Baking 101: Planning your pans
Vanessa Frida | The New Paper | Mon Aug 13 2012
Singapore, August 13, 2012
Anyone planning to bake should invest in good cookie sheets and pans.
Do not penny pinch as lightweight, poor-quality equipment will warp and buckle in high temperatures.
You do not need many sheets and pans though. Just buy a few of them, and be creative.
The most important factor to know before you go shopping is the size of your oven. That way, you buy pans that fully optimise the space.
For example, if you can fit two cake pans comfortably, you can double the recipe and make two large cakes at the same time instead of one.
COOKIE SHEETS
These metal sheets have a lip on one side, making it easier to pull them out.
I like the heavy-duty, non-stick, insulated cookie sheets which have an air pocket between the layers of metal, which helps prevent cookies from burning.
But that means they also do too good a job of preventing your cookies from browning well.
This can be remedied by getting a dark-coloured cookie sheet. The dark colour absorbs the heat faster, allowing browning without burning.
I recommend buying a set of two cookie sheets. That way, you can fit in as many cookies as possible in one go, giving you time to prepare a second batch.
MUFFIN PANS
These rectangular pans, which come with six or 12 cups, can also be used for making cupcakes.
I prefer the 12-cup trays because I like my cupcakes and muffins small. I find that if they are smaller, it helps my guests gauge how much they want to eat and that means less waste.
As with cookie sheets, buy two pans so you can prepare the second batch of goodies when the first is in the oven.
The non-stick ones make removing muffins a lot easier and it saves you the trouble of using paper liners.
A quirky alternative is silicon muffin trays. These are also non-stick versions and the cups can be in the form of cute shapes. My favourite is one which has cups in the shape of cartoon pigs.
When I make blueberry muffins with them, the blueberry juice oozes out, making my pigs look like they have been bruised in a fight – but they are still cute enough to eat.
In addition, there are muffin-top trays. These trays, which have six shallow cups, produce only the tops of the muffin – the crusty, tasty bit which is everyone’s favourite – without the doughy stumps.
JELLY ROLL PANS
These are useful all-purpose baking trays as you can use them as cookie sheets if you don’t plan to bake cookies often.
These pans are useful for making biscottis, swiss rolls, shortbread cookies and focaccia breads, to name a few.
This type of pan is also handy for making apple pies as it will “catch” the overflowing fillings, making cleaning up a breeze.
SPRINGFORM PANS
Springform pans are usually round – though other shapes are available – with clamps to hold the removable bottom in place. When the clamp is opened, the sides expand, releasing the bottom.
These are usually used for cakes that cannot be flipped out (because it is too tender or could sink) or for cheesecakes.
When buying a springform pan, always test its base. After clipping it securely, give the base a good nudge to test if it’s loose. If it is, your cake batter could leak and the cake will be ruined.
BUNDT PANS
These are one of my favourite pans for making cakes. This ring-shaped pan with fluted sides makes any cake look pretty.
It is also an easy way to impress guests as its shape makes it look like a lot more effort has gone into making the cake.
Ensure that you dust the pan well with flour before pouring in your batter to prevent sticking. If you are making a chocolate cake, dust with cocoa instead of flour.
LOAF PANS
These are a great way to divide one cake recipe into two cakes. This lets me share one loaf with my family and the other with my colleagues.
If you are dividing a cake recipe into two loaf pans, ensure that the batter is evenly distributed. To do this properly, buy two of the same pan.
Also remember that the cake will be ready earlier than indicated in the recipe because there is less batter in each pan.