what sort of cake tins should I get?

aliby21

Hello all,

not sure if this is the right part of the forum to post this in. Also, apologies in advance if it has been asked before - I have had a quick search but couldn't see quite what I am after.

Anyway, I have a sudden urge to bake cakes (my version of a mid life crisis I think), but a lack of equipment. I have been looking at tins (cake tins, sandwich tins, loaf tins mostly), possibly to buy myself or possibly for my Christmas list. There seem to be lots of different sorts, so I wondered if anyone has recommendations or personal favourites of the type of thing to get. I am a complete novice at baking, so have no idea!

Is non- stick a must? or I have also seen things advertised as 'anodised'? or this silicon bakeware, which I have to admit I don't like the idea of, but is it the bee's knees? Should I be looking at tins that are weighty, is that a good sign? what about loose bottoms or spring form?

I'd like to get stuff that is good quality and going to last, rather than cheap and cheerful (I'm expecting the mid life crisis to not be short lived!!)

VfM4meplse

I completely agree that if you go for good quality bakeware and look after it, it will serve you well for years. Generally, I would avoid lightweight bakeware (however don't be tempted to use vitreous enamel, what works for roasting doesn't cut it for baking!). I have plenty of silicone bakeware but very rarely use it, as I much prefer the results a good tin and liner give me. Silicone is great elsewhere in the kitchen, though.

Also don't be fooled into thinking the shop you buy in guarantees quality. I've seen some really cheap bakeware sold in Lakeland, and bought some excellent quality stuff from Robert Dyas and, believe it or not, Lidl! (I love my large bundt tin so much I bought a couple of smaller ones just this weekend )

sweaty_betty

I recently bought some silicone cake tins and absolutely love them! I do grease them before putting in the mixture (as I would with any tin) but they definitely come out more easily. I bought my silicone tins from Home Bargains for very little money, so if you have one near you it's worth buying to try out.

LondonDreamer

I have (and had) a lot of various cake tins. I never purchase non-stick tins, since the darker colour will usually brown the sides/bottom faster than I would like. You shouldn't have many sticking problems with standard tins provided the tin is greased and/or lined well. I also don't like silicone bakeware. It makes fab utensils, but just prefer the good old metal tins.

If you have a TK Maxx or Homesense store near you, they have really good quality tins for bargain prices. I'd also second Aldi/Lidl for affordable but good quality cook and bakeware. Weight is a pretty good indicator of quality, although my sandwich tins are light as anything but still really good.

As for shapes and sizes, the ones I always come back to are...

A pair of 8" sandwich tins. A good size, a lot of recipes (particularly British) will be proportioned to match this. Probably the first tins I'd recommend getting, even though I prefer to use others, simply because they'll probably suit the recipes you'll start off making.

2lb loaf tin. Good for loaf cakes (e.g. lemon drizzle) but also other baking such as bread should you fancy. I like cooking loaf cakes, since the slices are easier to pack (either in a lunch, or even in the freezer) than wedges from a round cake.

One 8" deep tin. Same reason as the sandwich tins, but for making the cake in one piece instead of layers. This one probably gets used the least out of my collection though.

1 or 2 6" deep tins. These are optional, but I love them because an 8" recipe will halve to fit a 6" tin perfectly. So for when I only want a small cake (or two - small cakes make nice gifts, IME) these are perfect.

A bundt pan. Again, an optional purchase. But as it's a shaped tin, it is brilliant for making a plain cake look very fancy. I love the Nordicware ones but they're pretty expensive. Definitely an investment, but they have some amazing shapes!

I also recommend a muffin tray. Used for muffins (obviously) or large American style cupcakes. This gets very little use in my home because I'm not a cupcake fan. But I know I'm in the minority, so I'm listing it!

aliby21

thank you everyone, some great tips there. I'd never have thought of TKMaxx but will go and have a look, and will also check out Aldi. I'd have just gone to Lakeland or John Lewis, so useful to know that you don't necessarily get better stuff there. I'll see if I can find a cheapish silicone tin to try out too.

