When it comes to baking a sheet cake, size matters! The trusty 9×13 pan has long been the go-to for home bakers, and it is easy to see why. This popular size, along with a few others, works perfectly with the simple 3-2-1 cake mix ratio: one cake mix for a 9x13x2 inch pan, two for an 11x15x2 inch, and three for a 12x18x2 inch. Understanding these sizes and ratios can make baking a breeze and more delicious!
Number 1 for Most Bakers
The most common by far with home bakers, is the 9x13x2 inch sheet cake pan, the Fat Daddio’s POB-9132. There really is not anything remarkably close to this size in terms of popularity. It is the suggested sheet cake pan on the back of most commercial cake box mixes. This size is also a great pan for brownies, bar cookies and dinner time casseroles.
The Runners Up
The next popular sheet cake pan sizes would be the 12x18x2 and 11x15x2 inch sheet cake pans. The main reasoning behind this is the 3-2-1 cake mix ratio. This is something not many people know about but is an excellent reference point. A kind of “I get it” moment for many bakers just starting out. The 3-2-1 ratio is as follows:
9x13x2 = 1 cake mix
11x15x2 = 2 cake mixes
12x18x2 = 3 cake mixes
Another versatile and useful option is our 7x11x2 inch sheet cake pan. This one has a growing audience with the increasing popularity of countertop ovens.
Fun Facts… for Sheet Cake Nerds
A bakers full sheet cake measures 16×24 inches. Therefore, a true bakers quarter sheet is 8×12 inches and a half sheet is 12×16 inches. There are still many that follow this traditional size principle especially on the commercial baking side.
In the late 1980’s, the 9×13, 11 x 15 and 12×18 pans started to come into prominence as “oversized” sheet pans. It is believed that the cake box and cake board sizes influenced this as the boards were always designed to be oversized. This allowed for proper cake centering with room for buttercream borders and easier handling in and out of cake boxes. Soon bakeries bakers started to fill the extra board and cake box space with cake. The trend and natural progression to expand sheet cake sizes again emerged as consumers like the look and size of the cakes.
Cake Batter Capacity and More…
Fat Daddio’s ProSeries Sheet Cake Pans are a staple for every baking and cooking enthusiast. Crafted from 16-gauge anodized aluminum, these silver sheet pans offer a seamless, solid-bottom design with straight sides and tight edges. Whether you are baking birthday cakes, wedding cakes, brownies, cheesecakes, or carrot cakes, these pans ensure professional tiers and layers every time. You can find more sheet cake pan batter capacities and baking tips here.
