Hi there,

I have been trawling the net looking for a good formula to use for scaling up cake recipes. One formula I've found takes the size of the pan you want to use (for me this would be 14") and the size of the pan your original recipe uses (for me this is 6"). The formula is 14" divided by 6 which gives you 2.33. So you times each ingredient amount by 2.33.

The thing is though, I've doubled this recipe before and it gives me enough batter for an 8" tin but there will be nowhere near enough for a 14" tin.

Can anyone help me find a failsafe formula?

Thanks for your help!

You're going to have to work with the pan VOLUME to figure this out. For round pans you need to know the radius (diameter/2) and the height of the pan (2"? 3"?).

The formula to figure out the volume of the different round pans is as follows: Volume of a cylinder =(3,14 x radius x radius) x height. So, for a 6" pan with 3" sides it will be:

(3,14x3x3)x3 = 84,78 square inches

For the 14": (3,14x7x7)x3 = 461,58 square inches.

Divide the largest by the smallest, and you'll get 5,44. So you need 5,44 times more of all the ingredients to fill the 14" than you do the 6" if they're both 3" tall. Adjust accordingly for say 2" pans.

I know it's technical and looks a bit nerdy, but that's how you do the scaling for pan volume For square pans you need to find the formula for cube volume.

You're sort of on the right track, but you need to use the volume instead of the diameter.

6" volume = 113.04 cu. in.
14" volume = 615.44 cu. in.
615.44 divided by
113.04 equals 5.44

Take whatever measurement you use for your 6" and multiply it by 5.44 to get enough for your 14".

Metria's cake calculator (by volume) can help with this:
http://shinymetalobjects.net/cake/calculator/cakulator.cgi?.defaults=Reset&option=3&option=Select+Cakulator&servingSize=Continue&serving_width=1&serving_length=2&serving_height=4&.cgifields=group_sheet&.cgifields=group_square&.cgifields=group_round

But, if you have the Wilton chart, you don't need to know any of this. The 6" pan holds 2 cups of batter, and the 14" pan holds 10 cups. Two times five equals 10.

http://www.wilton.com/cakes/making-cakes/baking-wedding-cake-2-inch-pans.cfm

We all arrive at the same amount of batter needed. But maybe this is a better explanation.

THE VOLUME OF A CYLINDER = Pi x (radius times 2) x height

Pi = 3.142
Radius of your pan is half of the pan's diameter. So if your cake pan is 14 inches, the radius is half of that measure = 7

I'm assuming the height of the pan is 3"


VOLUME OF YOUR 14" PAN

Pi x (radius times 2) x height

3.142 x 49 x 3 = 461.874

That's the volume of your 14" pan.


VOLUME OF THE 6" PAN

3.142 x 9 x 3 = 84.85

That's the volume of your 6" pan


NOW DIVIDE THE BIGGEST ONE BY THE SMALLER ONE:

461.874 divided by 84.85 = 5.44

YOU NEED 5.44 times the amount of batter to use in the 14" pan.

Here are the sites. You can actually manipulate the cylinder on the first site (too bad it only goes down to a height of 6").

http://www.mathopenref.com/cylindervolume.html

http://www.cocoandme.com/2010/10/12/cake-pan-size-conversion-the-formula/

I still think that cubic inches is a better measurement to get used to using, it will be needed if you are needing to scale say from a 6 x 2" deep to an 8 x 3" deep

You are all amazing. Thank you so much!!