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. . . But Were Afraid to Ask

Some people are good at baking cakes, some people just aren’t. They might talk about hand-me down techniques, secret ingredients or just being talented in that department, but I bet what you didn’t realize (especially those who can’t seem to get it right) is just how important your choice of baking pan is. Yes, baking pans come in many different shapes, sizes and are made from different products . . . and it’s all for a reason you know, it ain’t accidental!

Choosing the Right Baking Pan for the Job

Of course, that all depends on what “the job” is.  Baking pans are certainly not “one size fits all”, in fact, when you’re talking about baking pans SIZE MATTERS. That doesn’t mean that bigger is better, the secret is to have the correct size of baking pan for your recipe. Every cake or bread recipe in the world will describe the size of pan you need, so use it! If you use a baking pan which is not the right size you run a very serious risk of your wonderful creation overflowing and not only making a horrible mess in the bottom of the oven, but burning too, either that or it might sink in the middle which is certainly not how it looks in the recipe book. You’ve also got to make sure that your baking pan is made of the right stuff. Glass and metal baking pans do behave differently and you may need to adjust your oven temperature accordingly for best results. There are a surprising number of different baking pans available:

• Baking dishes are made of glass
• Baking pans are made of metal
• Pie plates are generally glass
• Pie pans are generally metal
• Baking sheets (or half sheet pans) are made of metal and measure around 15 x 10 inch with 1 inch sides
• Cookie sheets don’t have sides, they’re just flat sheets and are used for baking cookies
• Springform pans are in 2 different bits . . . a bottom and also a rim which has a buckle for help release your tarts and cakes
• Tube pans are round, deep and metal with a hollow tube in the center
• Tart pans are generally metal with straight sides (or maybe fluted), some tart pans even have removable bottoms
• Silicone pans are the newest member of the baking pan family. They’re made from flexible polymer, non-stick and can stand oven temperatures of up to 500 degrees fahrenheit. They’re also freezer safe, dishwasher safe and microwave safe. Bit of an all rounder then.

I bet you had no idea that there were so many to choose from did you? And then there’s the many different shapes and sizes. Okay, now that you’ve got your pan, the next thing which can make a big difference to the success of your masterpiece is how you actually prepare the baking pan.

Preparing Your Baking Pan

Again, how you prepare your baking pan depends largely on your recipe and the type of baking pan you’re using. Some cakes need you to grease and flour the pan, others suggest lining the pan with waxed paper or parchment. Always do as you are told, if you follow the instructions carefully your chances of success will increase dramatically!

• Greasing a baking pan – you can use lots of different techniques to grease your baking pan and it really is very easy (no, really). Just take a paper towel, pastry brush, piece of waxed paper or your fingers and spread a thin but even layer of margarine, butter or shortening to the sides and base of the baking pan. You could even spray it with a non-stick cooking spray if you wanted to, but if the recipe says grease the pan . . . grease the pan!
• Greasing and flouring a baking pan – some recipes call for you to grease and flour the pan, in which case you follow the first lot of instructions for greasing, then put a couple of tablespoons of flour into the pan and tilt it in all directions, rotating and tapping until it’s all covered with a light dusting of flour. If you’ve got a bit too much flour, just tip the pan over and tap the bottom of it gently after everywhere is covered. If you’re making a chocolate cake then it’s a good idea to skip the flour and use cocoa powder instead.
• Lining a baking pan – if you need to line your baking pan with parchment or waxed paper don’t worry, it’s pretty simple if you just use the following technique. Invert your baking pan and put a sheet of wax paper or parchment on the top of it, press it down all around to make a crease, cut the paper on the crease, grease the baking pan (to help make the paper stick to it) and press the paper into the bottom of the baking pan.

Now you and your baking pan are ready to create something mouthwatering and fantastic!

And this should get you off to a good start . . .

No really, I would’ve baked a cake if I knew you were coming . . . either that or I’d have locked the door and hid behind the sofa!