Cake help, please!

OK. I'm going to make this cake for my bf for Valentine's Day.

It calls for an 8" (20cm) heart-shaped cake tin which, of course, I couldn't find in the shops yesterday. The tin I bought says it's 11.5"x10" (29cmx25cm). I can easily work out the math and increase the ingredients accordingly, but which measurement do I use? The 11.5" or the 10"? When the recipe says it's an 8" tin, which part are they measuring??

Also, any idea about baking time? I can always just keep an eye on it and guess when it's ready, but it would be nice to have a slight idea of how much longer it'll take to be done.

OK, masterbakers! Help me! 

How about making enough batter for the 11.5" just in case, and then if you have batter left over, you could make some cupcakes? 

I'd just time it for the 8" like whatever the recipe says and keep in eye on it, leaving it in longer if necessary.

How about making enough batter for the 11.5" just in case, and then if you have batter left over, you could make some cupcakes? 

I'd just time it for the 8" like whatever the recipe says and keep in eye on it, leaving it in longer if necessary.

Both of your suggestions are what I plan to do if I can't figure it out more definitively. Thanks! 

The heart shape of the tin makes it difficult to gauge, I think - your recipe says it could also be made in an 8 inch round tin.  Maybe if you work out roughly what volume of liquid that would be, then compare that to the volume of liquid the tin that you bought holds (up to the batter line)?

The heart shape of the tin makes it difficult to gauge, I think - your recipe says it could also be made in an 8 inch round tin.  Maybe if you work out roughly what volume of liquid that would be, then compare that to the volume of liquid the tin that you bought holds (up to the batter line)?

SNAP!

That's exactly what I've been doing. If a 20cm round tin is 400cm in area, then my 25x29cm tin is 725cm in area. Am I doing this correctly? So, mine is 81% larger (didn't realise it was so much bigger!), and I should adjust my ingredients accordingly? Is this right? I was always better at English than math!

SNAP!

That's exactly what I've been doing. If a 20cm round tin is 400cm in area, then my 25x29cm tin is 725cm in area. Am I doing this correctly? So, mine is 81% larger (didn't realise it was so much bigger!), and I should adjust my ingredients accordingly? Is this right? I was always better at English than math!

I was going at it that way as well, but I think the heart shape adds an extra twist to it all.  If you have an 8 inch round tin (I think I do), I'd take a measuring cup & measure the volume of liquid (just using water) it holds up to the batter line - that'd give you an idea of the amount of batter the recipe makes.  Then take your measuring cup & measure how much liquid the heart-shaped tin you have holds, up to the batter line.  I am hoping this makes sense!

I was going at it that way as well, but I think the heart shape adds an extra twist to it all.  If you have an 8 inch round tin (I think I do), I'd take a measuring cup & measure the volume of liquid (just using water) it holds up to the batter line - that'd give you an idea of the amount of batter the recipe makes.  Then take your measuring cup & measure how much liquid the heart-shaped tin you have holds, up to the batter line.  I am hoping this makes sense!

Yup, that does make sense. I'll do that. I'm thinking the 81% might be a bit high.

Let us know how it works out! 

Ooh! That cake looks lurvely!   

What a lucky man!

That does look nice!  I agree with the suggestions about going for a smaller pan and the using any leftovers for cupcakes or individual tarts in ramekins.  Best of luck!

That looks lush.

I never measure the tin.  I just make the mixture, pour it in, and if looks like it isn't enough I switch tins or make more mixture.  Not very scientific!

I always thought that a 20" tin referred to the circumference, and if I remember my terrible GCSE maths, I think that is the radius x pi.  So, it sounds to me as though you'll have a little bit more mix, so either don't use a cup or leave it a little longer, say 7 minutes.

Then again, I never pay attention to timings either, as each oven seems to be different.

Vicky

I always thought that a 20" tin referred to the circumference, and if I remember my terrible GCSE maths, I think that is the radius x pi.  So, it sounds to me as though you'll have a little bit more mix, so either don't use a cup or leave it a little longer, say 7 minutes.

No, the size on the tin refers to the width across the widest part. A 20" tin would be massive! I've never seen one that size! A 20cm tin, however, is perfectly normal.

I meant 20cm.  Doh!  Though I think I'd like a cake that was 20"!!!!!

 


Vicky

Though I think I'd like a cake that was 20"!!!!!

 

Well, it worked OK. I wound up using my 81% increase theory, and it was perfect. As for the cooking time, I just sort of kept checking on it. In the end, it took an extra 15 minutes or so.

The difficulty came when I had to slice it in half! It's such a huge cake that it was really tricky! My finished product doesn't really look like the photo, though (do they ever?) because I didn't decorate it with rose petals. Somehow, I think that would have been wasted on my bf. 

 

Chary! Well done! that cake looks ace!