12 Types Of Baking Pans Every Southern Baker Should Own

When you're just starting out in the world of baking, it's important to set yourself up for success. Our first piece of advice: Read the recipe from start to finish. Our second piece of advice: Invest in some quality bakeware.

Specialty pans can be fun and tempting, but home bakers can tackle most recipes with only a few types of basic baking pans. Simple and plain are best. Spend wisely and invest in sturdy, well-made pieces that can last for years. On the other end of the continuum, flimsy disposable pans rarely work properly and can cost nearly as much as a real pan.

Plus, it's now easier than ever to find reliable bakeware online and in kitchenware shops, although restaurant and bakery supply stores and some warehouse-style chains offer professional-quality pieces at bargain prices.

While we may love and cherish the bakeware passed down to us from Grandma, it's key to think practically about your baking materials and how they will impact the resulting baked goods. Something as simple as using a glass dish versus an aluminum pan can completely change the outcome of your cake. Lost in the technicalities? Not to worry—we've done all the necessary research for you. We're covering everything from the material to the shape of your baking pans, helping you set yourself up for success in the kitchen. Here are our picks for the go-to pans every home baker should have.

Baking Pan Materials

When baking, material matters. We're breaking down some of the most common materials used in baking to help you make the smart choice for your project.

Aluminum

When it comes to baking pans, aluminum is the all-around winner. These pans have become a standard baking choice for their lightweight nature and ability to distribute heat evenly. Aluminum pans are not non-stick, though, so be sure to grease them well.

Non-Stick

Another staple choice in our baking supply kit is a non-stick pan, which makes baking a breeze. The non-stick properties make it easy to remove your baked goods from the tin; the downside is that these pans require extra love and care to maintain their non-stick coating (don't use metal utensils, which will scratch the surface). There are certain cases when you will not want to use a non-stick pan, such as when baking an angel food cake, where the delicate cake needs to cling to and climb up the sides of the pan.

Glass

While many old-school baking pans were made from glass, this is actually not the best choice when it comes to evenly conducting heat. We recommend sticking to aluminum or non-stick pans when you're looking for an even, consistent bake.

Silicone

Mostly reserved for novelty items, silicone baking pans are not ideal for conducting heat. These pans can be fun, but are best used in no-bake applications, like making fudge or ice cream.

Types of Baking Pans

9-by-13-inch Baking Pan

This baking staple is great for brownies, sheet cakes, and more. For even browning, we recommend purchasing one that's metal, but one that is light colored, as dark-coated metal pans can easily lead to excessive browning. And if you are curious, a  13- x 9-inch pan and a 9-by-13-inch, are in fact the same thing.

Use this classic large format pan to make these delectable recipes:

• Chocolate Mayonnaise Sheet Cake
• Plum-Berry Cornmeal Sheet Cake
• Peanut Butter Cake

Tube Pan with Removable Bottom 

Also known as an angel food cake pan, it's not to be confused with its similar looking cousin, the Bundt pan (more on it below). Tube pans are ideal for light and airy cakes, like angel food, but also chiffon cakes because the straight sides help these fluffy cakes rise nicely. They also come with removable bottoms and 'feet' for helping cool these cakes properly without collapsing. That often means propping the pan on these feet upside-down while the cake cools. Our go-to size is a 10-inch pan.

Put your tube pan to good use with these recipes:

• Orange Chiffon Cake
• Angel Food Cake
• Million Dollar Pound Cake

12-Cup Classic Bundt Pan

A classic Bundt cake is a timeless dessert. The one catch is that these pans must be well greased to ensure a flawless release. We love Baker's Joy for this, but warn against using plain cooking spray, which can damage the non-stick lining on these pans and only increase the likelihood of sticking.

The other secret to a clean release is removing the cake while still warm, 10 to 20 minutes after it comes out of the oven. It's important to note that a standard Bundt pan, like the one pictured, is a 12-cup model, while many of the specialized Bundt shapes are smaller, and can only hold 10 cups of batter.

Use this pan to test out one of these tried-and-true Bundt recipes:

• Pistachio Bundt Cake
• Classic Southern Pound Cake
• Banana Bundt Cake

Rimmed Baking Sheets

A 18-by-13 inch pan (often called a half-sheet pan) is one of the most useful and versatile pieces of baking equipment, and most cooks want at least three. Some people refer to baking sheets as cookie sheets, but an actual cookie sheet is rimless and not as versatile, although serious cookie bakers might want one of those too.

