Coffee Cake Tip: Two Loaf Pans = One Baking Dish (2024)

FAQs

Can I use 2 loaf pans instead of 9x13? ›

A 9×13 baking dish. The batter that fills two loaf pans is perfect for one baking dish. We didn't even need to adjust the cooking time that much; since the baking dish is more shallow, it bakes in about the same time as a loaf pan, even though it's bigger. We kept an eye on it and may have added 5 or 10 minutes max.

Alternatively, tweak your baking time and temperature.

If you're moving the recipe to a larger pan, increase the oven temperature by 25 F degrees and decrease the baking time (you'll still end up with a thinner cake, but the taste and texture should be fine).

You can place 2 loaves into an 8 x 8” pan. You could put 3 into a 9 x 13” pan.

Use a Cake Pan

Break out your favorite cake pans. Round cake pans are perfect for rolls or breads that may otherwise call for a skillet (just make sure the sizes are roughly the same). You can even use your favorite fluted tube pan to make recipes like monkey bread.

8×2 inch square pan holds 8 cups of batter, the same as a 9×2 inch round pan and a 9×5 inch loaf pan.

USE AN AVERAGE TEMPERATURE

You can bake several dishes at once by setting your oven to the average temperature called for across recipes. If, for instance, one dish requires a temperature of 350℉ and another needs to bake at 400℉, set the temperature to 375℉ and keep a close eye on food as it cooks.

One 9x5 loaf pan will be very full and will bake for 50 minutes +. You can use two 8x4-inch pans and start checking for doneness at around 35 minutes. Use a toothpick test for doneness. Here are a few recipes to use as guides: Honey-Walnut Pound Cakes, Lemon Pound Cake, and Piña Colada Pound Cakes.

Larger loaves need more baking to avoid a gummy result in the center, and that means longer baking times at the listed temperature. Three pound loaves need about an hour.

TLDR is that there is a range of temps that work well. My loaf pan breads are usually baked between 375F and 425F. I don't have an oven with steam, so a foil tent can substitute, but usually I just brush the dough with water or milk before loading it into the oven.

As mini loaf pans normally require a shorter baking time, simply be sure to reduce the baking time and look closely for signs of doneness.

What size is a 2 loaf pan? ›

I found putting 80-85g of cake mix was ideal for these tins. When baking these you don't want to overfill them as you need to be able to fit the decoration on top of the cake and under the lid of the case so the 80-85g is perfect. Some little tins may vary, but this has worked well so far.

If, for example, your recipe calls for an 8-inch cake pan and you only have a 9-inch, relax, no problem. Just increase the oven temp by 25 degrees F and decrease the bake time by a quarter. In this particular example, since your pan is 1 inch larger, more surface area will be exposed.

Good news here: You can definitely make regular cakes in your favorite Bundt pan. According to Mark, you'll want to stick with recipes for traditional layer cakes, pound cakes and sheet cakes. These all can be baked in your favorite fluted cake pan.

For a 9×13-inch sheet cake, bake for 36-40 minutes or until the top is lightly browned and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. With either size, make sure you rotate the cake pan once or twice during bake time. Remove from the oven and allow the cake to cool in the pan placed on a wire rack.

An 8” square pan and 9” round pan can be used interchangeably for cake and bar recipes. A recipe written for a 9” x 13” pan can also be made in two 9” round pans; one 9” round and one 8” round, or two 8” round pans. Baking times may vary due to slightly different depths of batter in the various pan combinations.

If you're preparing a casserole or pasta bake for 1 or 2 people, skip the huge baking dish and reach for a loaf pan. With a volume under 2 quarts, the capacity and size of loaf pans make them ideal for one-dish meals. It is deep enough for layered, bubbling casseroles, like lasagna, pot pie and pasta bakes.

From this you can see that you can substitute two 8” pans for the 9”x13” one as 2x64 = 128 square inches which is close enough.