Most cakes bake at 350°F. A 9-inch round pan holding 5 cups of batter needs 40 to 45 minutes. The same 9-inch pan holding half of a two-layer recipe needs closer to 25 to 30. Bake time follows how deep the batter sits, not how wide the pan is, which is why two recipes can give the same pan very different numbers. Every chart below lists the batter amount alongside the time, so you can match your pan to what you actually poured into it.
Quick Answer: The Six Most-Asked Pans
| Pan | Batter | Temp | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6-inch round, 2-inch sides | 2¼ cups | 350°F | 35–40 min |
| 8-inch round, 2-inch sides | 4 cups | 350°F | 37–42 min |
| 9-inch round, 2-inch sides | 5 cups | 350°F | 40–45 min |
| 9×13-inch sheet | 10 cups | 350°F | 40–45 min |
| Standard cupcakes | ⅔ full | 350°F | 19–22 min |
| Mini cupcakes | ⅔ full | 350°F | 11–13 min |
Why the Same Pan Can Need Two Different Times
This is where most charts go wrong, and it is worth two minutes before you set a timer. An 8-inch round pan with 2-inch sides takes 4 cups of batter and bakes in 37 to 42 minutes. An 8-inch round pan with 3-inch sides takes 5 cups and bakes in 55 to 60. Same diameter. Eighteen minutes apart.
Heat travels in from the sides and down from the top, so what matters is the distance to the middle of the batter. Deep batter means a longer trip. That also explains the gap between a chart like the one below, which assumes one full layer per pan, and a two-layer recipe that splits the same batter between two pans: each of those layers is half as deep, so each bakes in roughly two-thirds of the time.
Read the chart by batter amount first, then by pan. If your recipe gives you noticeably less batter than the chart lists, start checking early.
Round Cake Pans (2-Inch Sides)
Fill these half to two-thirds full. The batter column is for one layer.
| Size | Batter, 1 layer | Temp | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4 inch | ¾ cup | 350°F | 22–26 min |
| 6 inch | 2¼ cups | 350°F | 35–40 min |
| 8 inch | 4 cups | 350°F | 37–42 min |
| 9 inch | 5 cups | 350°F | 40–45 min |
| 10 inch | 6 cups | 350°F | 40–45 min |
| 12 inch | 8 cups | 350°F | 40–45 min |
| 14 inch | 11½ cups | 325°F | 50–55 min |
| 16 inch | 16 cups | 325°F | 55–60 min |
A 6-inch pan is the one people ask about most, usually for a small layer cake. My lunchbox cake is built around that size.
Square and Sheet Pans, Including 9×13
| Pan | Batter, 1 layer | Temp | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6-inch square | 3 cups | 350°F | 40–45 min |
| 8-inch square | 6 cups | 350°F | 45–50 min |
| 10-inch square | 9 cups | 350°F | 50–55 min |
| 12-inch square | 11½ cups | 325°F | 55–60 min |
| 7×11-inch sheet | 5½ cups | 350°F | 45–50 min |
| 9×13-inch sheet | 10 cups | 350°F | 40–45 min |
| 11×15-inch sheet | 11½ cups | 325°F | 50–55 min |
| 12×18-inch sheet | 16 cups | 325°F | 55–60 min |
The 9×13 is quicker than the 8-inch square despite holding more batter, because the batter spreads thin across a wide base. A strawberry earthquake cake and my kefir sheet cake both live in that pan.
Tall Pans With 3-Inch Sides
Fill these half full, no higher. These are the numbers that surprise people.
| Size | Batter, 1 layer | Temp | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6-inch round | 3 cups | 350°F | 40–45 min |
| 8-inch round | 5 cups | 350°F | 55–60 min |
| 10-inch round | 8 cups | 350°F | 55–60 min |
| 12-inch round | 10 cups | 350°F | 70–75 min |
| 14-inch round | 15 cups | 325°F | 60–65 min |
A taller pan also shields the top, so the surface browns less than you expect. Judge these by a tester and a thermometer rather than by color.
