Substitutions for Baking Pan Sizes
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Casserole Dish, Cake Pan, and Other Substitutions
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Are you in the middle of cooking but don’t have the right size baking pan? We can help! You can often substitute one size for another, remembering that when you change the pan size, you must sometimes change the cooking time. Here is a handy Baking Pan Size Substitution chart and a Casserole Dish Substitution chart that will make it easier to modify your recipes on the go.
Differences in Cooking Time
When following a recipe, it’s important to consider the size of the pan you’re using to ensure proper cooking time. For instance, if a recipe instructs you to use an 8-inch round cake pan and bake for 25 minutes, but you substitute it with a 9-inch pan, the cake might be ready in just 20 minutes as the batter will be spread thinly across the larger pan. To check if the cake is ready (check for doneness), insert a toothpick into the center of the cake. If it comes out clean, the cake is done baking.
Also, specialty pans such as tube and Bundt pans distribute heat differently; you may not get the same results if you substitute a regular cake pan for a specialty one, even if the volume is the same.
Love to bake? See our baking articles—including everything from pies to cakes.
Baking Pan Size Substitutions
| PAN SIZE | VOLUME | SUBSTITUTE |
|---|
| 9-inch pie pan | 4 cups | 8-inch round cake pan |
|---|
| 8x4x2½–inch loaf pan | 6 cups | Three 5x2-inch loaf pans
Two 3x1¼–inch muffin tins
12x8x2-inch cake pan |
|---|
| 9x5x3-inch loaf pan | 8 cups | 8-inch square cake pan
9-inch round cake pan |
|---|
| 15x10x1-inch jelly-roll pan | 10 cups | 9-inch square cake pan
Two 8-inch round cake pans
8x3-inch springform pan |
|---|
| 10x3-inch Bundt pan | 12 cups | Two 8x4x2½–inch loaf pans
9x3-inch angel food cake pan
9x3-inch springform pan |
|---|
| 13x9x2-inch cake pan | 14-15 cups | Two 9-inch round cake pans
Two 8-inch square cake pans |
|---|
Casserole Dish Substitutions
If you are cooking a casserole and don’t have the correct size dish, here are some baking pan substitutions. Again, consider the depth of the ingredients in the dish and lengthen or shorten the baking time accordingly.
| CASSEROLE SIZE | BAKING-PAN SUBSTITUTE |
|---|
| 1½ quarts | 9x5x3-inch loaf pan |
|---|
| 2 quarts | 8-inch square cake pan |
|---|
| 2½ quarts | 9-inch square cake pan |
|---|
| 3 quarts | 13x9x2-inch cake pan |
|---|
| 4 quarts | 14x10x2-inch cake pan |
|---|
Do you want more tips on baking and cooking? Check out this list of common kitchen mistakes. Also, try out some baking tips and our solutions to common baking disasters!
About The Author
Catherine Boeckmann
Catherine Boeckmann loves nature, stargazing, and gardening so it’s not surprising that she and The Old Farmer’s Almanac found each other. She leads digital content for the Almanac website, and is also a certified master gardener in the state of Indiana.
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