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.
Hi Sally,
Your recipes are wonderful! Love reading through your website…beautiful pictures and great information. Thank you! Question… can I double/triple your cupcake recipes? I have read different things about doubling recipes and was curious about your take on it. TIA:)
Hi Kelli, thank you! For absolute best taste and texture, I strongly recommend making separate batches of cupcakes/cakes. Working with a higher volume of batter often leads to under or over-mixing.
Oh! I have a related question. What can I do about making layer cakes in my crappy little apartment size oven? Last time I tried 2 nine-inch pans and they won’t fit on the same rack. 🙁 I know you shouldn’t let cake batter sit for any length of time. Should I put them on separate racks and swap ’em out half way? Other strategies? Besides moving into a place with a bigger kitchen?
Thanks!
Hi Laura, If needed you can bake on seperate racks and rotate half way through. Or bake one pan and let the other sit loosely covered at room temperature until the first is finished.
I have been asked to make a 12” round single layer vanilla cake. Any suggestions on which recipe would be best?
Thank you for your answer I will go with two batches. Could you also give me your chocolate cake recipe I love your blog thank you Paula Rappuhn
Yeah, I tried putting 4 cups into the 8 inch rounds and it was an epic failure. Two lost cakes, overflowed burned cake all over my oven and fingers crossed my neighbors don’t call the fire department. So not sure what happened there, I won’t be using these measurements again. I will note that I am not a novice baker. Must of had a different pan?
Can you make the pan size conversion into a printable version please? Would be greatly appreciated.
Hi Sonia, we are working on that!
Hi, I have two 7×2.5 inch pans. That’s all I’ve got so far and I only bake cakes on my trusty convection turbo broiler so I can only bake one pan at a time. I already made a chiffon cake because luckily, I’ve found a recipe with just the right measurements for my pan. Can you please give me the measurements for your vanilla cake for one 7×2.5 round pan? Thanks you so much!
Hi Hannah, To get the batter to fit exactly you will have to do some math! See the section above called “Adapting Recipes to Fit Certain Cake Pans.”
Will do. Unfortunately, I’m a bit dumb in math. But hey, there’s nothing Google cant answer. Thanks so much for the quick reply. Will start computing now.
Hie Sally .
Thank you for all the recipes you share with us.
Can you please help me determine what square cake pan must I use if I want to make a vanilla cake double this size but square shape and 15inch height when I am done.
Thank you
Hi, this is so helpful! I love it! By the way, do you know how many cups of batter does a 24oz or 32 oz cheesecake yield? I want to figure out the best springform size to have a high cheesecake. Thanks!
I am making a no bake cheesecake. It calls for 6- 4 inch spring form pans. I do not have that small of pan nor do I have that many. Can you tell me what size spring form
Pan I can use to make it just one big cheesecake? Also it calls for 2 sleeves of graham crackers for the bottom of the pan. If that helps to make sense of the size I can use.
Hi Liz, I can’t be certain but I would try to use that recipe in a 9-inch springform pan. You may also enjoy my no bake cheesecake recipe.
Hi!
I’ve read somewhere that it’s not good to let batter sit for too long but I don’t have a lot of pans to bake all my layers. I’ve read in a previous comment that you can let the batter at room temperature. Would that be ok and not affect the texture/taste of the layers that have waited on the counter?
Hi Caroline, It is best to bake batter as soon as possible. When the batter is mixed together the leaveners are activated and if the batter sits for too long your cake won’t rise very well. In a pinch, letting the batter sit for 30 minutes or so while you wait for your pan to be ready should be ok. If however you are making a two layer cake and you think it will need to sit for a long time you can cut the recipe in half, bake one layer, and then make another half of the batter and bake that.
Hi,I have a very easy cheesecake recipe that I bake in a 10″ ×13 ” rectangle pan,baking at 375 oven for 45 minutes.
I would like to try baking it in a 9×3 “or 10 x3” Spring form pan
3 questions
1.Can I do this
2.what oven temperature
3.how long to bake it for
Thank you for any & all help
Hi Norma, You can likely change the size of pan if you adjust the amount of filling you need. I wish we could help but it would be best to ask the original author of the recipe you are using for adjustments since we are not familiar with your recipe.