Cupcakes and Mini Cupcakes
Standard cupcakes take 19 to 22 minutes at 350°F. Mini cupcakes take 11 to 13 minutes at the same temperature. Fill the liners about two-thirds and rotate the pan once if your oven runs hot at the back.
Mini cupcakes go from set to dry in about ninety seconds, so check them at eleven minutes rather than trusting the clock. My lemon blueberry cupcakes and flag cupcakes both work in either size.
350°F or 325°F: When to Drop the Temperature
350°F is the default for almost every home cake pan. The switch to 325°F happens once the cake gets big: 14-inch rounds, 12-inch squares, 11×15 sheets and larger. Past that size, 350°F sets the edges and the top long before the middle catches up, and you get a dome with a raw center.
Dropping to 325°F for a normal-sized cake is a reasonable move if your cakes come out domed and cracked, but add 10 to 15 minutes and check with a thermometer rather than the clock.
Bake Times by Cake Type
Pound Cake
A pound cake in a 10-inch tube pan is a two-stage bake: start at 350°F for the first 15 minutes, then drop to 325°F for another 40 to 45. That early blast gives the batter its lift; the lower heat gets the dense middle through without drying the crust. Total time lands around 55 to 60 minutes.
Dump Cake
13×9-inch pan, 350°F, 45 to 50 minutes. Done looks different here: the top should be light golden and mostly dry, with the fruit bubbling around the edges. A few damp spots in the topping are normal and not a sign of an underbaked cake. Let it sit 30 minutes before serving so the fruit layer sets.
Cookie Cake
9-inch round pan, 350°F, 18 to 25 minutes. The range is wide because it decides the texture: pull it at 18 to 20 minutes and the center stays soft and chewy, go to 25 and it firms up throughout. Take it out when the edges have just turned golden and the surface looks dry, then cool it completely in the pan. Lifting a warm cookie cake out is how it breaks.
Bundt Cake
Bundt pans vary too much in volume for one number to be useful, so go by your recipe and by capacity. A 10-cup bundt pan holds about 6 cups of batter in practice, which is what a standard cake recipe makes; fill it to about 1¼ inches below the rim. If your pan is larger than the recipe assumed, start checking 15 minutes before the stated minimum. Loosen the edges as soon as it comes out, invert onto a rack, then wait 10 minutes before lifting the pan away.
My king cake uses a ring shape and behaves the same way.
Loaf Cake
Loaf pans are narrow and deep, which is the slowest shape of all. A butter-based loaf recipe moved into a smaller loaf pan is worth scaling down by at least 20 percent, because the extra time it needs to reach the middle is what dries out the ends. My apple loaf cake and Meyer lemon loaf are both sized for a standard 9×5.
How to Tell a Cake Is Actually Done
Time gets you close; these tell you for certain. Use two of them together rather than relying on any single one.
- Internal temperature, 200–210°F. Classic butter, pound, chocolate and vanilla cakes come in around 210°F, according to King Arthur Baking. This is the most reliable single reading, though it is not infallible on very moist batters.
- The sides pull away. A gap of one-eighth to one-quarter inch between cake and pan is normal and a good sign.
- It springs back. Press the center gently. If your finger leaves a dent, give it at least 5 more minutes and check again.
- Use a paring knife, not a toothpick. A toothpick has too little surface to show wet crumb clearly. A knife blade comes out either clean or obviously gummy.
- Color and smell. Top and edges go golden; a chocolate cake turns matte rather than shiny. A buttery, sugary smell filling the kitchen means you are close.
Your Pan and Your Oven Change the Numbers
| What you are using | What it does | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| Dark metal pan | Browns the most, sometimes too much at the edges | Check at the low end of the range |
| Glass or ceramic | Heats more slowly, browns less | Expect the high end, judge by tester not color |
| Light or shiny metal | The baseline these charts assume | Use the range as written |
| 3-inch or springform sides | Shields the top, so it browns less | Use a thermometer |
| Convection | Moves hot air, so it bakes faster | Drop 25°F, start checking 10 min early |
Changing to a Different Pan Size
- Into a smaller pan: expect 10 to 15 minutes longer than the recipe says, and watch it closely.
