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. Free printable included.
Unless you have a 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 post for 6 inch cake recipes 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.
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 1/2 to 2/3 full unless otherwise instructed in the recipe.
FREE PRINTABLE
Here is a free printable you can hang in your kitchen workspace: Volumes & Measurements of Common Baking Pans
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
- Confetti Cake: about 8 cups
- Chocolate Cake: about 6 cups
- White Cake: about 7 cups
- Banana Cake: about 6 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 best baking pans and these 10 cake baking & decorating tools.
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.
Reader Comments and Reviews
Thank you for this helpful yet educational information! How do I figure the volume of any type of batter so I use the correct cake pan(s)? I understand using the correct pan but I cannot figure out how to determine what the volume of batter is. Thank you!
Hi Chip, some recipes will tell you (we include this information with some of our cake recipes), otherwise you’ll have to make and measure it!
Hi! Is there a rule of thumb for figuring out what size pan to use just looking at the ingredients, say if there’s x amount of flour, it likely calls for a y-size pan? I have some vintage cookbooks that don’t specify. Thanks.
Hi Anne, it really depends on the recipe! You could try making the recipe, measuring the amount of batter, then determining what size cake pan would be needed.
I’m making your vanilla cake for a baby shower. Recipe calls for 9” pans. I only have 3, 8”. Is it still ok to use the same amount of batter or should I use less in each.
Hi Kelly, you can use this vanilla cake recipe with 8 inch cake pans for slightly thicker layers in a three layer cake. You may need an extra minute or two of bake time since the layers will be thicker – use a toothpick to test for doneness. Or, you can fill the 8 inch pans a little less and use the leftover batter for some cupcakes.
Do the same conversions work for pans used in an InstantPot? I have a 6 quart InstantPot that would use a 7 inch pan either a spring form or standard pot.
Hi Joe, the same principles should apply if you’re using cake pans.
Hi Sally! My name is Miguel, I’m from Spain and I love your work and your talent, I’m a big fan of yours. I love your recipes specially your Pie’s recipes. But I would like to know how to adapt your Pie Crust Recipe for my 25cm Glass Dish. My best regards and I hope your answer. Thank you so much ^^
Hi Miguel, If you need a top AND bottom crust, we would 1.5x the recipe.
Fat Daddio’s cake pans say to
reduce the oven temp at least 25 degrees. Should I do this when baking your lemon blueberry triple layer cake? That would bring the temp down to 325.
Hi Liz, no need to change the temp!
Thank you for all the info and terrific recipes and teaching!
Something you might want to add to your list… I bought 12×5 stainless steel extra long loaf pans to sub for tube pans for angel food cake. I wanted to avoid the nonstick surfaces and couldn’t find a plain steel one with the removable bottom. I think the loaf pan will be easier to get the angel food cake out. It doesn’t look the same for presentation, but you can spiff it up, PLUS you can still serve classic wedge shaped pieces by zig zag cutting
It’s a 12cup volume, same as the tube pan. And a bit less pricey.
How many cups of batter for a 12×18 full sheet pan? It’s not a jelly roll pan. I’m looking to scale up your pineapple coconut cake and guessing I’ll make 2 batters but want to be sure. Thanks!
Hi Katy, we’re unsure, but you can do some quick math or use the trick to count how many cups of water a pan holds to determine the volume.
I have a problem converting a cheesecake recipe which is for a 13 inch pan to a 9 inch pan. I can’t freeze the leftover batter because it’s cream cheese and I’m not exactly a math genius so do you have any ideas?
I would like to make cookie cups using a 24 count silicone mini muffin pan that will be filled with buttercream frosting. Any clue as to what the bake time would be? I believe each cavity holds about one cookie scooper full of dough. Thank you!
Hi Mary, we wish we could help, but it would depend on the type of cookies/recipe you’re using, and we haven’t tested baking most of our cookie recipes as cookie cups in a 24-count silicone mini muffin pan. It may help to look at this recipe for peanut butter fudge puddles, which are cookie cups baked that way, and use that as a starting point for testing your recipe. Hope this helps!
When you say 2×8 inch pan, do you mean two pans both are 8 inches or one pan that is 2 inches high?
Hi Michelle, one 8 inch round pan that is two inches tall!
Hi Sally
I’m making a funfetti cake,that uses three 8 or 9 inch round pans. I want to bake it in a 10×15 x2 inch sheet cake pan. Would I need to double the recipe?
I’m over the moon grateful for your printable common baking pan measurements. I bake a lot of 9 by 13 cakes for everyday dessert but prefer birthday cakes to be layers. Your chart was incredibly helpful.
Thanks so very much.
So glad it’s helpful, Colleen!
Hi Sally,
I have a recipe for a very dense chocolate cake that uses 2×8″ pans. I want to bake it in a small (6 cup) bundt pan so I’ll use the same amount of batter but I’m wondering if I should use a different temperature. The original temperature calls for 300 F because it’s a very dense cake. Any suggestions for temperature?
Hi Nancy, it’s hard to say without testing it ourselves, but Bundt cakes typically bake at the same temperature, just for a much longer period of time. We’d start with the same temperature and keep a very close eye on it, using a toothpick to test for doneness.
If my recipe calls for baking cake in a 10-inch tube pan, which yields 12 cups of batter, does that translate into substituting two 9-inch round? Thank you.
Hi Elaine, to ensure enough room for rise for that yield of batter, it would be a better choice to use 3 9-inch pans or 3 8-inch pans. Is it an angel food cake?
