Pan Sizing And Batter Requirements - Please Help!
Decorating By katielb Updated 28 Jan 2009 , 10:06pm by katielb
This is a real "newbie" question (or two 
)
The recipe im using makes enough batter to fill 3 8" (20cm) round sandwich tins.
Here is my problem, im using a 13.5" x 9" (34cm x 23cm) rectangular pan, I need 3 layers and prefer to bake them all rather than torte so how do i calculate how much batter I will need for this cake??
Also, going by the above measurements, what sized tin is this?
Thanks in advance for any help on this one.
Katielb 
Easiest thing to do is measure each pan with water to see how much batter it takes and calculate from there.
Also Wilton has a chart that may be of some help although I'm not sure if sheet cakes are listed. If you go to the articles link look for baking/cutting guide.
HTH
Everything you ever wanted to know to bake your first tiered/stacked/layer cake:
http://www.cakecentral.com/cake-decorating-ftopict-605188-.html
Above thread has links to all Wilton cake preparation and servings guides. (Gives batter requirements by pan size.) And so much more!
If you prefer to bake separate short layers rather that taller layers to stack (and/or torte) - you might just want to use a jelly roll pan (very short sides) and cut your layers from that.
To bake three separate layers, using the batter requirement for a 13x9x2 pan would require you to divide the 7 cups of batter needed for this pan into 1/3's (1/3 for each layer).
In order to achieve a cake height of around 4" you'll need to make 6 cake layers. (And be prepared for your layers to look and handle like pancakes.)
To be truthful, I don't know how your cakes will turn out... And you'll have to be very watchful of the baking time. (Would bake at 325 F.)
HTH
Jan - To get the height of the cake and to ensure the layers werent to thin, id double the recipe
Now you're confusing me... I thought you wanted thin layers because you didn't want to torte. 
Are you confusing torting (splitting each layer into one or more shorter layers) with levelling (removing the crown from cake layer so that each layer is same height). 
Why not just bake three 13x9x2 cakes (7 cups of batter per layer) and stack (after you level). The stacked layers will be about 6" tall with no torting.
If you WANT to split (torte) each layer (in half), you'll wind up with six layers, but you only had to bake three times.
So much easier than baking SIX separate cake layers. (And you might still have to level each one.)
Everything you ever wanted to know about baking, assembling and decorating your first tiered/stacked/layer cake:
http://www.cakecentral.com/cake-decorating-ftopict-605188-.html
HTH
Sorry for any confusion, its a sponge cake which doesnt rise all that much. I know what torting and levelling is
Unless I was baking it in 1 tin i wouldnt need to torte.
Even when baked in the sandwich tins the cakes still come out quite thin.
The intention was always to bake 3 seperate cakes however i was uncertain as to the amount of batter to use as the tins im using are bigger than what the recipe calls for.
Natutally I need more batter so that the layers arent TOO thin...using the amounts the recipe calls for would result in pancake thin layers - which is what im trying to avoid.
You answered my question by stating the 7 cups of batter per layer, thanks 
Easiest thing to do is measure each pan with water to see how much batter it takes and calculate from there.
You can compare the measurement from the 13x9x2 to the total measurement used for three 8" rounds - and adjust from there.
Easiest thing to do is measure each pan with water to see how much batter it takes and calculate from there.
You can compare the measurement from the 13x9x2 to the total measurement used for three 8" rounds - and adjust from there.
Of course - makes sense - thanks for pointing that out!!
I was so concerned I overlooked the obvious 
Thanks for posting all this info!! It is amazinG!!!!
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