We tested 8 popular block pans. These 3 gave usa fluffy, even cakes every time.

Hands holding a KitchenAid cake pan with a baked cake inside next to a yellow spatula, two eggs, and a stick of butter - best cake pans in 2022

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As a immature home baker, I mostly utilise well-loved, paw-me-downwards block pans, and have spent a lot of time dealing with the problems warped, discolored, and non-standardized pans tin cause. Whether the mix came from a box or you spent hours on the perfect chiffon, information technology'due south a real bummer when your block sticks to the pan.

Having a quality cake pan is simply every bit important as using a tried and truthful recipe, allowing yous to focus on flavor and texture without worrying near turning out a broken sponge. "I rely on quality pans and quality recipes that volition give me wonderful results regardless of what I'one thousand baking," said Jocelyn Delk Adams, author of the Grandbaby Cakes cookbook.

Nicole Garrett, executive head baker at Susie Cakes, echoed this, telling Insider Reviews the most common mishaps in cake blistering are overbaking or block not releasing from the pans then tearing. High-quality pans can limit or outright prevent both of those issues.

We chose to test 9-inch circular pans because they're a staple in whatsoever kitchen and the most common size chosen for in recipes. For brands without ix-inch rounds available, we chose eight-inch pans. Nosotros consulted 3 professional bakers to help the states identify common problems that arise during block baking and how cake pans tin can solve or worsen them. In improver to Adams and Garrett, we spoke with Aya Fuaki of Aya Pastry in Chicago.

For this testing, I tried eight cake pans and broiled the same yellow cake mix in each; you lot can read more about how I tested and what criteria I looked for below.

Acquire more nigh how Insider Reviews tests and recommends kitchen products.

The best cake pans of 2022

All-time cake pan overall: KitchenAid Nonstick ix" Circular, $16.99 on Amazon
The KitchenAid Nonstick Cake Pan has a light gray interior for fifty-fifty baking and is dishwasher prophylactic for easier cleanup.

Best upkeep cake pan: Amazon Basics 2-Pack Nonstick Cake Pan, 9" Rounds, $11.36 on Amazon
If you're an occasional baker and looking for a set of pans that are inexpensive and will get the job done, you lot can't notice a better bargain than the Amazon Basics Nonstick Rounds.

Best uncoated cake pan: Nordic Ware Naturals Aluminum 9" Circular, $14.63 on Amazon
Despite not having a nonstick blanket, the Nordic Ware Naturals Aluminum 9" Circular pan baked an even, fluffy cake and released it without trouble.

Best cake pan overall

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The KitchenAid Nonstick Cake Pan has a light grayness interior for even baking and is dishwasher safe for easier cleanup.

Pros: Even broil, dimensions imprinted on base, extended handles

Cons: Will scratch if used with metal utensils

This KitchenAid pan features extended handles that made rotating the pan in the oven incredibly like shooting fish in a barrel, and I didn't accept to worry about accidentally sticking a mittened finger into the cake batter when moving the pan. If I was blistering a delicate sponge, I could see this feature being even more useful when transferring the cake out of the oven to the counter.

The KitchenAid pan has a grey-tinted color that produced an even bake. When we made cake in darker-colored pans, the sponge tended to shrink dorsum from the pan by several centimeters every bit information technology cooked; an indication that the outsides were blistering faster than the center of the cake, which tin can make for an uneven texture. This didn't happen equally much with the KitchenAid pan, and the block was tender and moist throughout.

The block released easily from the pan, though it left a slight butter residue similar all the nonstick pans I tested. The residuum came off easily with soap and water, and none of the cakes were noticeably greasy because of information technology. The KitchenAid pan cleaned up easily with a nylon sponge and emerged with no discoloration or surface damage when I put it through the dishwasher.

Best upkeep block pan

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If you're an occasional bakery and looking for a set of pans that are inexpensive and will get the job washed, you can't find a better bargain than the Amazon Basics Nonstick Rounds.

