I baked a cake in a Bundt pan for a dinner party. For lack of that particular tube pan, I could have divvied up the recipe's same batter into two 8- or 9-inch round cake pans. If dessert were required for a potluck dinner, that same amount of cake batter would work in a 9-by-13-inch rectangular pan. And, if grandkids were involved, no contest, the baking pan of choice would be a cupcake tin. Those baking options can be quickly reviewed when you know the volume of your pans.
Do you have, say, 32 different size baking pans in your kitchen and considerable room to store them? Me, neither. But because I refer to a chart of pan-size volumes, I can bake just about any batter in any pan.
Here's how. An acceptable alternative to any pan has an identical volume and falls within half an inch of the original depth. To find the volume of a given pan, fill it with water, then pour the water into a measuring cup as many times as needed. The baking time might have to decreased for shallower pans or extended for deeper ones.
A person just starting to equip a first kitchen might be smart to buy an 8-inch square pan, a pie plate and a baking sheet.
As weeks go by, add a new size pan every time you want to make a dessert. A 9-by-13-by-2-inch rectangle pan is a good utility player. Later, maybe add two round cake pans. Sooner or later, a loaf pan will be essential. If you build your kitchen one pan at a time, you won't be overwhelmed with either expense or storage.
