size of the baking pan determines the volume of batter the pan can hold. It is important that you use the right size of pan for the dish you are preparing. For example, if you use a pan that is too big, it will cause the depth of the batter to be shallower. This, in turn, causes the batter to bake more quickly, and will throw off the cooking times, and even the consistency of the end result.
The opposite is true is the baking pan you use is too small. The batter ends up deeper and will take a longer time to bake. Once again, this throws off the cooking time and the consistency of the end product.
The second thing to consider is shape. The shape of the pan will be determined by what you happen to be baking. Some examples of different shapes are a cake pan, a loaf pan, and a pie pan.
Cake pans can be round or square, but they can also come in a variety of character and odd shapes. For example, there are cartoon characters, and football shapes.
Loaf pans are generally large with flat bottoms. Think of the shape of a loaf of bread that you buy at the store. Do you see the shape in your mind? A loaf pan will produce a similar shape.
Pie pans are only meant for baking pies. I know that sounds simplistic, but it’s the truth. Pie pans are usually round and have a flat bottom with sides all around.
The third thing to consider is the material from which your baking pan is made from. There are generally two types…
The first material is metal. The most common metal now used is aluminum because of it’s low cost, durability, light weight, and ease of clean up.
The second material is glass, although glass usually refers to baking dishes. Something to consider if you use a glass baking dish is that you may have to reduce the temperature of your oven by about 25 degrees.