Pros: Comes in a two-pack, high oven-condom temperature

Cons: Darker colored coating, unclear if PFOA-free

Fukai told us that nonstick pans are great for cake layers you intend to stack considering the blanket ensures the sides and the bottoms emerge as uniform as possible. These Amazon Basics pans are neat for layer cakes because they're non only nonstick, but come in inexpensive packs of ii, assuasive you lot to brand multiple layers in one batch.

Cake baked in these cheap pans did not stick and came out evenly browned. The pans are the most lightweight of all we tested, with thinner construction of the base and sides. We did not notice any negative effects from this construction. In fact, the light weight plus the extended handles make these pans piece of cake to maneuver when filled with batter.

Metal utensils exercise scratch the surface of this pan and information technology is non dishwasher condom. It's also unclear from the product description if the pans are PFOA-free. We reached out to Amazon to confirm, merely the company did not answer.

Best uncoated cake pan

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Despite not having a nonstick coating, the Nordic Ware Naturals Aluminum ix" Round pan baked an even, fluffy cake and released information technology without trouble.

Pros: Dishwasher safety, cake releases hands, a good option for those who don't like nonstick coatings

Cons: Easily scratched, parts of cake may stick

For those who adopt an uncoated pan, the Nordic Ware pan was easy to apply and clean. Later on running a pocketknife along the edge, block released from the pan without any endeavour. Though a thin layer of the outside chaff stuck to the sides and lesser of the pan, the layer was negligible in terms of the overall cake size and advent.

Like the KitchenAid pan, the Nordic Ware pan is a light color, which means the block shrunk back from the sides less than information technology did in darker-colored pans and was perfectly cooked in the center. Additionally, this pan produced the tallest cake out of all the pans we tested, just it was ultimately not our meridian choice because of the minor sticking issues.

Because of the thin layer stuck to the pan, cleaning information technology required more scrubbing and time. However, at that place was no discoloration after baking and the scouring pad did not damage the surface. Information technology tin likewise go in the dishwasher. Metal utensils do scratch this pan, but surface harm will not impact blistering performance.

What else nosotros tested

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What else we recommend and why:

Wilton Functioning Pan Aluminum viii" Round: This is another good option for those who prefer uncoated pans. The block came out with relative ease, but compared to our current pick for best uncoated pan, a thicker layer of crust stuck to the Wilton pan. Ultimately, I did not have major problems with this pan and I'm a big fan of the price.

Goodcook Nonstick 9" Circular: This nonstick pan performed similarly to the Amazon Basics pan; cake released smoothly and baked in the suggested fourth dimension. The Goodcook Pan produced slightly darker edges, but the texture of the block was not over baked.

Chicago Metallic Nonstick 9" Circular and Cuisinart Chef's Classic Nonstick 9" Circular: These pans performed almost identically. In both, the cakes released immediately without any sticking. Neither suffered damage from the dishwasher or being scrubbed with a scouring pad, but both were scratched by steel wool. Additionally, the broiled cakes in both pans shrunk back almost a total centimeter, indicating overcooking likely due to the pans' dark color. This can exist remedied by adjusting the baking time, so these pans are all the same worth purchasing, but did not brand our top picks.


What we don't recommend and why:

Fat Daddios Anodized Aluminum 9-inch Round: This pan does not have a nonstick coating. Though I thoroughly greased the bottom and sides of the pan before blistering, the cake nonetheless stuck, even after completely cooled. It took a few minutes of tapping on the bottom of the pan and holding it upside down for the cake to release, leaving a thin layer of crust on the bottom and sides of the pan. This pan must be lined with parchment paper to prevent sticking.

Our cake pan testing methodology

Isabel Fernández/Insider

Our testing included multiple phases. We consulted three experts on their professional person experiences with different types of cake pans: Jocelyn Delk Adams, author of the Grandbaby Cakes cookbook; Nicole Garrett, executive head baker at Susie Cakes; and Aya Fuaki of Aya Pastry in Chicago. Their input informed our own testing methodology and the answers to our FAQs.

I tested the pans based on my extensive enquiry and experience as an gorging home baker and kitchenware reporter. We volition continue to apply the pans we recommended and update this guide with any new information.

