A cake is no doubt a favorite delicacy for many individuals, and baking cake masterpieces has always been a popular art among professionals and non-professionals alike. Even if you’re baking a few pieces for your family’s afternoon treat, it goes without saying that a good quality cake comes from an equally great quality pan. Nothing can be more frustrating and disheartening than spending the time to whip up the perfect recipe with the freshest ingredients only to find that your cake became adhered to the bottom of its pan, and was ruined. Or, perhaps that mouthwatering concoction was instead unevenly cooked throughout, with burnt edges and a soggy middle. So sad, and so very yucky!
Now, the current generation of cake pans have greatly improved in quality than the models of yester years. So, if you’re still struggling with old bakeware or using a
pizza pan for your cookies, you may need to update your baking sets with a brand-new cake pan. Baking is a fulfilling endeavor, but cakes come with a whole set of complexities. Even if you begin with a flawless recipe, factors like ingredient temperature and creaming techniques will affect the final outcome of your cake. Additionally, you may need a creative
cake decorating set to produce fabulously looking designs for every occasion.
So, how do you choose the right cake pan? You need a pan that conducts heat universally to evenly bake the batter, allowing the cake to rise properly and bake in a consistently level manner. Thus, an appropriate sized pan is necessary, one large enough for your amount of batter. Essentially, you’re looking for a pan that will provide a tight edge to then form a delicate, thin crust. Usually, that’s not the type of pan you can get from a local grocery store. Some baking supply stores offer great cake pans, but you’ll find a wide variety of ideal options from online stores like Amazon if you pay attention to the consideration factors we’re going to discuss.
If your oven runs hot, non-reflective, non-stick pans might not do you any good. In the end, these pans may produce cakes with tough, dark bottom crusts. Without sufficient creaming, oversized pans will reduce the size of your cake and turn it into a flat and gummy mess. Consequently, you must understand basic baking techniques and complement them with a great quality pan to get a sumptuous cake.
With that in mind, you should be ready to go through the various features to look for when shopping for a cake pan and couple it with a cake-laden
cookbook for a greater baking experience.
Price
Perhaps you’re wondering whether you really need an extra cake pan to add to your bakeware. Or maybe you think these kitchen appliances would be too expensive to purchase. Not at all! With as little as approximately $7, you can find yourself with a good quality cake pan that will churn out those sumptuous pieces you’re craving for. However, if you need extra features and heavy-duty materials, you can spend as much as $50 and get real value for your money. These are especially great for professional bakers or if you’re going to use the pan in a busy restaurant or cake outlet. Generally, the price will vary with size, nonstick ability, durability, materials, and brand. You can still find cheaper cake pans in the market but we don’t recommend them to our clients for obvious quality concerns.
Features
There are so many parameters to take into account when baking an excellent cake. The ingredients you need, the flavor, and the frosting are just a few of those variables. However, the most important factor is the cake pan you’ll use for your baking. But, choosing the right cake pan can be daunting, given the numerous options available out there. Here are the important features to look for when shopping for a cake pan:
- Material – Cake pans are crafted from different materials including stainless steel, aluminum, and silicone. Each material has its advantages and disadvantages, and every professional baker prefers a particular material for all their baking. Stainless steel is highly durable and resistant to staining. However, many bakers feel these pans don’t produce evenly baked cakes since they don’t conduct heat that well. Aluminum pans conduct heat quite well and produce cakes with even surfaces. Silicone pans, on the other hand, are quite easy to store and clean. These pans are highly versatile and durable and can easily transition between a freezer to a fridge and to a microwave without ruining the pan. However, some bakers think the pans don’t brown the cakes as well as aluminum pans do.
- Temperature Rating – Every oven has a specific oven safe temperature rating. Most models have a maximum oven temperature rating of 450 degrees Fahrenheit but some have higher ratings of 500 or even 550 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Surface – Not all cake pans come with nonstick surfaces. Nonstick surfaces help to get the cake out without sticking to the pan. However, the quality of nonstick coating varies from one pan model to the next. Poor quality nonstick have a higher fail rate, but if you go for a good quality nonstick surface and take good care of the pan during washing, you can enjoy nice and clean cakes for several years to come.