Hi Sally – I made your white chocolate cake recently which went down great 🙂
I am now looking to use your white cake to make a tower of 5-6 declining in size (not sure of the technical name) to decorate for a baby shower. Any advise on how to calculate how much batter to make and how much to put in each tin please?
Hi Louise, How much batter you need for a tiered cake really depends on the size pans you will be using. You can see how we made a simple two tier cake in this post for Simple Homemade Wedding Cake Recipe. Hopefully this helps you get started!
What about changes in baking time for various recipes? And does oven size affect it? I ask this b/c I often use 6″ pans but I have a 27″ oven…four pans barely fit. Does circulation around pans affect baking time? I’m guessing yes. I also tried using cake strips and although it told me to bake for 25-30 minutes, after 50 minutes (with an oven thermometer in my oven to confirm the temperature), they sprang back but were still a little gooey in spots so I threw them out. I love using cake strips but I have no idea how to adjust peoples’ recipes for them…any ideas?
Hi Jody! The bake time will change depending on the size and thickness of the cake you’re baking. Air circulation definitely affects the baking time, as does how many cakes you’re baking at once. For example, if I bake two loaves of quick bread in the same oven at the same time, the bake time usually needs to be extended. I don’t use cake strips, so I don’t have any advice on those. So sorry!
I have a great old recipe for zucchini bread that says to bake it in a tube pan or two loaf pans for 55-60 mins., but it doesn’t say what size loaf pan. I use a bundt pan for 60 mins., but I’d like to be able to make it in loaf pans–gifting a loaf is nicer than gifting half a cake. Any suggestion for the proper size of loaf pan to use?
Thank you.
Hi Chris, Most standard loaf pans are 9×5 inches. If yours is larger or smaller the bake time may need to be adjusted.
Thanks for your help.
Hello, I am new in the baking wrold and I am a little bit confused about the cake pan sizes. So what I was wondering is if I have a recipe for a 6*2 round cake pan can i use a 6*3 cake pan or does the hight matter??? help pls
If your recipe only produces enough batter to make a two inch high layer then that is all you will get but you could increase your recipe by 50% to get a 3” layer. You will need to bake it for longer of course but the recipe should turn out just fine if it’s a good recipe.
Hello, i want your help and it is urgent. I need to make a 3 layered cake but i have only one pan and i don’t have enough space in my oven…The recipe i am following is for layer cake. I don’t want my batter to sit for long to make 3 layered cake in one pan. Could you please help me in cutting down the recipe so that my batter wouldn’t sit for long… So that i can seperately make 3 layered cakes in one pan with accurate measurements of ingredients.. thank you..
Looking forward to hear from you
Hi Aadi, If you wish to make your recipe one layer at a time simply calculate 1/3 of each ingredient each time you mix the batter.
Hi Sally – Am i reading this right? I can use my batter for one 8 in round pan and make two – 6 inch cakes?
Also, do you really put all cups in an eight in pan? or do you split that between two 8 inch pan?
Thanks!
Usually batter that fits into one 9 inch round pan (8 cups) fits wonderfully into 2 6 inch round pans. The amounts listed are how much batter a pan can hold, which is helpful when making pan substitutions. However, you don’t fill a pan all the way to the top with batter. See the paragraph right under How Much Batter Does This Pan Hold? heading.
Pans… namely heart shaped ones. Are the batter amounts for 6 in. and 9 in. round pans equivalent to 6 and 9 inch heart shaped pans of the same depth?
Making a tiered cake for a small wedding in two weeks- next challenge is to find a red velvet marble cake recipe…
Love your blog and the recipes! ♥️
Hi Sally
I’m Baking Christmas cakes that ask for an 8 inch round tin. If I want to use the same ingredients to make two smaller six-inch round cakes will this work and how do I adjust the time? Also can I use a 7” square tin too?