Use this pan to recreate any of these sweet desserts:

• Pumpkin Slab Pie With Cinnamon-Maple Whipped Cream
• Toomer's Lemonade Sheet Cake
• Strawberry-And-Basil Pavlova

Round Cake Pans

It's nice to have three 8-inch pans and three 9-inch pans in your arsenal (although you can easily get away with just one of the two sizes). Try to select pans that are 2 inches deep to avoid spill-overs. We like light-colored aluminum pans over other round pans on the market. If you can, avoid dark-colored ones, which tend to over bake the outside edges of the cake.

Try baking up one, two, or three round layers using these recipes:

• One-Bowl Chocolate Cake
• Classic Red Velvet Cake With Cream Cheese Frosting
• Bourbon-Chocolate Cake with Browned Buttercream Frosting

Square Pans

An 8x8-inch pan is a jack all of trades, not only can it bake a lovely snacking cake, but also brownies, cookie bars, and or even fudge. Most of our recipes call for an 8-inch pan, but you will also see these pans sold in 9-inch versions. We prefer metal in most cases, as glass or ceramic pans conduct heat very differently, but most baking recipes will specify the preferred material in the instructions.

Here are three easy treats made in a square pan:

• Caramel Brownies
• Strawberry-Rosé Snack Cake
• Peanut Butter Molten Chocolate Cake

Loaf Pans

Loaf pans are good for so much more than just banana bread. We love them for buttery pull-apart loaves or even making no-churn ice cream. These pans come in two sizes, 9x 5-inch or 8 1/2 x 4 1/2-inch. The difference in size may seem slight, but will yield different rises on loaves. We tend to prefer straight-sided 8 1/2 x 4 1/2-inch pans, but most recipes will specify the loaf pan size in the instructions.

Try one of these tasty recipes baked up in a loaf pan:

• Lemon Loaf Cake
• Chocolate Zucchini Bread
• Pull-Apart Butter Roll Loaves

Tart Pan with Removable Bottom

Tarts are like pie's fancier cousin, and as such requires its own specific pan. The removable bottom on a tart pan is key for easily releasing the delicate pastry shell. The fluted edges are another signature part of the pan's design. We recommend having a 9-inch pan on hand, although these do come in 10 and 11-inch sizes, as well as mini.

Up your baking game with one of these tarts:

• Black-and-Blue Buttermilk Tart
• Apple Rose Tart
• Caramel Pecan Tart

Springform Pan

A must-have for cheesecakes, this deep, round baking pan with a removable bottom creates tall, straight sides on a wide variety of baked goods. The hallmark of this pan is the latch on the side which when unlocked, releases the bottom so you can easily unmold a dessert.

The key with this pan is finding one with a tight seal, which prevents things like the water bath for your cheesecake from seeping in. (Or batter leaking out.) Overtime, with regular use the seal can weaken, which is something to keep in mind.

You can use this pan to build multi-layered ice cream cakes, a flourless chocolate cake, or any of these lovely recipes:

• Lemon Meringue Cheesecake
• Plum Torte
• Georgia Pecan Mist Cake

Pie Pan

Whether glass or metal, you need a good pie plate in your collection, even if you only break it out once or twice a year for pie. (Pie plates happen to make excellent vessels for breading things like chicken, too!). Our standard is a 9-inch pie plate, but we like to also have a deep-dish variation on hand for recipes that require it.

Some bakers prefer glass pie pans, because the clear bottom can be helpful for ensuring the crust is baked to perfection, while others like metal, because they find it produces a flakier and better browned crust.

Grab your favorite pie plate and make one of these lovely recipes:

• Pumpkin Chiffon Pie
• Texas Trash Pie
• Old-Fashioned Apple Pie
  

Muffin Pan

Whether you are planning to make cupcakes, muffins, or even individual icebox treats, you'll need a muffin pan. Either a 12-well or 2, 6-well versions will do. The cup size can range quite a bit on these pans, but something around 100 milliliters in capacity is ideal.

We like non-stick versions that make for easy cleanup and a clean release if not using liners. Although popular, we don't recommend silicone muffin pans because they don't brown baked goods as well as metal ones do.

Bake up a dozen (or more!) tasty treats with these recipes:

• Banana Muffins
• Apple Muffins
• Hummingbird Cupcakes

Wire Cooling Rack

This isn't a pan, of course, but almost all baked goods should cool on a wire rack that lets air circulate around them. Look for racks with heavy or sturdy wire that is less likely to get bent out of shape with regular use.

These aren't recipes for a wire rack per se, but you'll want to cool them off on one for sure:

• Peanut Butter Kiss Cookies
• Brown Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies
• Peanut Butter Oatmeal Cookies