- Into a larger pan: the batter spreads thinner, so start checking 10 to 15 minutes before the stated time.
- Fill half to two-thirds for creamed-butter and one-bowl oil cakes. In a smaller pan, never past two-thirds.
- Bake the leftover batter separately. If the pan looks overfilled, scoop the extra into ramekins or a muffin tin rather than pushing your luck.
- Do not swap pans for chiffon, angel food or sponge cakes. They need the height of their own pan to climb.
When the Time Was Right and the Cake Was Not
| What happened | Usual cause | Next time |
|---|---|---|
| Sunken center | Pulled too early, or the oven door opened before it set | Wait for 200–210°F; leave the door shut for the first two-thirds |
| Dark edges, raw middle | Batter too deep for the temperature | Drop to 325°F and add 10–15 min |
| High dome with a crack | Oven too hot for the pan size | 325°F, and check your oven against a separate thermometer |
| Gummy streak near the base | Underbaked, or batter sat before going in | Bake to temperature; get batter into the oven promptly |
| Overflowed the pan | Filled past two-thirds | Half to two-thirds, bake the rest as cupcakes |
| Dry all through | Too long, or a pan smaller than the recipe assumed | Scale a butter-based recipe down 20% for a smaller pan |
Metric Equivalents
| Pan | Metric | Temp | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6-inch round | 15 cm | 175°C | 35–40 min |
| 8-inch round | 20 cm | 175°C | 37–42 min |
| 9-inch round | 23 cm | 175°C | 40–45 min |
| 9×13-inch sheet | 23×33 cm | 175°C | 40–45 min |
| Large cakes | 35 cm and up | 165°C | 50–60 min |
A Note on Cheesecake
Cheesecake does not belong on this chart. It is a custard, baked low and slow, often in a water bath, and judged by a set edge with a wobbling center rather than by a clean tester. If that is what you came for, start with my Basque cheesecake in a loaf pan or the Japanese yogurt cheesecake, which carry their own times.
How long does it take to bake a cake at 350?
At 350°F, a 9-inch round layer with 5 cups of batter takes 40 to 45 minutes, an 8-inch round takes 37 to 42, a 6-inch takes 35 to 40, and a 9×13 sheet takes 40 to 45. Cut those times by roughly a third if you are splitting one recipe between two pans, because each layer is then half as deep.
How long do you bake a cake in a 9×13 pan?
A 9×13 pan holding 10 cups of batter bakes at 350°F for 40 to 45 minutes. It is faster than an 8-inch square despite holding more batter, because the batter spreads thin across a wide base.
How long to bake a 6 inch cake at 350?
A 6-inch round pan with 2-inch sides holds about 2 1/4 cups of batter and bakes in 35 to 40 minutes at 350°F. If your pan has 3-inch sides and you fill it with 3 cups, give it 40 to 45 minutes instead.
How long do mini cupcakes take to bake?
Mini cupcakes bake in 11 to 13 minutes at 350°F, against 19 to 22 minutes for standard cupcakes. They dry out quickly once set, so check the first tray at 11 minutes.
Can I bake a cake at a lower temperature for longer?
Yes, and it helps if your cakes come out domed or cracked. Drop from 350°F to 325°F and add 10 to 15 minutes, then judge it by internal temperature rather than by the clock. Large cakes are baked at 325°F for exactly this reason.
What internal temperature should a cake reach?
Between 200 and 210°F. Classic butter, pound, chocolate and vanilla cakes land close to 210°F. Pair the reading with a second check, such as the sides pulling away from the pan by an eighth to a quarter inch.
Put It to Use
Find your pan in the chart, check the batter amount against what your recipe makes, set your timer for the low end of the range, and keep a thermometer nearby. Ready to bake something with it? Start with a hummingbird cake in 9-inch rounds, a Neiman Marcus cake in the 9×13, or browse the birthday cake collection.