The Color Of Your Cake Pan Really Does Matter If You Want A Perfect Bake

The color of a cake pan isn't something that crosses most minds when looking to bake a cake, but a darker pan will require a different temperature setting and may cause your cakes to appear burnt in spots. Dark metal pans distribute and absorb heat rapidly, making a cake that bakes quickly, which is a bad thing in the cake world — a fast-baking cake is also one that does not bake evenly. 

If you do not turn down the oven temperature, a darker pan may cause your cake to have chewy edges or burn. Another major problem with a dark pan is that the sides of your cake will bake quickly, but the middle will take longer, causing a dome to form in the middle of the cake. Baking a cake that does not cook evenly can be a frustrating process — especially if you've spent an hour putting a cake together and it won't bake! You can avoid this by choosing lighter-colored pans. How can you tell which pans are dark and which are light? It's not always as apparent as it seems.

Some pans are darker than others, but dark red and green shades may not react the same way to heat as a black pan would. If you want to be sure that all your cakes will bake evenly and not take a chance that any cake will burn, choose lighter pans that are in the light grey to silver color family.

Black pans will often bake the fastest, dark brown is a close second, and pans that are darker shades of colors will also bake quickly. A good rule of thumb is to choose pans that are not opaque in color — even though some darker pans are pretty, save them for display or keep a very close watch on your oven when baking a cake. If you already have darker pans and do not want to purchase new ones, there's an excellent way to ensure your cakes won't overcook.

When using a dark pan, take a cake out of the oven 10 to 15 minutes before the time written in a recipe. Check the cake using the toothpick method (insert a toothpick and see if any crumbs stick to it) and see if it is finished baking. Most of the time, a cake baked in a dark pan will be finished baking before those baked in a lighter pan.

The other foolproof method for baking with a dark pan is to turn your oven temperature down a few degrees. A cake will bake more evenly at a lower temperature, reducing the risk of burning, tough edges, or a domed center. If your cake does come out of the oven uneven, you can trim the top off the cake with a serrated knife once it cools to create a flat top, but it's much simpler to decorate a cake that has a flat top, to begin with. Next time you have to buy a cake pan, look for one that is lighter in colour to simplify baking an even cake.