We tested eight popular cake pans. These three gave u.s. fluffy, even cakes every fourth dimension.

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 young home bakery, I mostly employ well-loved, manus-me-down cake pans, and have spent a lot of time dealing with the problems warped, discolored, and non-standardized pans tin can cause. Whether the mix came from a box or you spent hours on the perfect chiffon, it's a real bummer when your cake sticks to the pan.

Having a quality cake pan is simply equally important as using a tried and true recipe, assuasive you to focus on flavour and texture without worrying about turning out a cleaved sponge. "I rely on quality pans and quality recipes that will give me wonderful results regardless of what I'm 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 almost common mishaps in block baking are overbaking or cake not releasing from the pans and so tearing. High-quality pans can limit or outright foreclose both of those issues.

Nosotros chose to examination nine-inch round pans because they're a staple in any kitchen and the nigh common size called for in recipes. For brands without nine-inch rounds available, nosotros chose eight-inch pans. We consulted three professional bakers to help us identify common problems that arise during cake blistering 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 baked the same yellow cake mix in each; you lot tin read more about how I tested and what criteria I looked for beneath.

Learn more about how Insider Reviews tests and recommends kitchen products.

The best cake pans of 2022

All-time cake pan overall: KitchenAid Nonstick nine" Circular, $16.99 on Amazon
The KitchenAid Nonstick Block Pan has a calorie-free gray interior for fifty-fifty baking and is dishwasher safe for easier cleanup.

Best budget block pan: Amazon Basics two-Pack Nonstick Cake Pan, ix" 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 chore done, you can't notice a amend bargain than the Amazon Nuts Nonstick Rounds.

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

All-time cake pan overall

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The KitchenAid Nonstick Cake Pan has a lite gray interior for fifty-fifty baking and is dishwasher safe for easier cleanup.

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

Cons: Will scratch if used with metallic utensils

This KitchenAid pan features extended handles that made rotating the pan in the oven incredibly easy, and I didn't have to worry about accidentally sticking a mittened finger into the block concoction when moving the pan. If I was baking a fragile sponge, I could come across this characteristic being fifty-fifty more useful when transferring the block out of the oven to the counter.

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

The cake released hands from the pan, though it left a slight butter balance like all the nonstick pans I tested. The residue came off easily with soap and h2o, and none of the cakes were noticeably greasy considering 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 budget cake pan

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If you're an occasional bakery and looking for a set of pans that are cheap and will become the job done, you lot can't find a meliorate deal than the Amazon Basics Nonstick Rounds.

Pros: Comes in a two-pack, loftier oven-safety temperature

Cons: Darker colored blanket, unclear if PFOA-free

Fukai told us that nonstick pans are great for cake layers you intend to stack because the coating ensures the sides and the bottoms emerge as uniform as possible. These Amazon Basics pans are great for layer cakes because they're not only nonstick, just come in inexpensive packs of two, allowing y'all to brand multiple layers in ane batch.

Cake broiled in these inexpensive pans did not stick and came out evenly browned. The pans are the nearly lightweight of all we tested, with thinner construction of the base and sides. Nosotros did non notice whatever negative effects from this structure. 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 it is non dishwasher prophylactic. It'south also unclear from the product description if the pans are PFOA-free. We reached out to Amazon to confirm, only the company did non respond.

All-time uncoated cake pan

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Despite not having a nonstick blanket, the Nordic Ware Naturals Aluminum 9" Round pan baked an even, fluffy block and released it without trouble.

Pros: Dishwasher safe, block releases easily, a good pick for those who don't like nonstick coatings

Cons: Hands scratched, parts of cake may stick

For those who prefer an uncoated pan, the Nordic Ware pan was easy to employ and clean. After running a knife along the edge, cake released from the pan without any endeavour. Though a thin layer of the exterior chaff stuck to the sides and lesser of the pan, the layer was negligible in terms of the overall cake size and appearance.

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

Considering of the thin layer stuck to the pan, cleaning it required more than scrubbing and time. Still, there was no discoloration after blistering and the scouring pad did non impairment the surface. It tin likewise go in the dishwasher. Metal utensils practise scratch this pan, simply surface harm will not impact baking performance.

What else we tested

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What else we recommend and why:

Wilton Performance Pan Aluminum viii" Round: This is another practiced option for those who prefer uncoated pans. The block came out with relative ease, merely compared to our current option for best uncoated pan, a thicker layer of crust stuck to the Wilton pan. Ultimately, I did not have major issues with this pan and I'k a large 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, merely the texture of the cake was non over baked.

