The Ultimate Guide To Cake Pans
A cake pan is defined as a pan composed of metal, silicone, heat-proof glass, ceramic, or enameled metal that is safe for baking in the oven. An extensive majority of metal cake pans now offer non-stick surfaces for easy release. Cake pans are designed to make ideal textures in baked goods. What’s a celebration without cake? We celebrate life’s achievements over a slice of cake. This is one of the many reasons why selecting the proper cake pan is as essential as using the appropriate ingredients for achieving an ideal, good, baked cake with the perfect consistency, flavor, and appearance. Read the below information on the most common types of cake pans and their uses to help you make your selection for the right cake. From traditional birthday celebrations to weddings and holidays, these are the top 8 types of cake pans:
- Traditional Cake Pans
- Springform Pans
- Silicone Cake Molds
- Bundt Cake Pans
- Cupcake Pans, Mini Cake Pans or Cake Rings
- Angel Food Cake Pans or Tube Pans
- Sheet Cake Pans
- Novelty Cake Pans
1. Traditional Cake Pans
Traditional cake pans are the standard choice for baking many different kinds of cakes and usually you will find them shaped in square, rectangular, or circular. It is easy to spot a traditional cake pan; they come in a variety of sizes, they all have high straight sides and flat bottoms, yielding cakes that you can torte or trim to make level and then layer.
Traditional Cake Pan Uses:
- Wedding Cakes
- Layered Cakes
- Strawberry Shortcake
- Tiered Cakes
2. Springform Pans
These pans have a removable bottom and adjustable sides that are secured with a clamp. It can also be used in place of a regular cake pan in any recipe. Once the cake is cooled, you simply open the clamp to release the sides. You can then leave the bottom of the pan under the cake while serving or remove it carefully.
Springform Pan Uses:
- Ice Cream Cake
- Cheesecake
- Crumb Cake
- Delicate Tortes
3. Silicone Cake Molds
Silicone molds are used for making small cakes, pastries, and are an excellent way to make several uniform desserts at one time. Silicone bakeware comes in a variety of shapes and sizes. The material is flexible silicone, which gives an allowance to easily remove desserts from the mold once they have cooled. This silicone is oven safe and doesn’t require lining like many other cake pans, but lightly greasing the mold before baking may benefit some recipes.
Silicone Baking Mold Uses:
- Entremets
- Mini Pies
- Quiches
- Eclairs
- Candies
- Cupcakes
- Novelty Shaped Cakes
4. Bundt Pans
Bundt pans are easily noticeable with holes in their centers for making ring-shaped cakes. Bundt cakes are baked upside down in the pan and turned over for removal once they are cooled. As a result, Bundt pans usually have either domed bottoms to make a rounded cake or angular bottoms to create cakes with intricate designs. The hole in the center of the pan causes deep cakes to bake faster and more evenly than standard round cakes of the same size. Baking sprays are recommended and are ideal for coating every angle of these unique pans so your cake doesn’t come out with pieces missing.
Bundt Cake Pan Uses:
- Coffee Cakes
- Monkey Bread
- Rum Cake
- Bundt Cakes
- Figgy Pudding
5. Cup Cake or Cake Rings
Cake rings remain the best choice for cakes with extremely wet ingredients. They have tall sides that are great for making layered cakes, just like traditional cake pans. However, they are bottomless and allow bakers to simply slide the ring up and off once the cake is completely cooled. Alternatively, cake rings can be used as cookie cutters to cut shapes out of sheet cakes. Cake rings are made of thin metal; they can slice through the cooled cake to create a neat edge for intricate pastries and sweets. To bake with a cake ring, place it on a sheet cake pan and then fill the ring with batter. Pouring your batter slowly helps to prevent leaking where the ring meets the bottom pan.
Cake Ring Uses:
- Mousse Cakes
- Pudding Cakes
- Custard Cakes
6. Angel Food Cake Pans or Tube Pans
Angel food cake pans, also called tube pans, are ring-shaped and have high sides that can be straight or tapered. These pans are usually made of two separate pieces that fit well together when baking and easily separate for removal of your cake once cooled. The center tube and bottom make up one piece and the sides of the pan are another. Similar to Bundt pans, this center tube allows for faster baking because heat can surround the inner portion of the cake. Angel food cake pans are also designed to be rested upside down during cooling to keep the cake from collapsing. These pans are specifically designed to achieve perfect, ultra-light baked goods.
Angel Food Cake Pan Uses:
- Chiffon Cakes
- Genoise Cakes
- Angel Food Cakes
- Pineapple Upside Down Cakes
7. Sheet Cake Pans
Typically around 2.5 cm deep, sheet cake pans are shallow rectangular pans with upturned edges. These pans can be used for making sheet cakes or as the base under cake rings. There are multiple sheet pan size options, making them a versatile option for feeding groups of all sizes.
Sheet Cake Pan Uses:
- Dump Cakes
- Poke Cakes
8. Novelty Cake Pans
This is for arty and decoration lovers. Novelty cake pans come in a variety of unique shapes like heart, pillow, diamond, and petal. Carefully grease or flour the corners and sides for the cake to stick to, to help your cake release neatly. These cake pans have tall sides, flat bottoms, and are excellent for baking creative cakes without the added time, difficulty, and waste of cake sculpting.
Novelty Cake Pan Uses:
- Holiday Themed Cakes
- Character Themed Cakes
- Novelty Cakes