Here’s an in-depth look at common cake pan sizes & conversions, as well as how to adjust recipes or make substitutions based on the pan sizes you have.
Unless you have fully stocked kitchen with dozens of baking pans, chances are that you’ll run into a recipe where you don’t have the specific pan required. In fact, a cake pan substitution is the subject of most recipe questions I receive. I figured it would be easier to store all of this information in one convenient place for us all to reference.
Welcome to my Cake Pan Sizes & Conversions lesson!
This Post Includes
- Common Baking Pan Measurements
- Cake Pans That are Similar
- Substituting Cake Pans
- Adapting Cake Recipes to Fit Certain Pans
- Amount of Batter Some of my Cake Recipes Yield
Common Baking Pan Measurements
In this list, you’ll find common baking pan measurements and the volume of batter they hold. ***The amount listed is the total amount of batter each pan holds, but you usually only fill cake pans halfway (unless otherwise noted in the recipe you are using). Most measurements were taken at my home kitchen. Cross referenced with the always trusted Joy of Baking, as well.
Measurement Conversions
- 1 inch = 2.54cm
- 1 cup = 240ml
Round Pans:
6×2 inches (15 x 5cm) = 4 cups (960ml)
8×2 inches (20 x 5cm) = 6 cups (1.4 liters)
9×2 inches (23 x 5cm) = 8 cups (1.9 liters)
Square Pans:
8×2 inch square (20 x 5 cm) = 8 cups (1.9 liters)
9×2 inch square (23 x 5 cm) = 10 cups (2.4 liters)
10×2 inch square = (25 x 5 cm) = 12 cups (2.8 liters)
Rectangular Pans – 2 inch (5 cm) tall
11×7 inches (28 x 18 cm) = 10 cups (2.4 liters)
13×9 inches (33 x 23 cm) = 14 cups (3.3 liters)
Springform Pans:
9x 2.5 inches (23 x 6 cm) = 10 cups (2.4 liters)
10x 2.5 inches (25 x 6 cm) = 12 cups (2.8 liters)
Bundt Pan – volume varies because of various designs
10×3 inch (25 x 8 cm) = 10-12 cups (2.8 liters)
Tube Pan:
9×3 inches (23 x 8 cm) = 12 cups (2.8 liters)
Jelly Roll Pans – 1 inch (2.5 cm) tall
10×15 inches (27 x 39 cm) = 10 cups (2.4 liters)
12×17 inches (32 x 44 cm) = 12 cups (2.8 liters)
Loaf Pans – about 3 inches (8 cm) tall
8×4 inch (20 x 10 cm) = 4 cups (960 ml)
9×5 inch (23 x 13 cm) = 8 cups (1.9 liters)
How to Determine the Volume Yourself
If you want to calculate a pan’s volume yourself, it’s so easy! Simply fill your pan with 1 cup of water at a time and count until it’s full. That’s what I do!
How Much Does This Pan Hold?
Here’s a helpful list of the most common baking pans and the volume of batter they hold, as well as which pans hold the same amount of batter. ***Keep in mind that the volumes listed mean you are filling the pan all the way to the top with batter, which isn’t ideal for baked goods. Unless otherwise noted, filling pans around 2/3 full is the best practice. This leaves room for rising.
- For example, my vanilla cake recipe yields around 8 cups of batter which I divide between 3 9×2 inch round cake pans. (Each hold 8 cups of batter!) Each cake layer has a little less than 3 cups batter each.
Use the following section to determine which baking pans can be substituted for others based on their full volume.
Round Pans
- 6×2 inch round pan holds 4 cups of batter, the same as an 8×4 inch loaf pan. Fun discovery! Cupcake recipes yielding 12-16 cupcakes fit wonderfully in 3 6-inch cake pans. See my 6 inch cakes for more information.
- 8×2 inch round pan holds 6 cups of batter.