Many thanks
Does it matter if you use a larger Bundt cake Pan than called for in a recipe? I have a Nordic ware 14 cup but many recipes call for smaller size.
I love your page! I am stumped on a post that you made that I tested. I could only pour 2 cups of water into my 6×2 cake pan. How do you get 4?
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)
Hi Valerie! Are you sure the pan is 2 inches deep? I even just retested mine and 4 cups of water fit into a 6×2 inch cake pan.
Hi there, I’m making a mini Mocha cake for my husband’s birthday today and it calls for a 6in round cake pan. I only have a 9 in. I was also thinking I could use my loaf pan to bake the mocha cakes, with the 8X4 inch that I have. In the recipe it’s asking for two 6inc. My question is, if I use either the 9in or the loaf pans what would be the baking time. They request 350F for 20-22 min for the 6inc.
Thank you
Rebecca
Hi Rebecca, unfortunately I can’t predict the best baking time for either pan because it depends on (1) how thick the batter is and (2) how full the pans are. Keep a close eye on them and begin testing before the 20 minute mark.
Hey Sally – I just discovered your site via my news feed & am excited to try some of the recipes.
I often have problems trying to figure out if recipes will fit the pans I have so was really pleased to see this post. I did – however, spot an error at the very top of the post. You said 1cup =240ml. This is incorrect. 1c actually = 250ml, thus 4c = 1 litre, or 1000ml. All those chemistry classes & that’s about all I learned. Not really, but close. LOL
Hi Synlover,
Your chemistry memories may be of approximate equivalencies. One quart (i.e., 4 cups) is a little less than one liter, only 946 ml. One cup = 240 ml. Sally’s conversions are correct. And I’m not agreeing just because I like her name. 😉
Sally O
Hi Sally,
Is baking time the same for aluminium foil pans vs aluminium pans vs steel pans?
Hi Lili, typically yes. It’s usually a little longer for glass pans. As always, use your eyes to determine doneness. And a toothpick to check the center of your cake! The bounce back test is helpful as well. See #8 in my Cake Baking Tips post.
I’m putting one tube cake recipe in two loaf pans. How much different will baking times be?!
Hi Jo Anne, Different recipes all have different bake times so it really depends on which specific recipe you are using. If it’s one of our recipes let us know and hopefully we can help!
Hi Sally,
If cooking in a “quarter sheet pan” calls for 30-35 minutes, and you want to split into three 6” round pans, how long would you bake in the 6” pans?
Also, if a recipe calls for “glucose” but doesn’t specify glucose powder or glucose syrup, can you use either? I am feeling hopeless after tirelessly looking online. Thank you!
Hi Anna, Most 6 inch cakes bake for around 18-21 minutes. You can read all about that size in our post on 6 Inch Cakes.
I suggest asking the author of the recipe you are using if they mean syrup or powder – you may be able to tell if the recipe is calling for mixing wet or dry ingredients (or if for example it says you can use corn syrup instead then you know it’s talking about glucose syrup).
Hello again, thank you SO MUCH for your help! I don’t see any substitute suggestions… it’s the milk bar birthday cake recipe. Not sure if anyone on here knows? It wants the “glucose” in the frosting. If it should be powered and I use syrup, will that greatly affect the recipe? All I can find anywhere is syrup.
Hi Sally,
I’m using your wedding cake recipe to make my sister-in-law a wedding cake in the summer but she wants 3 tiers. Do you have any 4” round cake recipes? Or suggestions on baking time/how much batter to put in the pans?
Hi Sally,
I am using a recipe for a 9″ loaf pan, and am wondering whether I can use my 9 1/2 ” springform pan instead, without changing the quantities? If so, how much do I need to increase? Thanks
Hi Sally,
I’m making a cake that calls for a 10″ stainless steel bowl, (it’s a dome cake). Since it may be the only time I ever make this cake, I really don’t want to buy the bowl. Also, I am making it for the flavor not the shape. What size round pan should I substitute? Thanks.
Hi Sylvia, We are unsure of the capacity of that size bowl. Your best bet is to make the batter, see how much it yields, and then use the appropriate size pan.