Hi all...completely new here and I'm trying to figure out how many cups of batter do you put in your 9in X 2in circular pans? I saw the Wilton chart that says 5 1/2 cups and I thought that looked a bit too much.

If you use dark pans do you bake at 325F or 350F and for how long?

I'm just trying to find a nice balance because I have been experimenting with different amounts versus temperature versus time and I haven't quite found a way yet that I like...sorry if this doesn't make any sense

be aware that your results will also vary depending on your cake recipe. i think the Wilton charts are a very good guide for box cake mixes.

If you really need to use dark pans, then you bake at 325F for the first 15 minutes and 300F for the rest of the time--which depends on the size of pans and amount of batter.

Thank you both for your responses! I'm still tweaking some things...I pulled out a ruler and realized my pans for starters are not a true 2in deep...which means that I have been over filling my pans.

The pans are not as dark as some pans that I have...so hopefully my next two test cakes which are currently baking will come out a bit better