- 9×2 inch round pan holds 8 cups of batter, the same as an 8×2 inch square pan and a 9×5 inch loaf pan.
- 10×2 inch round pan holds 10-11 cups of batter, the same as a 9×2 inch square pan, 11×7 inch pan, 10×15 inch jelly roll pan, 10×3 inch bundt pan, and a 9×2.5 inch springform pan.
Square Pans
- 8×2 inch square pan holds 8 cups of batter, the same as a 9×2 inch round pan and a 9×5 inch loaf pan.
- 9×2 inch square pan holds 10 cups of batter, the same as a 10×2 inch round pan, 11×7 inch pan, 9×2.5 inch springform pan, 10×3 inch bundt pan, and a 10×15 inch jelly roll pan.
- 10×2 inch square pan holds 12 cups of batter, the same as a 12×17 inch jelly roll pan, 10×3 inch bundt pan, 10×2.5 inch springform pan, and a 9-inch tube pan.
Rectangle Pans
- 11×7 inch pan holds 10 cups of batter, the same as a 10×2 inch round pan, 9×2-inch square pan, 9×2.5 inch springform pan, 10×3 inch bundt pan, and a 10×15 inch jelly roll pan.
- 9×13 inch pan holds 14-16 cups of batter, essentially the same as 2 9×2-inch round pans.
Jelly Roll Pans
- 10×15 inch jelly roll pan holds 10 cups of batter, the same as a 10×2 inch round pan, 9-inch square pan, 11×7 pan, 9×2.5 inch springform pan, 10-inch bundt pan.
- 12×17 inch jelly roll pan holds 12 cups of batter, the same as a 10×2 inch square pan, 10-inch bundt pan, 10×2.5 inch springform pan, and a 9-inch tube pan.
Bundt Pans
10-inch bundt pans are the standard size. I actually have several that are 9.5 inches and most bundt cake recipes still fit.
- 10-inch bundt pan holds 10-12 cups of batter, the same as a 10×2 inch round pan (10 cups), 9×2 inch square pan (10 cups), 10×2 inch square pan (12 cups), 11×7 inch pan (10 cups), 10×15 inch jelly roll pan (10 cups), 12×17 inch jelly roll pan (12 cups), 9×2.5 inch springform pan (10 cups), 10×2.5 inch springform pan (12 cups) and a 9-inch tube pan (12 cups).
Tube Pans
9×3 inch tube pans are the standard size. I have a few that are 8 inch and 10 inch and most recipes using tube pans fit nicely in all.
- 9×3 inch tube pan holds 12 cups of batter, the same as 10×2 inch square pan, 12×17 inch jelly roll pan, and a 10×2.5 inch springform pan.
Springform Pans
- 9×2.5 inch springform pan holds 10 cups of batter, the same as a 10×2 inch round pan, 9×2 inch square pan, 11×7 inch pan, a 10×15 inch jelly roll pan.
- 10×2.5 inch springform pan holds 12 cups of batter, the same as a 10×2 inch square pan, 12×17 inch jelly roll pan, and a 9×3 inch tube pan.
Loaf Pans
- 8×4 inch loaf pan holds 4 cups of batter, the same as a 6×2 inch round pan.
- 9×5 inch loaf pan holds 8 cups of batter, the same as a 9×2 inch round pan and an 8×2 inch square pan.
Interested in a more in-depth cake baking & serving guide based on sizes? I love directing readers to this Wilton Cake Baking & Serving Guide page. It’s so helpful!
Substituting Cake Pans
I’m piggy-backing this one to the section above because there’s often a need to substitute different cake pans. If substituting a baking pan that holds the same amount of batter, be wary of the baking time because the dimensions of the baked good will change. Always keep your eye on the oven and begin checking for doneness earlier than the recipe states.
Remember, only fill pans about 2/3 full unless otherwise noted in the recipe.
