Baking Instructions
Pan prep, batter capacity, temperature, baking time and more.Pan Prep
How to prepare cake pans for easy release?
CAKES: Grease your pans with a thin layer of room-temperature, unsalted butter or shortening and dust evenly with 1-2 tbsps (15-30 ml) of flour. You can also line your pan with parchment paper and spray grease. Alternatively, we recommend Baker’s Joy. *Tip: The use of olive oil or aerosol release sprays containing olive oil are not recommended as they can leave a sticky residue and may discolor the pan over time.
MUFFINS & CUPCAKES: If you are not using paper muffin cups, we recommend greasing and flouring like a cake pan.
ANGEL FOOD: Do not grease your pan for stiffly-beaten egg white recipes, simply line the bottom with parchment paper. This allows the cake to cling to the sides of the pan and rise properly.
PASTRIES & COOKIES: Usually no pan preparation is needed as most recipes have a higher fat content and provide an effective release. If you are baking pastries or cookies with a low-fat content, simply line the sheet with a silicone baking mat or parchment paper.
BREADS: For first-time use, we recommend using butter, coconut oil, canola oil, lard or shortening. If needed, dust with flour for sweet breads and cornmeal for yeast breads. After the first few uses, the baking surface will build a patina that will eliminate or minimize the need for pan prep.
PIES, TARTS & QUICHES: Most crust recipes have high butter and fat content that will provide a natural release. Unless your recipe specifically calls for a grease-release preparation, these items generally do not require any pan prep.
COOKIES: Read: Methods and Techniques for Cookies
Batter Capacity
How much cake batter per pan do I need?
Generally for 1 or 2-inch-deep pans, you will fill them 1/2 full of batter. For pans that are 3 or 4-inch-deep, the batter needs to be about 2/3 full. On occasion, you may need the batter capacity for a certain recipe or novelty pan. View our Cake Baking Guide for more details and estimations including weight chart.
Calculate a Pan’s Batter Capacity: Fill the pan to the brim with water. Use a measuring cup to determine how much you poured. Subtract 1/2 the amount of water from the total to determine capacity for 1 or 2-inch deep pans, and subtract 1/3 of the total amount for pans that are 3 or 4-inch deep.
Placing one or more heating rods in the pan is recommended by professionals for cakes that exceed 9 inches in diameter, larger 3 or 4 inch deep pans or novelty-shaped pans. Position the flat base of the heating rod at the bottom of the pan.
Temp
What temperature to bake a cake?
Fat Daddio’s Anodized Aluminum Bakeware heats faster and may require a temperature reduction for most recipes. For professional baking results, we recommend lowering the temperature to 325° F (165° C) and baking for a few minutes longer than the recipes instructs. A good place to start is a 15° F (10° C) reduction, and checking on your cake when the recommended recipe baking time is up. Actual temperature reduction and time will vary depending on oven type, pan size, altitude, ingredients and how many times the oven was opened to admire your baking.
Baking Time
How long to bake a cake?
There are many variables to baking time. Your ingredients, altitude, pan size and oven performance all effect baking results. There is not a ‘one-size-fits-all’ answer. However, there are several indicators that your cake is done:
Generally, if your cake starts to smell good, it is likely close to being ready to take out of the oven. If it jiggles when moved, it is likely not ready. If the top springs back when lightly-touched, it may be done. Insert a toothpick or paring knife into the center of the cake to see if the crumb has set. If it comes out clean, it is done.
| Variable | How it might affect your baking… |
|---|---|
| OVEN TYPE | Are you using a standard electric, gas or convection oven? The oven type and the age of your oven play a large part in your temperature determination. The Fat Daddio’s Test Kitchen uses an industrial convection oven that bakes much faster than smaller electric or gas ovens. Time and temperature requirements will vary between ovens. |
| PAN SIZE | The general rule of thumb when baking is “the bigger the pan, the lower the temperature”. You bake a 9” round chocolate cake for about 30-35 minutes at 350° F (175° C). However, if you were putting the same recipe in a 14” pan, you would need to lower the temperature to 325° F (162° C) for 50-55 minutes. Also, if you put that same recipe in a standard cupcake pan, you would bump the temperature up to 375° F (190° C) and bake for 15-20 minutes. For larger pans, you may need to use a heating rod (HCR-425). |
| ALTITUDE | Altitude is one of the most complicated variables to address in baking. Not only do you need to adjust the time and temperature, but also the sugar, liquid and flour content of your recipe. At high altitude, the air pressure is lower than at sea level causing foods to take longer to bake. Liquids evaporate faster so you might need to adjust amounts of flour, sugar and liquids. Gases expand more so doughs rise faster. Leavening agents (baking soda and baking powder) may need to be decreased. Bread doughs may need shorter rising times. |
| INGREDIENTS | If you add any ingredients that increase the amount of liquid in your recipe, such as an extra egg, the baking time may be affected as well. |
