Pan Size Converter

Why you need a pan size converter

If you don't have the exact pan size specified in a recipe, you need to scale the amount of batter or filling proportionally to the pan's area, rather than simply putting the same batter into a different pan — otherwise your cake will come out too thin or too thick.

How the scaling factor is calculated

The calculator computes the area of both pans and finds the ratio between them. For example, if the new pan has twice the area of the original, you'll need twice the amount of batter (a factor of 2.0).

• Round pan: Area = π × (diameter/2)²
• Square pan: Area = side²
• Rectangular pan: Area = length × width

What to do about baking time when changing pans

Baking time doesn't scale linearly with the amount of batter. General guidelines:

• Smaller, deeper pan: thicker batter → needs more time, possibly at a slightly lower temperature, so the center bakes through without burning the edges.
• Larger, shallower pan: thinner batter → time decreases, temperature can be slightly increased.

Always check doneness with a toothpick or skewer rather than relying solely on the time stated in the recipe — that time was calculated for a specific pan size.

The calculation is based on pan area and is a good guideline for most cases (cakes, pies, brownies). For very deep pans (like bundt pans), volume should also be considered, not just the base area.