Choosing the Proper Cake Pan

When baking a cake there are many things to consider. What flavor of cake do you want to bake? What type of frosting should it have? What ingredients will you need for the recipe? There is still one other important thing to carefully consider: the cake pan you use.

How the cake turns out may depend on the type of pan you use. This may seem rather obvious when it comes to something like the pan's shape, but the cake can also be affected by what the pan in made out of. There are many kinds of cake pans, and they are all somewhat different.

So what kind of cake pan should you choose when baking your cake? Use these guidelines as you make your choice:

• Metal. Metal pans come in either light silver or dark varieties. The color of the cake pan does matter, since the dark pan will cook the sides and bottom of the cake faster than a lighter pan. A light pan will produce a cake with a softer bottom and sides. If you cook with a dark pan, you may need to lower the heat of the oven to prevent darkness or burning.
• Glass. Glass is another material used often for cake pans. The glass works a lot like a dark metal pan, and absorbs a lot of heat which can cause the sides and bottom of a cake to cook darker. You may want to lower the temperature when cooking with a glass pan.
• Shapes. Cake pans come in various shapes: rectangular, round, square, bundt and more. Depending on the type of cake you want to cook, you may need to use a specific shape of pan. Cupcake pans are another type of cake pan that is commonly used. It is probably a good idea to look for a cupcake pan that is lighter, to avoid darkening or hardening.
• Types. Some cake pans have removable parts that make baking a cake easier. A spring form pan has a side and bottom that are detachable, allowing you to remove the cake without a non-stick coating. An angel food pan has a middle that can be removed to effortlessly create a perfect cake.

Cakes can be made in many shapes and sizes, and how they turn out largely depends on the pan used. Choose the right pans and you will bake great cakes with little trouble.