Adapting Recipes to Fit Certain Cake Pans
Adapting recipes to fit the cake pans you have (or need) can often be complicated. While it’s always best to stick to the written recipe, sometimes you need to make adjustments and that’s where a little math can help.
1) Determine the volume your pan can hold. You can also determine the actual surface area of the pan in square inches. I actually used Food 52’s article by Alice Medrich on this subject to brush up on my math!
- For square and rectangle pans, multiply the length of the sides. For example, a 9×13 inch baking pan is 117 square inches. 9×13 = 117.
- For circle pans, determine the area by multiplying the radius squared by π. (π = 3.14, the radius is half of the diameter, and squaring means multiplying a number by itself.) For example, the area of a 9-inch round pan is 63. The radius is 4.5. 4.5×4.5 = 20.25. Multiply that by 3.14 = 63.5.
2) After you determine the volume your pan can hold or its square inches, you can confidently make baking pan substitutions.
- For example, if a 9×13 inch pan is 117 square inches and a 9-inch round pan is 63.5 square inches, you can be confident that the volume from one 9×13 inch pan can fit into TWO 9-inch round pans (approximately 120 square inches total).
What if volumes and square inches don’t match up perfectly? You’ll have to adjust the recipe and this requires more math.
For example, if you want to adapt a 9-inch round cake to a 10-inch round cake, you’ll need to make adjustments. A 9-inch round cake pan is 63.5 square inches/holds 8 cups of batter. A 10-inch round cake pan is 78.5 square inches/holds 10-11 cups of batter. Without any adaptions, your 10-inch cake layers will be very thin. You’ll need to increase the batter by 25%.
The get this percentage, work with the cups or square inches. Subtract the number you have (8 cups) from the number you want (10 cups). Divide that (2 cups) by what you have (8 cups), then multiply by 100. (The universal way to find a percentage.) This equals 25%.
How to Avoid the Math
What works for me most of the time (because I don’t trust myself with too much math!) is to 1.5x the recipe or even making 2 batches of batter. (For best success, taste, and texture, I always recommend making separate full batches instead of doubling. Doubling risks over-mixing or under-mixing and could overwhelm your mixer.) Then, I use leftover batter to make a few cupcakes on the side to freeze for another time.
It’s better to have extra batter rather than not enough.
What About Eggs?
If you need part of an egg for when you are adjusting a recipe, crack the egg, beat it, and whatever percentage of that mixture you need. If you need 1/3 of an egg and you have 3 Tablespoons of beaten egg, use 1 Tablespoon. For a more precise amount and if you don’t trust your measurements, you can also weigh the beaten egg on a kitchen scale to determine exactly how much you need.
- Cover, refrigerate, and add any leftovers to your scrambled eggs the next morning!
Amount of Batter Some of my Cake Recipes Yield
The following list will help if you need to adjust my recipes for different pan sizes. These are the recipes I know and all measurements are approximate.
- Checkerboard Cake: about 8 cups
- Vanilla Naked Cake: about 8 cups
- Vanilla Cake: about 8 cups
- Chocolate Cake: about 6 cups
- White Cake: about 7 cups
- Strawberry Cake: about 7 cups
- Snickerdoodle Cake: about 8 cups
- Coconut Cake: about 7-8 cups
- Red Velvet Cake: about 6-7 cups
- Lemon Cake: about 7 cups
My Favorite Baking Pans
I have a list for you! Stock Your Kitchen with These 8 Baking Pans
The next time you have a question about cake pan sizes & conversions, I hope you find your answer in this post so you can confidently make the adjustments needed.
My cheesecake recipe calls for a 9 inch springform pan that is baked for 1 hour and then left in the oven for 6 hours. I would like to make a few cheesecakes in three 6 inch pans, do I still bake and hold in the oven for the same time? Your reply will be greatly appreciated. Thank you!