LondonDreamer, your list of tins to get is really useful. I definitely want a loaf tin as I've got the recipe for a cake we made in domestic science at school using one that I want to try. and I have a hankering for making muffins too, looking at the Delia recipe, so will add a muffin tin to my list.

oooh this is exciting. Just going to have to find people willing to test out my attempts, which no doubt will not be great the first few times!

bargainbetty

I would suggest looking at a springform tin as well, because that can make life a bit easier (you can't really do a good cheesecake without one).

Then again, I've just purchased a Darth Vader cake tin, so you may not want to trust me too much.... :-)

Any

Thank you ever so much for the question OP, I also wanted info like that.
LondonDreamer that is exactly what I wanted to know!
I think I want one of those 6" cake tins.. Do you always buy one with a detachable bottom? I have one large one with detachable bottom, but the bottom is like double hollow material and my quiches never set in the middle in it...

What do you use for quiches please? I make pastry less quiches as I odn't like pastry and they are made with self raising flour... worried it would run out of sandwich tin?

I am going to bake banana bread this weekend. I have a loaf tin.
Would you line it with baking paper? All 4 sides? (arrange it somehow so it does cover all 4 sides?). Or just make to cover the long walls and butter up the short ends?

Thank you

ALIBOBSY

Any wrote: »

Thank you ever so much for the question OP, I also wanted info like that.
LondonDreamer that is exactly what I wanted to know!
I think I want one of those 6" cake tins.. Do you always buy one with a detachable bottom? I have one large one with detachable bottom, but the bottom is like double hollow material and my quiches never set in the middle in it...

What do you use for quiches please? I make pastry less quiches as I odn't like pastry and they are made with self raising flour... worried it would run out of sandwich tin?

I am going to bake banana bread this weekend. I have a loaf tin.
Would you line it with baking paper? All 4 sides? (arrange it somehow so it does cover all 4 sides?). Or just make to cover the long walls and butter up the short ends?

Thank you

Re the Banana bread and other loaf cakes I cheat-I buy "loaf liners" think those paper cake cases for cupcakes but big enough and shaped to fit loaf tins.

Other wise I would go with lining at least the bottom of the tin and perhaps along one set of sides as you said and butter the other sides. TBH I would probably just line the bottom and grease the rest.

I am sad that I have all those LD and some more-but no bundt tins and you make me want one . May have to nip up to lidl lol.

Ali x

ALIBOBSY

ALIBOBSY wrote: »

Re the Banana bread and other loaf cakes I cheat-I buy "loaf liners" think those paper cake cases for cupcakes but big enough and shaped to fit loaf tins.

Other wise I would go with lining at least the bottom of the tin and perhaps along one set of sides as you said and butter the other sides. TBH I would probably just line the bottom and grease the rest.

I am sad that I have all those LD and some more-but no bundt tins and you make me want one . May have to nip up to lidl lol.

Ali x

Or is it Aldi who have them on the website now.

VfM4meplse

ALIBOBSY wrote: »

May have to nip up to lidl lol.

My big one was £4.99 some time ago, the smaller ones (bought Sat) seemed a bit heavier and were £2.99 each. HTH.

LondonDreamer

I didn't list all my tins, just the "starter set" if you like.

If you want to do pastry work (quiche, pies, etc) definitely get a tart pan with a loose bottom base. I have a 9" fluted tin, although an 8" would be fine too. I just prefer a shallow tart. That looks so wrong. :rotfl:

I actually don't have a springform at the moment, as I don't have need for one. But as another poster said, they're a must if you want to do cheesecakes (we're a dairy free house, so these are out) and other softer cakes that are difficult to remove from regular pans.

Oh, and I forgot a traybake tin! Good for everyday cake and "square" recipes such as brownies. Around 9x12" (roughly an A4 sheet) in size is good. I also always make bakewell tart in this for some reason, prefer cutting it into squares.

Apart from the tart pan, none of my pans have a removable base. My DH's favourite cake has a really liquid batter so needs a solid tin to go into. As with non-stick, I don't find the base is all that helpful/necessary to turn cakes out. Good prepping of the tin is far more important.