Best cake pans

15 years ago

Does anyone have any good suggestions for round cake pans? I have to admit that when I usually bake I either do pound cake in a loaf pan or regular cakes in 9x13 pans. I've decided I want to work on making "real" cakes - you know, cakes that don't look wobbly or uneven (which is pretty much what I have seemed to come out with in the past). I would love to expand my pound-cake-only repertoire:)

Also, should I buy 8 or 9 inch pans? Is one of those considered a "standard" size?

Thanks in advance.

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Comments (8)

grainlady_ks
15 years ago
1. Both 8- and 9-inch pans and both round and square shapes. Different recipes require different sizes.

2. Heavy professional-grade aluminum metal pans. Make sure the pans will remain rigid even when full of batter. Dark pans will bake the sides and bottom of the cake faster.

3. Square (no slant) sides for both round and square pans.

4. Along with those pans, make sure you have square and round cooling racks.

I'll direct you to King Arthur Flour for quality pans. I like Chicago Metal pans and have used a number of them for many years. I have purchased professional-grade pans at a local restaurant supply store, and surprisingly I've made some great finds in quality pans at Tuesday Morning.

-Grainlady

Here is a link that might be useful: King Arthur Flour - Baking Pans
Bumblebeez SC Zone 7
15 years ago
I buy parchment in 8" & 9" rounds for lining cake pans too.
They have inexpensive packages on Amazon.

Also, I have uneven oven racks and that makes my layers slightly lopsided unless I make adjustments.
It's the only time I notice the racks are uneven - baking layer cakes.
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annie1992
15 years ago
I also have a "cake leveler", a device with two legs and an adjustable wire to lop off the domes of cakes.

I also like the Chicago Metallic and the Fat Daddio pans, the Fat Daddio have a nice edge to use to flip them out. I have a couple of Kaiser pans too, nice and heavy, but one has a non-stick coating that all flaked off quickly.

If you want to go a little more cheaply, Wilton is perfectly OK too.

If you want to go more "top of the line", Cook's Illustrated really liked the Goldtouch nonstick from Williams Sonoma, I haven't tried that personally.

Annie
friedajune
15 years ago
I like the Chicago Metallic cake pans. What you want are sides that are straight, i.e. some cake pans have sides that flare out ever so slightly, and your cake layers will never line up and frost easily with those. Chicago Metallic have been making cake pans, well, forever, and "if it ain't broke..." They come in nonstick and a not-nonstick versions. I'll link to the Amazon listings, but you can find Chicago Metallic at BB&B and many other places. I like the nonstick version. I still butter the pan to ensure a flavorful crust, but it's so nice to have a no-risk removal of the cake from the pan.

As already mentioned, the Williams Sonoma pans with the Goldtouch finish get rave reviews. I haven't tried them, since I'm satisfied with my Chicago Metallic pans, and the Goldtouch are a little pricey. But note, the Goldtouch pans are made for Williams Sonoma by Chicago Metallic!

Chicago Metallic Nonstick 9-inch Cake Pans

Chicago Metallic Not-nonstick 9-inch Cake Pans

William Sonoma Goldtouch Round Cake Pans
claire_de_luna
15 years ago
I had a cake leveler once! (I didn't think it worked very well, but maybe that's just me.) I thought the ''idea'' of it was good, until I realized it's one gadget you can eliminate from a kitchen that never has enough room, which mine never did.

Which brings me to sharing one thing I have learned over the years. Your cake won't actually ''dome'' if you use the right size pan for the amount of batter you have. In other words if the cake has a dome, you're probably baking a recipe in an 8 inch pan that actually needs a 9 inch pan. (Your oven temperature could also be too high but that's another subject, mostly evident when baking cupcakes.) Anyway, once I figured this out, I've never needed to cut the tops off any cake. (Seems like such a waste, when I want all the lift I can get!) It's much easier to deal with in the final phase of cake making, and eliminating a step is never a bad idea if you don't need it. This also eliminates the need for a crumb coat when frosting the cake, since you haven't opened up the ''crumb'', which also saves time.
stbonner
Original Author
15 years ago
Thanks, y'all. I've ordered some of the Chicago Metallic pans, since everyone here had such good things to say about them. The King Arthur pans had a non-stick coating, and I wasn't sure how that would hold up over time. Also the Chicago Metallic pans were a bit cheaper, so that made up my mind for me. Thanks everyone for your input, I really appreciate it.
annie1992
15 years ago
CdL, I only use the cake leveler when I'm making those multi-tiered wedding cakes and I want them to be absolutely flat.

I get to 9 or 10 layers and if each one is just a little slanted or lopsided or whatever, I get a leaning tower of cake.

Plus, if they aren't absolutely flat, you have some icing that seeps out and bulges on the sides of the cake and they aren't perfectly flat either.

So, for the "big" cakes, it's the cake leveler. For anything less than 4 layers, I don't bother.

Annie
claire_de_luna
15 years ago
Annie, Since I've never made a 9 or 10 layer cake in my life, I bow to your expertise! I will remember that should the occasion ever arise.

Best cake pans

Comments (8)

grainlady_ks

Bumblebeez SC Zone 7

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Best cake pans

Comments (8)

grainlady_ks

Bumblebeez SC Zone 7

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annie1992

friedajune

claire_de_luna

stbonnerOriginal Author

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stbonner
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