Hi Kate, I’m unsure of the exact bake time for a 6 inch cheesecake. You will use the same oven temperature and then use your eyes more than the timer for bake time. If making our classic cheesecake you will bake until the center is almost set. When it’s done, the center of the cheesecake will slightly wobble if you gently shake the pan.
I did this with a 6 inch pan. I halved your classic cheesecake recipe and used the same bake time. Even though it was halved, I was able to make 2 6” cheesecakes with the amount of filling I had !
Can you use an 8 inch instead of a 9 inch spring foam pan for your cheesecake recipe
Hi, so if I had made a batch for a 2 layer 9 inch cake, could I take that batter and divide it up between multiple 4 inch cake pans (filled 2/3 or slightly less) to make smaller layered cakes? Or would it require reformulating the recipe? (I’m fine with different baking time with smaller cakes. Thats doable for me. And I’m fine with having some leftover unused batter.)
Also I love your blog and recipes so much! Thank you for this article.
Hi Brooke, thank you so much! Yes that’s correct– you can use cake batter from a 2 layer 9 inch cake to make smaller cakes in smaller cake pans. The bake time, of course, would be shorter.
Hi, my recipe calls for 3 9″inch pans can I use one 9″ inch pan and for the batter and whatever is left over use for cupcakes? I see that a 9″ inch*2″ inch pan needs 8 cups of batter, will this work for my recipe?
Thank you so much
Hi Sally. The cake that I would like to bake requires a 10” bundt pan while my bundt pan is only 9.5”. I filled it up to the top with water and it took 12 cups of water but as you have mentioned that it is better to fill up to two third so do you think that I can still use my pan or must I reduce the batter?
Thank you.
Hi Laleh, Your batter should fit but you can always fill your pan up 2/3 and then if you have a bit of extra batter left over try making a mini loaf or cupcakes out of it!
Hi Sally. Thank you for your kind advice. I appreciate it very much
Hi Sally!
I want to make a chocolate cake using my two brand new round pans that are 9 inches in diameter and 3 inches deep, and I too don’t trust myself with too much math. Every recipe I know calls for the use of 9×2 pans, so am I stuck??
You can definitely use your pans. The taller height of the pans won’t make a difference as long as you don’t over-fill them. For example, this chocolate cake is baked in two 9-inch pans so the batter should still be divided between your two pans and not baked all in one tall pan. Just because your pan is taller, doesn’t mean you have to fill it up higher. I hope this helps!
Hi! My recipe calls for 3 8×2” cake pans. I have 9×2” pans. If I use my pans, the layers will just be thinner and the cook tome shortened…right?
Hi Sally, Happy New Year! I am attempting to make a keto death by chocolate cake and the recipe calls for three 6 inch cake pans but I only have 9 inch cake pans. Could I split the batter between two of my 9 inch pans or would that make the cake too thin and risk it crumbling? Or just do one 9 inch pan and make some cupcakes with leftover batter? Any advice is greatly appreciated. Thank you!
I wanted to make a cake that required a 9 inch round springform pan. Can I use a 9 inch square springform cake pan instead?
You cake would be thinner in the same size square pan so your bake time may be different.
Hi Stephanie, thanks for the reply. I increased the batter by a third but the cake was still thin. Maybe it’s cause I tried making a German Apple Cake for the first time, I’ve never even had it before.
Maybe next time I will double the recipe and hope for the best 😀
Hi Sally,
I think your article suggests I could substitute 2 8-inch round tins for 3 6-inch round tins. Am I correct in this interpretation?
Thanks!
That works– I’ve done it before with this recipe. I can’t recall the exact bake time for the 8-inch cakes, but you can use a toothpick to test for doneness.
Hi Sally, for tube pans, how is the height accounted for? I have a two piece 6″inch tube pan. When the pan is assembled, the height from the bottom of the cone disc surface till the top of the edge of the outer ring top is about little less than 2&(3/4) inches. but the height of the cone from bottom surface to the top is a around 3&(1/4) inches. Would quarter amount of a 10″ tube pan recipe batter fit in it?
