This means it takes longer than metal to heat up, but it also holds heat longer than a metal pan. Because of this, brownies baked in a glass pan will need more time to bake. That slow heat-up and additional time can result in brownies with hard, overly-baked edges and a questionably “done” center.
Use a metal baking pan. Using a metal baking pan will have your easy brownies ready in about 35 to 40 minutes. If you use a glass baking pan, they will likely take 5 to 10 minutes longer to bake. Glass baking pans also conduct heat very differently to metal ones, and your brownies may sink in the center as a result.
Brownies should be baked in a metal pan. Compared to glass, metal transfers heat more readily and creates a more dynamic relationship between a crisp outer edge and dense inner center.
Yes! If the recipe you're following originally calls for a glass pan, just know you may need to shave 5 to 10 minutes off the baking time.
Glass or dark-colored pans can cause the edges to overbake or even burn. Always grease the pan thoroughly with shortening, softened butter, or cooking spray. (Do this even if the recipe doesn't specify.)
Best of all, your kitchen should smell heavenly when the cake is done baking. For the Classic Birthday Cake made in a 9” x 13” pan, bake it for 45 to 48 minutes at 325°F until it tests done.
If all you have is a glass pan, here's what to do: try dropping the temperature from 350°F to 325°F and increasing the time anywhere from 5 to 15 minutes, depending on the volume of batter.
Pies that require a longer bake time, such as double-crust pies, might be better suited for glass or ceramic pie plates that don't heat as fast. Still, in a pinch, metal can do the job.
As you can see in the photo, the slower transfer of heat to the batter means cakes baked in glass (or ceramic) will take longer to cook than those in metal (5 to 8 minutes longer, according to a test with yellow cake done by Cook's Illustrated).
The All-Clad Pro-Release Nonstick Bakeware Square Baking Pan is our top pick because it answers most brownie-baking problems before they happen and is great for all levels of bakers. If it's the brownie pan of a lifetime you're looking for, consider the Emile Henry Modern Classics 9-Inch Square Baking Dish.
If the brownies still look wet or aren't pulling away, they aren't done. Even fudgy brownies will pull from the edges once they've finished baking. You'll see that the edges look dry while the middle still looks soft or slightly wet. Chewy and cakey brownies will have dry edges with firmer-looking centers.
To test for doneness with a toothpick, insert a toothpick into the center of the brownies and pull it back out. For fudgy brownies, you'll want to see some moist crumbs attached to the toothpick when you pull it back out. If it looks like it's covered in brownie batter, the brownies will need to bake a bit longer.
Which is better for baking: glass or metal? For baked desserts like cakes, cookies, and brownies, metal is better. Most recipes are designed and developed for metal pans, and you'll be able to replicate the recipe in your home if you use a similar pan.
Glass bakeware is heavier and slower to heat than metal, but once it's hot, it retains that heat for much longer. So when using a glass pan to bake something like a cake or a batch of brownies, you may find that the sides and bottom will brown at a much faster rate than the interior cooks.
Our Favorite Pie Pan
Overall, the Pyrex Basics 9-Inch Pie Plate earned our top spot due to its even heat conduction, transparent design, and ease of releasing our crusts. It's also inexpensive, durable, and reliable.
Bakes more slowly than glass: Interestingly enough, however, metal pans bake things more slowly than glass pans do. Because of this, if a recipe calls for a glass pan and you decide to use a metal pan instead, be sure to add a few minutes to the baking time.
Because of this, brownies baked in a glass pan will need more time to bake. That slow heat-up and additional time can result in brownies with hard, overly-baked edges and a questionably “done” center. Glass can also be a bit heavy and cumbersome and unlike metal, can break when dropped.
👩🔬 Start using a metal pan and ditch the glass pans 💁♀️ If you've ever ended up with under-baked, gummy, or sunken brownies or banana bread, it may have been because you baked in a glass pan. Glass pans take much longer to conduct heat than metal pans. Not to mention glass is heavier and more fragile.
Pour into prepared pan and bake until toothpick inserted into center of cake comes out clean, 35 to 40 minutes, rotating pan halfway through baking time. If you love instant read thermometers like I do, the internal temperature of your cake should be around 205.
The origins of this cake are murky. Some sources say it may have first shown up in a Texas newspaper, which is why it's called "Texas" sheet cake, while others claim the name comes from the fact that it's the size of Texas. Regardless of its origins, this cake is truly a crowd-pleaser.
Cakes sink in the middle due to several factors, including overmixing of the batter, opening the oven door too soon, or not baking at the right temperature. Expired leavening agents or incorrect proportions of ingredients can also cause sinking.