Blistering: I baked a Betty Crocker Butter Yellow Super Moist Box Cake in each pan. Per the instructions on the box, I set the oven to 350 degrees F for shiny metal pans and 325 degrees F for nonstick ones. When a toothpick inserted into the middle of the cake came out clean, I cooled the cake in the pan for 10 minutes. I looked for fifty-fifty browning on all sides of the cake, with no excessive shrinking or dry, overcooked spots.

Ease of use: Every bit I used the pans, I noted how like shooting fish in a barrel they were to fill, hold, and rotate in the oven.

Immovability: I cutting one slice of the cake while it was even so in the pan to meet if a serving utensil scratched the surface.

Release: I turned the cake out onto a wire rack, noting how hands it released from the pan or if it stuck to the sides or lesser.

Cleaning: For dishwasher-rubber pans, we ran them through a regular wash cycle with other dishes and looked for warping, discoloration, or whatsoever other surface impairment. For hand-wash only pans, we washed with a safety sponge and a scouring pad and looked for scratching. We also considered how hard we had to scrub to become off burnt pieces and how easy it was to make clean the edges of the pan.

Cake pan FAQs

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How can I convert pan sizes?

When substituting pans, retrieve to accommodate blistering times. Going from a larger expanse to a smaller 1 ways the batter will spread out more than, and thinner layers melt faster.

When substituting foursquare pans for round pans, follow this unproblematic dominion: add one to the square side length and that's the bore of a roughly equivalent round pan.

Successfully substituting one pan for another is about matching volume capacity without irresolute the depth and shape too much. For instance, a 9-inch circular pan with a 2-inch depth has the same volume as a standard 9-inch loaf pan. Even so, the depths and shapes are then different that a block meant for 1 shouldn't be broiled in the other considering the texture and density will be affected.

The first time you try a recipe, try to follow the instructions exactly. "Later you become familiar with the way the cake batter rises and falls during the blistering progress, you will have a better idea of how to increment or decrease the batter size to fit different molds," said Fukai. If yous're not making intricately constructed baked goods, well-thought-out pan substitutions are fine.


How practice y'all line a block pan?

To line or grease a block pan, cut a parchment paper round to fit the lesser of the can and either leave the sides untouched or coat them in butter or cooking spray. Pan sprays can damage nonstick coatings, so become with butter in nonstick pans.

If you don't have parchment paper, you tin can grease the entire tin with butter and a light dusting of flour. Some cakes are meant to be broiled in ungreased tins, so read the recipe carefully. If it says "set the pan," that means you lot should line or grease it. "To avert cakes not releasing I employ round parchment paper at the lesser of my cake pans along with using a loftier heat pan spray," said Garrett.

What are PFOA and PTFE?

When researching nonstick coatings for our guide to the best hard-anodized cookware, we learned about two central chemicals that are significant in the production of nonstick cookware: PTFE and PFOA. Here's what we said about each in our guide to difficult-anodized cookware, which is applicative to cake pans, as well:

The acronyms PFOA and PTFE are everywhere in cookware descriptions. Here's what you lot need to know nigh each:

PTFE stands for polytetrafluoroethylene, and is more than commonly known by its brand name: Teflon. There take been concerns over the wellness effects of PTFE and PFOA, and while studies accept been mostly inconclusive, PFOA was isolated every bit the more unsafe chemic.

PFOA, or perfluorooctanoic acid, was used in the production of PTFE since Teflon was invented in the 1970s. In the manufacturing process, near of the PFOA burns off and only trace elements remain in the cookware. These elements are then only released if the cookware is overheated to temperatures of 570 degrees F. However, since 2010, the EPA has put programs and regulations in place to stage out the employ of PFOAs in American manufacturing. The majority of cookware made in the United States since 2015 is PFOA-gratuitous, and so are all of our peak picks.

International standards are not the same every bit American ones, so PFOA may however exist used in products from other countries.

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Disclosure: Written and researched by the Insider Reviews squad. We highlight products and services y'all might find interesting. If you buy them, we may get a small share of the revenue from the auction from our partners. We may receive products gratuitous of accuse from manufacturers to test. This does not drive our decision as to whether or non a product is featured or recommended. Nosotros operate independently from our advert team. Nosotros welcome your feedback. E-mail the states at reviews@insider.com.

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