Aki's Kitchen - Tools: Cake Pans

Preparation Techniques
Contents

See also: How to Grease a Cake Pan

Common Types of Cake Pans and Their Uses

Almost any pan can be used for any cake recipe unless specified otherwise in the recipe, provided that baking times are adjusted.

Springform:
A pan (without a non-stick coating) that has a detachable side and bottom. These are ideal for cheesecake, since they reflect heat and bake the cheesecake slowly. Most common types are made of the shiny tin; however, newer ones come in grey matt, as well as coloured exteriors. They can also be used as a mould to create a layer or mousse type of cake.

Preparation:
most recipes require to be greased with butter, unless otherwise stated. Most cheesecakes use cookie crumb crusts that include butter, which also acts as a releasing agent.

Angel Food:
A detachable tube pan: a side part and cone with bottom part. Made especially for baking angel food cake.

For angel food cake: the pan is left ungreased. The cake needs to cling and climb onto the sides of the pan during baking. If the pan is greased, the cake won't bake high as expected; the grease will make the sides slippery and the batter won't rise. The trick to using this pan is to cool the cake in an inverted position (upside down). When cooled, run a knife between the cake and the sides of the pan to release the cake from the pan. If the cake is left to cool in the same position (upright) as it was baked, the cake will sink in.

Preparation for Any Other Type of Cake:
Grease and flour well.

Ring Shaped Pans:
Bundt
These pans can be made from either heavy duty cast iron or plain aluminum. Both of which can be coated with a non-stick coating. What makes these pans so unique is that the baked cake, when inverted for presentation, offers an appealing looking dessert.

Preparation:
greased and floured

Savarin:
This is a uniquely shaped ring pan designed especially for Savarin. They are usually made of aluminum, with or without a non-stick coating. As with the Bundt type, when inverted for presentation, these offer an appealing looking dessert.

Preparation:
greased and floured

Ring or Tube:
These are made of aluminum, with or without a non-stick coating and come with or without a centre opening.

Preparation:
greased and floured

Round Pans:
Usually made of aluminum, with or without a non-stick coating. Ideal for layer cakes and genoise. They come in various sizes, though typical for genoise is the 9 1/2 - 10 1/2 . 8 1/2 - 9 1/2 pans are ideal for cakes made from scratch or from a commercial "box" mix.

Preparation:
With a non-stick coating: greased and floured.
Without a non-stick coating: greased and then lined with wax or parchment paper (see: How to Cut and Fit a Cake Pan Cut with Wax or Parchment Paper)

Square Pans:
Usually made of aluminum or tin, 9" x 9" x 2" with or without a non-stick coating. Ideal for brownies, slices, and bars. Not recommended for cakes since the centre of the cake forms a tall mound and the top looks humpy and uneven. Pieces of cake cut from the sides are typically thinner than those nearest the centre, which are thicker and higher.

Preparation:
With a non-stick coating: greased and floured.
Without a non-stick coating: greased and then lined with wax or parchment paper (see: How to Cut and Fit a Cake Pan Cut with Wax or Parchment Paper)

Rectangle Pans:
Usually made of aluminum or tin, 9" x 13" x 2 1/2" with or without a non-stick coating. Not recommended for cakes since the centre of the cake forms a tall mound and the top looks humpy and uneven. Pieces of cake cut from the sides are typically thinner than those nearest the centre, which are thicker and higher.

These are more ideal for filo pastry desserts than cakes. Look for thick aluminum pans; thinner metal doesn't cook and brown bottom crust well.

Preparation:
With a non-stick coating: greased and floured.
Without a non-stick coating: greased and then lined with wax or parchment paper (see: How to Cut and Fit a Cake Pan Cut with Wax or Parchment Paper)

Loaf Pans:
Usually made of aluminum with a non-stick coating that are ideal for loaf breads, cakes and pound cakes.

Preparation:
With a non-stick coating: greased and floured

Jellyroll Pans:
Made of aluminum, with or without a non-stick coating. Ideal for sheet cakes and jellyrolls, as well as for toasting bread crumbs and nuts. They can also be used for baking cookies.

Preparation:
For cakes - with or without a non-stick coating: greased and then lined with wax or parchment paper (see: How to Cut and Fit a Cake Pan Cut with Wax or Parchment Paper).

For cookies -
without a non-stick coating, lined with parchment paper
with a non-stick coating: no need to grease or line with paper

Decorative Pans:
Flan
Made of tin without a non-stick coating.

Shaped Pans, Sea Shells, Madeleines, etc.
Made of tin or thin cast iron without a non-stick coating.

Preparation:
Straight edged pans, such as a heart, can be greased and lined with parchment paper.

Intricate designed pans, such as a flan or seashells, can be sprayed with a non-stick spray, or greased and floured (if spray is not available).

Muffin Pans:
Usually made of aluminum with a non-stick coating. Better ones are made with thick metal, whereas, poorer ones are made thinner and can easily be bent out of shape.

Preparation:
Greased and floured well.

Pie Plates:
Glass with or without a non-stick coating: ideal for cookie crumb crust pie, which doesn't need too much baking and browning. Non-stick coated pie plates are coated with a thin non-stick coating, which is transparent and slightly dingy to off white in colour.

Ceramic: great for custard filled pies, such as pumpkin pie. The thickness of the ceramic absorbs and distributes heat well with excellent bottom crust browning.

Aluminum without a non-stick coating: ideal for fruit filled pies topped with a layer of pastry dough, such as: apple, cherry, etc., which require a long baking time, about 35 - 45 minutes. These pans, if the metal is thick, can produce excellent browned bottom crusts. Thinner plates don't fare as well.

Aluminum with a non-stick coating: ideal for making pie shells to be filled with a cooked cream or custard, such as mousse or lemon meringue. Since most pastry dough baked for these types of recipes require a short baking time, about 12 - 20 minutes, the dark non-stick coating helps to produce an excellent browned bottom crust.

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