Help with Cake Batter for 9" Pans

[Baking_Life_Farmer]

I'm baking a cake and apparently the baker that the recipe is from uses tiny 6" pans and he says that if you use 9" pans to triple the batter... but it was a DISASTER! Would doubling the batter be better? or should I stay with the the original recipe? I'm using 9" pans and I don't know what to do! Please Help!

 

[Norcalbaker59]

To scale a recipe it must be in metric weight.

6” pan

find the radius of the diameter: 6 ÷2 = 3

Square the radius: 3x3 = 9

Multiply the radius by pi: 9x3.14 = 28.26

Area of 6” cake pan: 28.26



9” pan

find the radius of the diameter: 9 ÷ 2 = 4.5

Square the radius: 4.5 x 4.5 = 20.25

Multiply the radius by pi: 20.25 x 3.14 = 63.58

Area of 6” cake pan: 28.26
Area of 9”’cake pan: 63.58

Divide the larger area into the smaller area:

63.58 ÷ 28.26 = 2.249
to simplify, round up 2.25 is the multiplier

multiply the weight of each ingredient by 2.25

example
if the flour in the recipe is 133g, multiply it by 2.25

133 x 2.25 = 299.25 Use 299 g flour

if the sugar in the recipe is 140g, multiply it by 2.25

140 x 2.25 = 315. Use 315 g sugar.

You simply cannot scale a recipe using cups and spoons.

Professional bakers and pastry chefs use formulas (baker’s percentages) not volume because as you discovered, volume measurements are a disaster.

The other thing to keep in mind is brand of ingredients. Protein and flour treatments varies significantly by brand and country. UK flour is very low in protein and unbleached, so performs significantly different from American flour. Canada flour is very high in protein and unbleached, so performs like bread flour. Cane and sugar beet sugar perform differently. Egg grading is different in Europe than in US and Canada (our large is equivalent to their medium). Euro ovens have fans that over bake goods at temperatures that Americans normally use. When you select a recipe you have to be aware of the country of origin and all the differences in their Ingredients and equipment. And then you have to make adjustments.

 

[BethBakes]

I find that I can base recipes for 6-inch pans on 1 1/4-1 1/2 cups flour, usually 1 1/2. I'm normally reducing from 9-inch pan recipes. Look at the typical amount of flour in 9-inch pan recipes you like. Start with that amount of flour and then do the math to convert the other ingredients to stay in the same proportion.

 

[Norcalbaker59]

I find that I can base recipes for 6-inch pans on 1 1/4-1 1/2 cups flour, usually 1 1/2. I'm normally reducing from 9-inch pan recipes. Look at the typical amount of flour in 9-inch pan recipes you like. Start with that amount of flour and then do the math to convert the other ingredients to stay in the same proportion.

you cannot maintain the proportions because it is not possible to fill a cup with the same amount of dry ingredients.

Volume is the amount of space something occupies. Every measuring cup that is manufactured varies is size.

UK Imperial standard is not the same as US units. So if you’re using a recipe written by someone in the UK, that cup won’t be the same as a US cup.

Them when you go to fill that cup, you can cram 120 g to 155g flour in that cup because a cup is volume--it’s based on space, on weight.

When a recipe is based on weight 120 g flour will always be 120 g flour. So when you go to scale the recipe up or down from a 6” cake pan to 9” pan, it will always be consistent because it’s based on weight.

Further, you cannot properly scale the most important ingredient: leavening agent. Ratio of the baking powder and/or baking soda to flour is critical to the successfully rise. That ratio is very small and easily skewed when recipes are increased using volume.

Ingredients are expensive. A baker’s time are worth something. I believe it is best to teach people the proper way to bake so they don’t waste their money and time.