Hello, fellow bakers! Today, we’re going to talk about cake pans! Yes, we can hear you wondering what’s there to talk about tins, after all, aren’t what you place inside the pan, that’s important.
Well, as a baker it’s essential to know the ins and outs of your tools to perfect your art. And this begins by choosing the right baking pans. They come very handy when you get online cake order.
Options Aplenty
The modern baker of today has a vast range of choices when it comes to baking pans. From regular ol’ aluminium pans to silicon moulds in beautiful shapes, non-stick pans, spring-form pans, the options are endless. Different pans are suited for different goodies. Using the wrong pan for the wrong dish, can not only alter the appearance but also causes changes in the taste of your baked delicacy. One of the main reasons why cakes crumble or fall flat is because of the wrong pan used for baking.
Before we find the right way to use cake pans, let’s have a look at the different styles of cake pans and their purposes.
1. Cake Pans
As the name suggests, these are primarily used for baking cakes. They are broad pans with vertical sides, and the depth is around one and a half inches. Apart from cakes, they can also be used for brownies, bars, and cookie cakes. They come in a wide variety of shapes and sizes like round, rectangle, square, heart, oval and other custom shapes. These are must haves for any baker when they need to bake for online cake order.
2. Baking Sheets
These are flat, wide and have a small lip on the sides. They are perfect for baking cookies, roasting meat, fish and other veggies. They are of two major types: Cookie Sheets and Sheet Pans. Cookie sheets have a flat edge while sheet pans have a small lip. Some cookie sheets are marked to help you evenly space out your cookies.
3. Bread Pans
They are generally rectangular and thin, and shaped like a loaf of bread. They are a couple of inches deep and are perfect for baking bread loaves, meatloaf or fruit cakes. They have high edges to give additional support to your baked goodies. Some loaf pans have separate inserts that help to slide the baked loaf easily out of the pan. These inserts also make cleaning up easy.
4. Cupcake and Muffin Pans
These trays have several individual round wells for baking a batch of cupcakes at the same time. You can line the round holes with cupcake liners or bake in them directly. Ideal for baking cupcakes, muffins, and mini quiches. They are available in the following sizes: 6, 12, or 24 cupcakes.
5. Pie Tins
This is a round pan with a slightly outward curved edge. It’s usually 8 or 10 inches in diameter. As the name implies, it’s used for baking pies or quiches. Choose pie pans that are made of glass or ceramic, to bake pies evenly. These materials retain heat better when compared to aluminium. Also, the depth of these pans varies depending on the end dish. Apple pies are baked in deeper pans when compared to traditional pumpkin pies.
6. Springform Pans
These pans have detachable sides that help you to remove the pan easily. It’s mostly used for dishes that are delicate and can’t be inverted like regular cakes. Cheesecakes, tortes work well in springform pans. Though a bit expensive, they are well worth it in the long run.
7. Bundt Pans
These pans have fluted edges and are shaped like a ring. They are used for angel food cakes, Bundt cakes, and monkey bread. The form of the pan allows heat to flow both inside and outside the ring, helping the cake bake evenly on all sides. Traditionally, Bundt cakes were preferred since they are easy to slice and serve.
8. Casserole Dishes
They are round or rectangular and around 2-3 inches thick. They have a lid and are multi-taskers. Bake without the lid for desserts and with the lid for dinner. Cobblers, casseroles, oven-roasted meat and veggies, lasagne and crisps are baked in casseroles. They have an enamel coating which makes it easy to clean up.
9. Ramekins
They are small dishes that are used for baking individual sized portions. Creme brulees, choco-lava cakes, soufflés, puddings are baked in ramekins. They are an excellent way to bake and serve desserts without messy portions. They are available in a wide variety of colours and are made of ceramic or stoneware.
10. Specialty baking pans
As the name suggests, these are special pans that are used for baking unique treats. Heart-shaped mini cakes for Valentine’s Day, Mickey silhouettes for a kids’ party or candy cane cookies for Christmas, the list is endless.
Now that we’ve seen the different types of baking pans let’s take a look at the right ways to use them.
The Golden Rule for Filling Cake Pans
To prevent your cake batter from overflowing and messing up, always fill the batter only till two-thirds of the pan. This leaves plenty of room for the cake to rise and retain the shape.
How to Prepare a Round Tin?
Preparing the tin is essential to prevent cakes from sticking to the sides and for easy removal. Place the bottom of your cake pan on top of a sheet of parchment paper. Use a pencil and mark the edges of the tin. Then cut the circle of parchment paper.
Spread butter or oil on the bottom of the tin and place the cut circle on top of it. Optionally, you can grease the sides of the pan with butter.
How to prepare a square, rectangle or loaf pan?
Take baking paper that is roughly the length of the pan. Slightly grease the bottom of the pan with butter or oil and place the parchment paper on top of it. Press into the sides with your fingers making sure that the paper reaches the corners.
Now, use a pair of scissors to cut the paper from its edge to the corner of the pan. Stop. This lets the paper overlap, and your cake or bread batter reaches even the corners. Trim the excess paper on top so as to prevent it scorching.
How to prepare a Bundt or specialty shaped cake tin?
Place a dab of butter on a clean kitchen towel. Use the towel and spread butter on the inside of the tin. Ensure that it’s evenly spread so as to avoid making your cake greasy.
Other ways to Line Cake Pans
If you bake regularly, you can invest in a non-stick cooking spray or make one yourself. Just a few sprays all over the insides of the pan and your cake will slide out in a jiffy.
Recommended List of Cake Pans by GurgaonBakers
- Muffin Tin – A 12-hole deep muffin tin for cupcakes and muffins.
- Cake Tins – Non-stick or springform pans to slide cakes easily. Size 8 to 10 inches for regular layer cakes.
- Bars and Slice Tins – Make use of disposable foil tins as you can easily remove the bars by peeling away the foil.
- Bundt Tins – A Good quality non-stick Bundt tin of around 10” in diameter.
- Loaf Tin – A 900g loaf tin is good for meatloaves and bread.
The Bottom Line
Cake pans are life-long investments, and a good one is sure to churn out hundreds of cakes over the years. So, choose the best ones and keep making yummy baked goodies!
GurgaonBakers is considered the prime choice for online cake order. We would be glad to delight you with our delicious cakes apart from feeding you with great insights on the subject. This and much more only on www.gurgaonbakers.com, you can book your orders on 989-9988-185.