Super helpful, well organized comparison of different pan sizes & shapes, plus additional useful info. Love the printable chart! In my 69 years of frequent successful home baking I’ve grabbed my calculator & stressed over figuring out volumes myself. So much easier this way!
I am making your Homemade Strawberry Cake. I will make the bottom 2 layers in 9″ pans, so I see the baking time is 24 to 25 minutes. I will also be making top layers in 6″ pans. Can you tell me what the baking time will be for the 6″ pans?
Thank you!
Penny
Hi Penny, you can follow this post on 6-inch cakes as a guide. Enjoy!
If I change pans how do I adjust baking time?
Hi Cathy, for the most part, oven temperatures will stay the same regardless of the cake pan size. You’ll just want to keep a close eye on the baking time. It’s typically shorter for smaller pans, unless you have an increased volume of batter to account for. Hope this helps!
Hi,
I love your hummingbird layer cake! I have made it in a Bundt pan but would like to try loaf pan. How many loaf pans would I need for a full recipe and how long would you cook it for?
Thanks for all you do!
Hi Linda, we’d recommend using our hummingbird Bundt cake and splitting it into 2, 9×5-inch loaves (or halving the recipe for one loaf). Hope it’s a hit!
I found a Healthy Date Oat Squares/Bar recipe online I want to make. But she is from the UK. Her loaf pan size is 24 cm x 15 cm. That is bigger than my 9×5. What size pay would I use to make this or if I use my 9×5 how would I bake it? Thank you.
Hi – I’m a little confused on the math here. You say the vanilla cake recipe makes 8 cups of batter, a 9×2 pan holds 8 cups of batter and pans should be filled 1/2-2/3 full. That would imply 8 cups of batter across 3 9×2 pans yields 2.67 cups per pan, which is only about 1/3 of the pan. Is this right?
Hi SJ! Yes, sometimes you use less batter per pan. Our vanilla cake makes thinner layers. You want to fill up to halfway, but less is fine.
ok thanks, to make it a little thicker in an easy way, I could just use 8″ pans? Thanks!
I love so many of your recipes, and I’m excited to try this one for my son’s 4th birthday! How many cups of batter would I need to have 3 full 9″ layers? I need to make the cake tall.
Hi Amanda, a 9×2 inch round cake pan holds 8 cups of batter, and you usually fill cake pans about half way. You could fill them a little more full, but they may bake unevenly or spill over. You would need 4 cups of batter for each pan, about 12 cups total.
So you wouldn’t recommend 6 cups of batter per pan? Would that risk producing uneven layers? Also with 4 cups as opposed to the recipe recommendation of 2 1/2 per pan how would you adjust the cook time?
So, I’m making four 8″ bundt cakes. I need to know how many cups each holds, so I know if I need to download it triple the recipe. This page only shows the number of cups for a 10″ bundt pan. Why not just list the different size pans under each category of pan? So many conversions, but only for a 10″ pan.
Hi Coco, the volume of Bundt cake pans can vary because of different designs. 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.
I have had some problems with bake times for a 3 or 4 inch tall cake. I usually get the outer portion of the cake cooked but the center is still raw. Can you maybe touch on that?
Hi Tammy, how high are you filling your pans? It sounds like they may be overfilled, which is making it difficult for the batter to rise and bake through properly. We recommend filling your pans only half way so that they have plenty of room to rise. Hope this helps!
Sally, can I substitute a 14×10 glass pyrex for recipes calling for 9×13? It’s all i have.
Hi Cathy, can’t see why this wouldn’t work. Which recipe are you using it for? It will be slightly thinner layer in the 10×14 so keep a close eye on the bake time and test with a toothpick for doneness. Enjoy!
I see from another question that the answer to my question is that you don’t fill the pans full.
Your confetti layer cake makes approximately 8 cups of batter. The instructions say to use either 3 8-inch or 3 9-inch pans. The volume of 3 8-inch pans would be 18 cups (3×6), and the volume of 3 9-inch pans would be 24 cups (3×8). Please explain! Thank you.
Hi Jennifer! You don’t fill cake pans all the way with batter, usually just about half way or less.
I have two 9×1.5 inch round pans. I want to bake a recipe that uses 8 inch pans, increasing the batter accordingly. Should I increase baking time or start checking at the time in the recipe?
Hi Brenda, we’d keep a very close eye on it and recommend to start checking at the time listed.
Im so confused with the cake pan size explanation. You say that 9×2 inches (23 x 5cm) = 8 cups (1.9 liters). Does that mean 8 cups in ONE 9″ pan or 8 cups in two 9″ pans? Thank you.
Hi Berty, one 9-inch round pan that is 2 inches deep can hold 8 cups volume. You, of course, do not fill a cake pan to the top with batter though!
Hi! I want to make Old Fashioned Grape Nut Pudding for my mom. The recipe calls for a 2 quart baking dish. The only one I have is glass. Do I lower the temperature and cook it a little longer than using a ceramic dish?
Hi Sandy, we aren’t sure about that particular recipe, however, we typically prefer to use metal pans when baking, especially when it comes to cakes and loaves of bread. Metal pans conduct heat more quickly than glass and help the batter to bake evenly. If you do use a glass pan for bread, note that it will take a few minutes longer. We do, however, prefer baking with glass pie dishes, since the clear bottom allows us to see how the crust is progressing. Hope this helps!