Baking Basics: Converting Pan Sizes
Happy Tuesday and welcome to another Baking Basics installment!
One of the most common questions that I receive is how to adapt or scale a recipe if you need to use a different size pan. Will there be too much batter, should it be baked longer or shorter, etc.? While your first inclination might just be to take the surface measurements of the pan (8-inch, 9-inch, 9×13-inch, etc.), the more important measurement is VOLUME. This gives you a much better indication of how much batter the pan can hold and if you will need to do any scaling or time adjustments.
Below is a list of common pan sizes and volumes, along with a link to more non-traditional pan sizes!
PAN SIZE CONVERSIONS
(Dimension) 1 inch = 2.54cm  (Volume) 1 cup = 237 mL
Round Pans:
6 x 2 inches = 15 x 5 cm = 4 cups = 948ml
8 x 2 inches = 20 x 5 cm = 6 cups = 1.4 liters
9 x 2 inches = 23 x 5 cm = 8 cups = 1.9 liters
Springform Pans:
9 x 2½ inches = 23 x 6 cm = 10 cups = 2.4 liters
9 x 3 inches  = 23 x 8 cm = 12 cups = 2.8 liters
10 x 2½ inches = 25 x 6 cm = 12 cups = 2.8 liters
Bundt Pans:
7½ x 3 inches = 19 x 8 cm = 6 cups = 1.4 liters
9 x 3 inches = 23 x 8 cm = 9 cups = 2.1 liters
10 x 3½ inches = 25 x 9 cm = 12 cups = 2.8 liters
Tube Pans:
8 x 3 inches = 20 x 8 cm = 9 cups = 2.1 liters
9 x 3 inches = 23 x 8 cm = Â 12 cups = 2.8 liters
10 x 4 inches = 25 x 10 cm = 16 cups = 3.8 liters
Square Pans:
8 x 8 x 2 inches = 20 x 20 x 5 cm = 8 cups = 1.9 liters
9 x 9 x 2 inches = 23 x 23 x 5 cm = 10 cups = 2.4 liters
10 x 10 x 2 inches = 25 x 25 x 5 cm = 12 cups = 2.8 liters
Rectangular Pans:
11 x 7 x 2 inches = 28 x 18 x 5 cm = 6 cups = 1.4 liters
13 x 9 x 2 inches = 33 x 23 x 5 cm = 14 cups = 3.3 liters
Jelly Roll Pans:
10½ x 15½ x 1 = 27 x 39 x 2.5 cm = 10 cups = 2.4 liters
12½ x 17½ x 1 = 32 x 44 x 2.5 cm = 12 cups = 2.8 liters
Loaf Pans:
8 x 4 x 2½ inches = 20 x 10 x 6 cm = 4 cups = 948 ml
8½ x 4½ x 2½ inches = 21 x 11 x 6 cm = 6 cups = 1.4 liters
9 x 5 x 3 inches = 23 x 13 x 8 cm = 8 cups = 1.9 liters
Additional Resource: You can find even more obscure pan sizes with measurements at Joyofbaking.com.
BAKE ON!
Check out more posts in the Baking Basics series:
5 Mistakes to Avoid When Preparing a Recipe
Flour 101: The Definitive Guide to the Different Types of Baking Flours
Cocoa Powder 101: Natural Unsweetened vs Dutch-Process
Baking Soda vs. Baking Powder: Everything You Need to Know!
Why You Should ALWAYS Weigh Your Ingredients
I reduce the ingredients by https://salonpricelists.com/
using a scale for accuracy but that doesn’t tell me if I reduce cooking time. It also doesn’t tell me.
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kitchen necessity ps do you sell posters.
I think there is an error in this list – the rectangular 11 x 7 x 2 pan says 6 cups or 1.4 litres, but other sites (e.g. https://www.joyofbaking.com/PanSizes.html) have it as 10 cups or 2.4 litres, which sounds more like it to me!
The chart is helpful, but this doesn’t quite answer the question. If I want to reduce a lasagna to 1/3rd, and the original dish is 9×13, with no depth stated in the recipe, what do I do? This makes an 11×7 the closest fit, and I reduce the ingredients by 1/3rd (using a scale for accuracy), but that doesn’t tell me if I reduce cooking time. It also doesn’t tell me if I simply fill the converted recipe a little less full, to make up the .3 liter difference?… as I use a scale I suppose I can make the original once, weight the whole thing, then use the weight to cut the recipe in a 3rd to fill the 11×7 for accuracy, but I still don’t know if that reduces cooking time. My inclination would be to try the same time, but keep a careful eye on it. Still leaving an experiment on the readers. I guess I can make one full size and one 11×7 the to see how they come out, side by side
This is the best conversion chart I’ve found. Most exclude 6″ pans, which I favor for smaller cakes. But, the volume is the critical bit. So I can even convert for my teeny 4″ pan. Thanks so much!
This was super! I wanted to convert bundt cake recipes to bread pan sizes for Christmas gifts and you made it easy! Thanks so much ~
Thanks a lot for this, it’s very useful
When using the 6×2 round pan it said = 4 cups.What does that mean
Hi Sheri, That’s the capacity, i.e. how much batter it can hold.
Converting recipes for different cake pans can be such a time consuming task when all you want to do is get on with the baking. If you run a baking business I’d suggest you look into ‘Baking It’. This is an all round software tool that helps you run your business; you can manage and organise everything from here. Leaving you time to focus on the baking.
One of the great features here is that you can store, scale and convert all of your favourite recipes. This website works in imperial, metric, US, UK, AUS, CA & cups. So basically it does everything you need.
I love this website.
http://www.bakingit.com
Ah! Thank you so much for this, Michelle! I am bookmarking it forever and ever because it is so useful.
How do you determine the baking time based on the conversion of your pan size?
Thank You
Hi Tracey, If the pan you are switching to is shallower, you will need to reduce baking time… if it is deeper, you will need to increase the baking time.
I do a lot of baking and I’ve found that the greatest size inconsistency is with loaf pans. Do you know – is the loaf pan measured at the bottom or the top?
Hi Margie, My understanding is that they are measured across the top, from inside edge to inside edge.