The best cake pans, tested and reviewed

Isabel Fernández/Insider

Pros: Even bake, 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 easy, and I didn't have to worry about accidentally sticking a mittened finger into the cake batter when moving the pan. If I was baking a fragile 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 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 can make for an uneven texture. This didn't happen as much with the KitchenAid pan, and the cake was tender and moist throughout.

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

Two other pans performed almost identically and were contenders for the best cake pan overall: Chicago Metallic Nonstick 9" Round and Cuisinart Chef's Classic Nonstick 9" Round. 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. The Chicago Metallic and Cuisinart Chef have dark interiors that lead to overcooking — the baked cakes shrunk back almost a full centimeter. This can be remedied by adjusting the baking time, so these pans are still worth purchasing.

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

Cons: Darker colored coating, 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, but come in inexpensive packs of two, allowing you to make multiple layers in one batch. 

Cake baked in these inexpensive 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 easy to maneuver when filled with batter. 

Metal utensils do scratch the surface of this pan and it is not dishwasher safe. It's also unclear from the product description if the pans are PFOA-free. We reached out to Amazon to confirm, but the company did not respond.

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

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

Cons: Easily scratched, parts of cake may stick

For those who prefer an uncoated pan, the best cake pan was from Nordic Ware. After running a knife along the edge, cake released from the pan without any effort. Though a thin layer of the outside crust stuck to the sides and bottom 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 color, 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 we tested, but it was ultimately not our top choice because of the minor sticking issues. 

Because of the thin layer stuck to the pan, cleaning it required more scrubbing and time. However, there was no discoloration after baking and the scouring pad did not damage the surface. It can also go in the dishwasher. Metal utensils do scratch this pan, but surface damage will not impact baking performance.

The Wilton Performance Pan Aluminum 8" Round is another good option for those who prefer uncoated pans. The cake 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 issues with this pan and I'm a big fan of the price.

Material: Most of the best cake pans are made of aluminum or aluminized steel. This material conducts heat efficiently and allows for even baking. You can bake cakes in ceramic or even cast iron dishes, but this will change the texture and crust of your baked good. Unless your recipe calls for something else, stick with aluminum-based cake pans.

Size and shape: A 9-inch round cake pan is considered a standard size. If you're not looking to experiment and don't mind curved brownies, get two of 9-inch rounds and you're set. For crisp edges on your lemon bars, try the square version of any of our top picks. You can also use a jelly roll baking sheet. Specialty shapes, like tube and bundt pans, are used for specific types of cake and are difficult to DIY with pans you already have.

Our testing included multiple phases. We consulted three experts on their professional 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 best cake pans based on my extensive research and experience as an avid home baker and kitchenware reporter. We will continue to use the pans we recommended and update this guide with any new information.

Baking: 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 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.

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

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

Cleaning: For dishwasher-safe pans, we ran them through a regular wash cycle with other dishes and looked for warping, discoloration, or any other surface damage. For hand-wash only 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 get off burnt pieces and how easy it was to clean the edges of the pan.

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How can I convert pan sizes?

When substituting pans, remember to adjust baking times. Going from a larger area to a smaller one means the batter will spread out more, and thinner layers cook faster. When substituting square pans for round pans, follow this simple rule: add one to the square side length and that's the diameter of a roughly equivalent round pan.

Successfully substituting one pan for another is about matching volume capacity without changing the depth and shape too much. For example, a 9-inch round pan with a 2-inch depth has the same volume as a standard 9-inch loaf pan. However, the depths and shapes are so different that a cake meant for one shouldn't be baked in the other because the texture and density will be affected. 

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

How do you line a cake pan?

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

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

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

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

PTFE stands for polytetrafluoroethylene, and is more commonly known by its brand name: Teflon. There have been concerns over the health effects of PTFE and PFOA, and while studies have been mostly 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 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 phase out the use of PFOAs in American manufacturing. The majority of cookware made in the United States since 2015 is PFOA-free, and so are all of our top picks. 

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