- Size – The size of the cake pan determines the quantity of ingredients you can bake at one go. Different recipes will require different pan sizes for best results. Again, consider the size of your oven and confirm that your pan will easily fit inside.
Construction and Design
Cake pans make different shapes and designs depending on the recipes and your baking style. There are various shapes you can choose to suit the occasion or just spice up your baking experience. Round cake pans are the most common and are designed for making layer cakes. They come in many different sizes to pick from. These shapes are perfect for cakes that can be stacked and also preferred for sculpted cakes.
Rectangular cake pans are good for sheet cakes since they are much easier to transport than layered cakes. The flat and wide surfaces of a sheet cake offer space for fun and unique designs to suit the gathering.
Square pans are not as popular as round and rectangular pans but they are sometimes utilized to craft a unique layer cake different from the traditional round design.
Another important construction feature of cake pans is the ability to remove the sides. Springform pans come with removable sides, which is critical when baking coffee cakes, cheese cakes and other soft cakes that may be challenging to remove from the pan. That way you won’t crack, break, or ruin your cake when it’s ready to be served.
Finally, every professional baker keeps some specialty cake pan that may span different styles and characters like the Mickey Mouse or Hello Kitty to suit a special occasion like a birthday party. Other common shapes include the heart, star, and other specialty shapes that you may like.
Performance and Ease of Use
A great cake pan is effortless to use as long as you focus on the quality of material used, the shape, the brand reputation, and what other customers say about the pan. If you pick a great cake pan to buy, you can be sure to produce high-quality cakes every time you bake.
Perhaps the most critical feature that makes a cake pan easy to use is the quality of nonstick surface you go for. A nonstick layer is usually formed from a thin polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE)/Teflon layer. This means you can seamlessly take out your cake from the pan without it sticking or breaking. However, there are some downsides to nonstick surfaces. If you’re sensitive to chemicals or toxins, you’ll want to keep off nonstick cake pans since they can release the chemical compositions when exposed to extreme temperatures. Again, depending on the quality of the nonstick surface, it does wear out after some time and you may have to go back to your old good ways of oiling the pan or using parchment papers or flour.
Today’s cake pans are available in a variety of designs, sizes, and shapes. A great quality pan is a crucial component in baking, determining the end result and appearance of your baked goods. Nothing feels more amazing than baking with a brand new, high-quality cake pan that effortlessly releases your cakes, loaves and pastries. Now that you’re well informed on what to look for when shopping for a cake pan, you should be ready to dive into our top reviews.
Features
Founded by Dave Dalquist and his wife Dotty, Nordic Ware is a business that started from humble beginnings and grew to become a globally recognized kitchenware brand with various product lines. Nordic Ware’s Bundt pans are made with lots of care, ensuring that you get a product that will last you a lifetime.
Their Anniversary Bundt Cake Pan closely resembles the company’s first cast aluminum pan, but comes in a versatile shape, size, and is beautifully detailed, so it works well with today’s Bundt mixes and recipes. This pan is sturdy and provides superior baking performance that makes it a must-have product in any kitchen. Distinctive non-stick interior coating ensures quick release of baked goods and easy clean-up, while the silver platinum exteriors provide uniform browning. Measuring 10.5"L x 4.5"W x 10.5"H, this classic Bundt shaped pan can accommodate a 10 to 15 cup recipe and is proudly manufactured in the USA. That’s not all though; it comes with a butter Bundt cake recipe to try out too. Don’t forget to grease the pan well with solid shortening, then dust with flour before you start baking. You can also use a baking spray to coat the crevices so the cake can release easily.
The Nordic Ware Anniversary Bundt Cake Pan comes in ten different styles that allow you to choose according to your baking needs. They’ve got anniversary 6 cup, blossom, chiffon, Kugelhopf, stained glass and vaulted cathedral designs to name a few!
Looking for the ultimate cookie sheet to use for grandma’s coconut macaroons? Is your baking pan scratched up and your German chocolate cake keeps sticking to the bottom? Are you just curious about what other interesting baking pans you can bake with? Then, it’s time to find a decent cake pan, and the process doesn’t have to be complicated or confusing. We’ve done our homework right to bring you the best cake pans based on their manufacturing materials, nonstick coating quality, size, shape, and brand. We hope that you found a great pan from our individual reviews. If not, you can still check out other alternatives provided by these brands.