Similarly for an 8″ tube pan of similar height would half the 10″ tube pan recipe batter fit in it?
If I want to double a recipe that calls for 3 6inch round pans, and use 9 inch pans instead..how many 9 inch pans would you suggest using? Ripping my hair out over math!! Thank you!!
Hello Sally,
I wanted to try and bake your German Chocolate cake. It calls for 3 -9×2 pans…..I only have 8×1 pans what should I do?
Thank you,
Candace
Hi Candace, I would turn that cake into a 4 layer 8 inch cake then. Fill the pans about halfway with batter. The bake time will be a little shorter, but you can test for doneness with a toothpick.
Hi Sally and Sally’s team!
I’ve been an avid cook for years and have successfully baked plenty of cookies and brownies and simple cakes, but recently I’ve been baking more and actively trying to improve my skills. Your website has been invaluable in this quest! Whenever I want a specific recipe, you’re my go-to source. This article, as well as all of your other tips and tricks, is so helpful. I struggle with math mightily (and have a tendency to second-guess myself a lot in general) so this is just so, so helpful. Thank you for all of your hard work, well-written and -designed posts, and detailed, clear approach. It is much appreciated! <3
Thank you so much for the positive feedback, Nicole — we truly appreciate it!
Hi Sally, My recipe calls for a 9 inch tart pan and I have a 14.5 X 5 rectangular pan.
Would that work?
Hi Sally, Can I make a layer cake from my rich butter pound cake recipe? I would appreciate both pros and cons for doing this. Thanks.
Hi Wren, this is a difficult question to answer because I’m not familiar with your recipe. Usually pound cakes aren’t ideal as layer cakes since they are so heavy. They’re usually preferred as a loaf of bundt cake.
Hi Sally, I’ve been asked to make a vanilla layered cake to serve approx 50. I love your ‘best ever vanilla’ cake & it’s been successful previously. Can you give me some tips on increasing the volume of batter & tin sizes please?
Hi Sheila, for that recipe, I recommend making a few batches of the batter instead of doubling/tripling. It will simply be too much batter to work with at one time, plus you risk over or under-mixing with that amount of volume. I’m unsure of the best size cake pans, though. That recipe yields about 8 cups of batter which serves at least 12 people, so you can calculate based on how many batches you want and the cake pan sizes you have.
For a recipe using a 9” springform pan, can I make 2 if using a 6” springform. If so, how long do I bake it and how long. It’s for a flourless cake. Thank u.
Hi Sally! I’ve got a question and knowing your expertise in baking, I’m confident you can help.
I want to make this cake:
https://cleobuttera.com/cakes/epic-12-layer-chocolate-cake/
The recipe calls for three 9 inch cakes to be sliced in three layers. Sadly, I don’t have a cake leveler and when I tried to do it just with a knife, it was a disaster to say the least. My slicing skills aren’t the best.
Therefore, I would like to know if it will affect the cake’s texture if instead of baking three cakes, I bake 12 thin layers thereby not needing to slice. I hope you understand me! The blogger above has stopped blogging so I can’t ask her and I’m sure you’ll be able to help me.
Thanks in advance!
Hi WW, I imagine that should be fine but I haven’t tried that exact recipe. See our Smith Island Cake— lots of thin layers. Those instructions could be helpful here!
Hi, I’ve made carrot cakes for a wedding next weekend. This is a first for me. Can I please check with you if I have enough for 70 people. The cake is the dessert at the wedding.
Bottom tier I have made 4x layers, 30cm diameter approx 4cm high each layer.
For top tier I have made 4x layers, 23cm diameter approx 4cm high.
To have in the kitchen for cutting also I have made 1x sheet pan cake 33cm x 23cm.
I’ve looked at sizing online but find it confusing as it doesnt give number of layers etc.
Thank you
How do you know how long to bake the adjusted amounts of batter?