# Cups of batter in full sheet pan?



## lentil

Hi everyone.  Just a quick question:  how many cups on average would you use to make a full sized sheet pan cake?  I have the side extender.  We'd like it to be about 2 inches thick. 

Thanks for your help.


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## kyheirloomer

Don't know the answer, Lentil. But for a quick determination, why not fill the pan with water, and measure that? Should be a pretty close match, I would think.


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## chefross

From my experiences I found that a plain white cake batter is 12 cups while a more dense batter....

say for a chocolate batter is around 14 + cups. I found this out when I worked in a bakery.

I always dipped my gallon measurer right into the mixer and that's how I found out how many cups will go into a regular and a half sheet pan.


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## lentil

Thanks, but that's not quite what I meant. 

We use at least 16 cups in a 12x18 cake pan for a 2 inch high cake, so logically, I would think doubling that for a full sheet pan with side extenders would be the answer, but wanted to be sure.


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## lentil

KYHeirloomer said:


> Don't know the answer, Lentil. But for a quick determination, why not fill the pan with water, and measure that? Should be a pretty close match, I would think.


Sounds like it would be the answer, but the water would run right out from under the extender.

I was wondering if just doubling the amount from the 12x18 would work or if there's some mysterious cake rule that I don't know about. I mean *another* cake rule I don't know.....


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## chefross

lentil said:


> Thanks, but that's not quite what I meant.
> 
> We use at least 16 cups in a 12x18 cake pan for a 2 inch high cake, so logically, I would think doubling that for a full sheet pan with side extenders would be the answer, but wanted to be sure.


Okay Lentil.....but a full size sheet pan is 18 X 26 X 1 1/2....so the extra 8 inches long by 1/2 inch more high would not take double the batter that way.


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## kyheirloomer

I'm not a mathematician, but seem to recall that volume increased geometrically. So doubling the size of a container increases the volume something like four time.

Be that as it may, the formular for volume is simple. Applying it to the above numbers the volume of a half-sheet is 216 cubic inches; that of a full sheet 324---making it 1/3 larger by volume.

Thus, if you're using 16 cups in the half sheet, another five+ cups will likely fill the pan.


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## lentil

I'll try it.  Thanks.


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## petemccracken

Lentil,

Hesitating to disagree with KYH, doubling the area, i.e. going from 1/2 sheet (12x18) to full sheet (24x18) for the same depth, 2", is double the volume. Now, if we're talking circular pans, doubling the diameter will quadruple the volume for a given depth, in other word, a 16" diameter cake pan will hold four times the batter that an 8" cake pan would.

For rectangular pans:

V = LxWxD so for 1/2 sheet pan: L=18, W=12, and D = 2  V=18x12x2= 432 cubic inches

for a full sheet: L=24, W=18, and D=2 V=24x18x2 = 864 cubic inches.

Now, there are 14.6456 cubic inches in 1 cup so, if you use 16 cups for a half sheet, that's 234+ cubic inches, the batter is 1" deep

Remember, dimensions for sheet-pans are nominal, so they may vary slightly, also, when using extenders, the bottom measurements control, the top measurements will be greater because of the slanted sides.

Oh, one more point, in my experience, and I just went and looked, quarter, half, and full sheets are all the same depth. Mine happen to be 1" deep.

For circular pans

V = 3.14159xRxRxD where R = radius = 1/2 diameter and D=depth (it is pi R squared times depth, can't figure out exponents!)


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## queen 7

I did it once if remember right it will be 40 cups


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## flipflopgirl

Let me put this thread to rest with the correct answer for future search queries....

The extender is really moot to the equation as it is just there to convert a low sided sheet pan into a sheet CAKE pan.

The OP wants a 2 in full sheet so..... 16 cups.

Here is the standard chart (across the industry) for the most popular pans.



__ https://www.pinterest.com/pin/455074737318671369/

mimi


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## cheflayne

Trying to think of a way to put this diplomatically, but I would question the chart a bit on their full size dimensions. They list a 1/2 sheet as 12x18 which I can hang with, so for a full size it should have the same measure of 18 but double the 12 to be 24, so it should be 24x18. They list a full as 14x22. Once again, not trying to be a know it all or wise guy.


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## flipflopgirl

oops.


Caught with batter on my face.


This is what happens when you trust someone elses chart and just GLANCE instead of read.


I use Magic Line pans and my full sheet measures 16x24


Went and dug out my notebook and depending on what kind of cake batter I was using 22-26 cups of batter for a 2 inch (approx.) end product.


Still want to find a pretty (re free of stains) AND accurate chart for this thread.


Will google and see what I can find.



mimi


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## michaelga

For home cooks I posted this chart a while back.
[thread="73319"]9x12 Baking Pans [/thread]
I've got one for kitchen sized pans around here also.

Will have to find it and put it online.


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## flipflopgirl

I give up.


The inaccurate Pinterest chart I posted was straight from the Wilton site.


Checked every site using "cake pan batter and sheet cake batter" charts and none had a real sheet pan over the 14X22 size.


About half didn't even have sheet pans listed.


Thanks Mike...imma keep on looking but about to throw in the towel.
Along with the lack of data are many many posts by self styled "cake artisans" and "sugar artists" that have an attitude that sheets are somehow beneath them.
Kinda glad I got out when I did.

mimi


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## michaelga

Well I only found some scribblings on the back of a page of conversions.

Full Sheet 26x18 = 30 cups

Half Sheet 13x18 = 15 cups

Quarter Sheet 13x9 = 7.5 cups

all nominal 1" height filled to 4/5 or so... almost full.

The exact measurements filled to the brim, on straight side pans are:

full 468 cubic inches or 32.4 cups

half 234 cubic inches or 16.2 cups

quarter 117 cubic inches or 8.1 cups

Slab Cake pans 2" high are slightly different as they have sloping walls and are a bit off the standard sizes.

Full Pans are 17" x 25" at the bottom and slope outward to larger at the top - hold 30 cups.

2/3 Pans are 14 3/4" x 20 3/4" at the bottom and slope outwards to larger at the top - hold 21.5 cups.

ymmv - but that is what I have recorded... it's been a long while since I've slung cake around.

To be sure simply measure in inches - then convert from cubic inches to cups .... http://www.metric-conversions.org/volume/cubic-inches-to-cups.htm


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## caszab

The only accurate way to measure batter is to scale it.

For a full 26" x 18" sheet pan, you would scale 7.5 - 7.75 lbs of cake batter into the pan.


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