Because darker pans promote browning, they are best used when crispness is an asset, such as with pizza and cornbread (have you tried these mouthwatering recipes?). When baking cakes and cookies, lighter pans are ideal.
Ovens cook with a combination of convection, conduction, and radiation. Dark pans are more efficient at adsorbing one of these (radiation), so they cook things slightly faster in areas where the food touches the pan.
Dark finish vs light finish Darker materials radiate more heat than lighter materials. So a pan with a dark, dull (matte) finish will radiate the most heat, while a pan with a shiny aluminum finish will radiate the least. Pans that radiate the most heat are the best at transferring heat to baked goods.
Here's the simple answer: yes, when baking cake in a dark pan, reduce your oven temperature 25 degrees. And to be on the safe side, start checking the cake about 10 minutes before the recipe says it should be done. A dark metal pan absorbs and distributes heat more quickly and thoroughly than lighter-colored pans.
Some of Dawn's favorite baking tips:
Bake your cakes at 325° not 350°. This will allow your cake to rise more. Don't grease the sides of your baking pan. Greasing the sides of the pan will not allow your cake to climb the edges of the pan and grow tall.
The type of metal that makes up your frying pan will determine its weight, heat retention, stovetop compatibility, and maximum heat capacity. If you're looking for a pan that will hold very high heat—useful for creating a high-quality sear on a steak—you'll want either cast iron, carbon steel, or stainless steel.
It is hard to tell how much you will need to adjust the time by as this will depend on the size difference but for a larger pan start checking 10-15 minutes prior to the stated time, and for a smaller pan add time in 5-minute increments until it is baked.
The material of the baking pan can also influence the outcome. Dark metal pans absorb more heat and can lead to faster browning, whereas glass pans might require a temperature reduction of 25°F. Always consider the pan material when adapting recipes.
Did you know that the colour of your baking sheet can massively affect the bake of your cookies?? Dark pans heat up faster, resulting in burnt bottoms and less spread. Light coloured pans heat more evenly, so you get a golden brown bottom and nicely spread cookies.
Also, most professionally developed recipes are designed using uncoated, light-colored metal pans, with the baking times and results optimized for this material. Of the metal pans, the ones made from heavy gauge metal—like my favorites by Nordic Ware, Williams Sonoma, and USA Pan—baked the most evenly.
Light baking pans such as silver or light gray are ideal to reflect the heat. Dark pans, on the other hand, absorb heat. These two features might not seem important but they actually make all the difference when it comes to baking. The difference in these shades is vital for when you choose your baking pan.
In baking a cake, eggs are primarily used for two purposes—emulsification and structure. Egg yolks contain proteins called emulsifiers that mix with both fats and liquids, so egg yolks play an important role in ensuring your batter is smooth and well-mixed.
The best cake pans are quick to heat and retain heat well. Aluminum, anodized aluminum, steel, and aluminum steel are all great choices for this, but keep color in mind. Darker cake pans tend to conduct more heat than lighter pans. That excess heat can change the color and texture of the cake because it bakes too fast.
Our safest materials for baking pans are...
Ceramic & Porcelain: Among the safest baking sheets are ceramic and porcelain.
It's typically recommended to use aluminum pans for baked goods as they conduct heat evenly and at a better rate. If you want your baked goods to maintain a pale colour, use a shiny aluminum pan as it reflects even more light. For better browning, opt for a dull pan.
Aluminum is good for cakes, bars, and pies—but also for breads: focaccia, sandwich loaves, and rolls. Because metal heats up faster than glass, it contributes to a better rise and crisper, browner edges.
Plus, irregularities in the heat source may make one corner hotter than the other. To avoid one section of your bake drying out or browning too much, you'll want to rotate your pan to make sure each side gets the same amount of love.
There are two rules of thumb when baking with darker pans. First, decrease the baking temperature by 25 degrees. Second, check for doneness 10 to 15 minutes before the recipe instructs you to do so. This will ensure that you don't overbake whatever's in the oven.
The area of a 8x8 pan on the other hand, is 64 square inches, or close to half that of a 9x13 pan. This means you can scale a recipe down from a 9x13 pan to an 8x8 pan by simply halving the recipe. Conversely, to go from a 8x8 pan to a 9x13 pan, you double the recipe.
Metals like stainless steel, cast iron, and certain grades of aluminum are your best bets for oven use. These materials are not only durable but also excellent at handling high temperatures without warping or deteriorating.
Dark-colored metals and matte metals absorb heat quicker, causing the food to cook faster. Light-colored metals and pans with a shiny finish retain less heat and bake food more evenly. Nonstick coatings on metal bakeware can also affect baking times and shouldn't be used in high heat cooking, like broiling.