Batter to Pan Ratio (Again!)

[cwcdesign]

I was at Home Goods the other day looking for a 10-cup bundt pan (Nordic Ware, of course) and found one. I also found and had to buy a wreath pan and it holds 9 cups.
How do you determine how much cake batter to put in the 9-cup pan, especially if it's a recipe that you know goes in a 10 or 12 cup pan.

I'm really curious because I found a gluten-free recipe for a gingerbread, pear, crystalized ginger loaf cake that if it turns out well, I would like to make in the wreath pan for our bake sale. Would I make one batch of the cake (for a 9x5 pan) or make a double batch and put only so much batter in? How far from the top would I fill the pan?

I went to a few of the sites that tell you how many cups certain pans are, but it still didn't help me understand.

Thanks for enlightening me!

Spread the word

      

  

  

[BakerAunt]

KAF sometimes talks about the "bakeable capacity" of some of its Bundt pans. I believe that they say 6 cups of batter for a 10 cup Bundt pan.

See:

https://www.kingarthurflour.com/shop/items/original-classic-bundt-pan

https://www.kingarthurflour.com/shop/items/party-bundt-pan

• This reply was modified 7 years ago by BakerAunt.

[Mike Nolan]

It depends somewhat on the recipe (some recipes don't rise very much), but the general rule is to fill a pan between 2/3 and 3/4 full. I've found with some pans you can't trust what the maker says the capacity is, so I measure it with water.

I fill cupcakes to the 3/4 point, because I like a rounded top above the top of the pan or cupcake liner.

[S_Wirth]

The pan quantity charts all state a capacity but that capacity is brim full. Brim full ahs nothing to do with how full a baker would fill a pan with batter before baking.

Best way is to use a one cup liquid measuring cup and water...fill the pan with cups of water to the place you'd fill it with batter. I'd use 2/3 to 3/4 full for the batter level using the water. You could also use point 7 (.7) times the stated level full cups of the pan, if given. Point 66 (.66) is 2/3 and point 75 (.75) is 3/4 for the batter level.

You'll need to add up the recipe ingredients as closely as you can get it so you can see whether you need to use more or less batter than your recipe will add up to for the batter quantity you want to use. You can bake extra batter as cupcakes/muffins or very small bread pans.

I fill all of my cupcake or muffin pans/paper liners almost level full for the very best doming. I learned that tip from The Prepared Pantry and several other baking tips sites.

[BakerAunt]

Cass asked me to post for him this answer for Cwcdesign:

"I have read Carol's Bundt cake problem. Tell her to measure out the water in cups that she places in the pan right to the top. Then divide that amount by 3... then X by 2. This is the amount of batter required for 2/3rds of batter to allow for the rise due to the effect of the chemical leaveners.

If she publishers the amount of cups of water & the recipe I will provide the adjusted recipe to fill the pan.

Enjoy the day my friend.

~CASS.

[cwcdesign]

Thank you all. Not quite sure why I couldn’t figure that out - I’ll chalk it up to exhaustion. Since I lan to bake a sample ofthecake I wntto use in a loaf pan first, I can measure the batter before I put it in the loaf pan.

[cwcdesign]

When I went to rinse the wreath pan for measuring the water, I discovered a recipe for a rum wreath cake inside. Looking at the quantities, I think the recipe I have for my cranberry almond coffee cake will fit nicely. I'm wondering if Cass will concur.
The ingredients for the wreath rum cake
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons butter, softened
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar
2 eggs
1 ½ teaspoons vanilla
½ cup dark rum
2 ¼ cups flour
1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
¼ teaspoon baking soda
1/8 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup whipping cream

For the cranberry almond coffee cake
2 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
2 teaspoons almond extract
1 ½ cups sour cream

Note that the coffee cake is baked in a 10 inch tube pan - you layer ½ the batter, then a can of cranberry sauce and then the rest of the batter. I have made this recipe many times and it is always a hit. The one difference I might make with baking it in the wreath pan is instead of chopped almonds, I may coat the pan with almond flour.

Both cakes get syrup and glaze

Thanks for your help!!!!!

[Author]

Posts