Chicago Metallic Nonstick 9" Round and Cuisinart Chef'due south Classic Nonstick ix" Round: These pans performed almost identically. In both, the cakes released immediately without whatsoever sticking. Neither suffered damage from the dishwasher or beingness scrubbed with a scouring pad, but both were scratched past steel wool. Additionally, the baked cakes in both pans shrunk back well-nigh a full centimeter, indicating overcooking likely due to the pans' dark color. This tin be remedied by adjusting the baking time, so these pans are still worth purchasing, but did non make our superlative picks.


What we don't recommend and why:

Fat Daddios Anodized Aluminum nine-inch Round: This pan does not have a nonstick blanket. Though I thoroughly greased the lesser and sides of the pan earlier baking, the cake still stuck, even later completely cooled. It took a few minutes of tapping on the bottom of the pan and holding it upside down for the block 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

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Our testing included multiple phases. We consulted three experts on their professional experiences with unlike 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 ain testing methodology and the answers to our FAQs.

I tested the pans based on my extensive inquiry and experience equally an gorging habitation baker and kitchenware reporter. Nosotros will go on to use the pans we recommended and update this guide with any new data.

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

Ease of use: As I used the pans, I noted how easy they were to fill, hold, and rotate in the oven.

Immovability: I cut one piece of the cake while information technology was still in the pan to see if a serving utensil scratched the surface.

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

Cleaning: For dishwasher-safe pans, we ran them through a regular launder bicycle with other dishes and looked for warping, discoloration, or any other surface damage. For mitt-wash simply pans, we washed with a rubber sponge and a scouring pad and looked for scratching. We also considered how hard we had to scrub to go 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 catechumen pan sizes?

When substituting pans, remember to adjust baking times. Going from a larger expanse to a smaller one ways the batter will spread out more, and thinner layers cook faster.

When substituting foursquare pans for circular pans, follow this simple rule: add one to the foursquare side length and that's the diameter of a roughly equivalent round pan.

Successfully substituting ane pan for some other is about matching book capacity without changing the depth and shape also much. For example, a nine-inch round pan with a 2-inch depth has the same volume equally a standard 9-inch loaf pan. Yet, the depths and shapes are and then different that a cake meant for one shouldn't be baked in the other because the texture and density will be affected.

The showtime fourth dimension you try a recipe, effort to follow the instructions exactly. "Later on you become familiar with the mode the cake batter rises and falls during the baking progress, you will have a meliorate thought of how to increase or decrease the batter size to fit different molds," said Fukai. If you lot're not making intricately constructed baked goods, well-thought-out pan substitutions are fine.


How do you lot line a block pan?

To line or grease a cake pan, cutting a parchment newspaper round to fit the lesser of the tin and either leave the sides untouched or coat them in butter or cooking spray. Pan sprays can damage nonstick coatings, then go with butter in nonstick pans.

If you don't take parchment paper, you can grease the entire tin can with butter and a light dusting of flour. Some cakes are meant to be broiled in ungreased tins, then read the recipe carefully. If it says "prepare the pan," that means you should line or grease information technology. "To avoid cakes not releasing I use circular parchment paper at the bottom of my cake pans along with using a high heat pan spray," said Garrett.

What are PFOA and PTFE?

When researching nonstick coatings for our guide to the best difficult-anodized cookware, we learned nearly two cardinal chemicals that are pregnant in the production of nonstick cookware: PTFE and PFOA. Hither's what we said well-nigh each in our guide to hard-anodized cookware, which is applicable to cake pans, also:

The acronyms PFOA and PTFE are everywhere in cookware descriptions. Here'due south what you demand to know about each:

PTFE stands for polytetrafluoroethylene, and is more commonly known by its brand name: Teflon. There take been concerns over the health effects of PTFE and PFOA, and while studies have been more often than not inconclusive, PFOA was isolated as the more dangerous chemical.

PFOA, or perfluorooctanoic acid, was used in the production of PTFE since Teflon was invented in the 1970s. In the manufacturing process, most of the PFOA burns off and but trace elements remain in the cookware. These elements are then merely released if the cookware is overheated to temperatures of 570 degrees F. All the same, since 2010, the EPA has put programs and regulations in place to stage out the use of PFOAs in American manufacturing. The majority of cookware fabricated in the Us since 2015 is PFOA-gratis, and and so are all of our top picks.

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

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Disclosure: Written and researched by the Insider Reviews team. Nosotros highlight products and services you might find interesting. If yous purchase them, we may go a modest share of the revenue from the sale from our partners. We may receive products gratis of accuse from manufacturers to exam. This does not drive our decision as to whether or not a product is featured or recommended. We operate independently from our advertising team. We welcome your feedback. Electronic mail us at reviews@insider.com.

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