Adjusting Baking Times

Q: How do you adjust the baking time of a cake if your tin size is different? 

A: Unfortunately, there is no magic formula for adjusting baking times if you don't have the right sized tin and ultimately it is best to stick with the size of pan asked for in the recipe. However, there are two basic rules to guide you if you want to use a different tin size:

1. If the tin is smaller you will generally need to extend the baking time as the batter will be deeper in the pan and therefore will take longer to bake. On the flip slide, if the cake pan is larger the batter won't be as deep and will take less time. It is hard to tell how much you will need to adjust the time by as this will depend on the size difference but for a larger pan start checking 10-15 minutes prior to the stated time, and for a smaller pan add time in 5-minute increments until it is baked.
2. If there is a dramatic difference in pan size you are best to either divide the mixture between two smaller pans or increase the batter to bake in a larger pan - again, no magic formula as it depends heavily on the type of recipe and the combination of ingredients used and every recipe will differ slightly.