Chiffon Pan Sizes and Amounts: Eggs and Baking Times for 17, 20 and 23 cm
Chiffon cake recipes are usually written for a 17 cm pan, but you may want to bake bigger in a 20 or 23 cm pan, or try a small batch in a 14 cm pan. A chiffon pan gets taller as its diameter grows, so its scaling factors are bigger than those for round pans. This article covers each size's volume and factor, the number of eggs, baking times, and what to watch for when baking in other pans.
Chiffon pans scale at close to the cube of the diameter ratio
Round pans stay about 6 cm high whatever the diameter, but chiffon pans get deeper with it: about 8 cm at 17 cm, about 9.5 cm at 20 cm and about 11 cm at 23 cm. Since height (the diameter ratio) increases along with base area (the square of the diameter), volume grows at roughly the cube of the diameter ratio.
| Diameter | Typical height | Typical volume | Batter (80%) | Ratio to 17 cm |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 14 cm | 6.5 cm | About 830 mL | About 670 mL | ×0.54 |
| 17 cm | 8 cm | About 1,550 mL | About 1,240 mL | ×1 |
| 20 cm | 9.5 cm | About 2,600 mL | About 2,080 mL | ×1.68 |
| 23 cm | 11 cm | About 4,040 mL | About 3,230 mL | ×2.6 |
These figures subtract the central tube and account for the sloping sides, so they differ a little from a simple cube (×1.63 for 17 to 20 cm). Increase by a round-pan instinct, "17 to 20 cm is about ×1.4," and you get a low chiffon that only rises halfway up the pan.
Scaling chart for chiffon pans
| Recipe \ Your pan | 14 cm | 17 cm | 20 cm | 23 cm |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 14 cm | 1 | 1.87 | 3.12 | 4.85 |
| 17 cm | 0.54 | 1 | 1.68 | 2.6 |
| 20 cm | 0.32 | 0.6 | 1 | 1.55 |
| 23 cm | 0.21 | 0.38 | 0.64 | 1 |
The chart uses a typical height for each size. If your pan's height differs, enter it in the Cake Pan Size Converter to get the factor for your pan.
Eggs by size and a conversion example
This converts a plain chiffon recipe using 3 yolks and 4 whites at 17 cm.
| Ingredient | 17 cm (original) | 14 cm (×0.54) | 20 cm (×1.68) | 23 cm (×2.6) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Egg yolks | 3 | 1.6 (about 32 g) | 5 (about 101 g) | 7.8 (about 156 g) |
| Granulated sugar (for yolks) | 20 g | 11 g | 34 g | 52 g |
| Vegetable oil | 30 mL | 16 mL | 50 mL | 78 mL |
| Water | 45 mL | 24 mL | 75 mL | 117 mL |
| Cake flour | 70 g | 38 g | 117 g | 182 g |
| Egg whites | 4 | 2.1 (about 64 g) | 6.7 (about 201 g) | 10.4 (about 312 g) |
| Granulated sugar (for meringue) | 50 g | 27 g | 84 g | 130 g |
- Weigh yolks and whites separately. A medium egg has about 20 g of yolk and 30 g of white.
- Meringue is the heart of a chiffon, so rounding whites up a little is rarely a problem, while too few affects the rise.
- Use leftover yolks for custard or pudding, and whites for meringue cookies.
- At about ×2.6 for a 23 cm pan, the meringue gets quite large even with a hand mixer. A bowl of at least 27 cm across is safest.
Baking times by size and how to cool
| Diameter | Typical temperature | Typical baking time |
|---|---|---|
| 14 cm | 170 °C | About 25–30 min |
| 17 cm | 160–170 °C | 30–35 min |
| 20 cm | 160–170 °C | 35–40 min |
| 23 cm | 160 °C | About 45–50 min |
- 1
Bake until the cracks color
It's done when the cracks on top have browned inside and it springs back to a light press.
- 2
Invert right away
As soon as it's out of the oven, turn the pan upside down and suspend it by putting the tube over a bottle or similar.
- 3
Cool completely before unmolding
Taken out while warm, it collapses, so cool for a good 3 hours before releasing it with a knife.
No chiffon pan? What to watch for in round and loaf pans
A chiffon cake rises high and fluffy because the batter clings to the sides and tube of the pan for support, and it doesn't collapse even when cooled upside down. In nonstick pans and in round or loaf pans, the batter slips and loses that support, so the same recipe tends to collapse.
- If you must use a round pan, choose aluminum or tinplate with no paper lining, and stand a paper cup or a foil tube in the center to help it bake through.
- Moving a 17 cm chiffon recipe to an 18 cm round pan (6 cm high) is about ×0.86 by volume. The pan is shallower, so divide what's left into muffin cups or similar.
- For an 18×8 cm loaf pan, about ×0.42, or a little under half, is a guide.
Converting between round pans is explained in Cake Pan Size Conversion, and how to think about loaf pan volume in Loaf Pan Sizes and Conversions.
If you can't decide which pan to buy
- 14 cm: a small size that bakes with about 2 eggs. Good for finishing off between 2–3 people, or for trying a flavor.
- 17 cm: the standard size with the most recipes. It serves 4–6 and rarely bakes unevenly in a home oven.
- 20 cm: uses 5–7 eggs and makes about 8 servings. Good for gifts and gatherings.
- 23 cm: a large size using about 10 eggs. It stands around 11 cm high, so check your oven's interior height first.
For your first pan, a 17 cm aluminum one is best, since recipes are easy to find. If you find a recipe for another size, multiply by the factor in this article's chart to bake it in the 17 cm pan. The Cake Pan Size Converter also lets you check factors including height when you change pans.
FAQ
- How do I make a 17 cm chiffon recipe in a 20 cm pan?
- Multiply by about 1.68. A recipe with 3 yolks and 4 whites becomes 5 yolks and 6–7 whites (about 200 g). Baking time is about 35–40 minutes.
- How many eggs does a 23 cm chiffon pan take?
- With a 17 cm recipe of 3 yolks and 4 whites, 23 cm is about ×2.6, or about 8 yolks and about 10 whites (about 310 g).
- How do I make a 17 cm recipe in a 14 cm chiffon pan?
- About ×0.54, almost half. 1.6 yolks (about 32 g) and 2.1 whites (about 64 g) is a guide. You can also use 2 yolks and 2 whites and match the other ingredients.
- Why are the factors for chiffon pans bigger than for round pans?
- Because a chiffon pan gets taller as its diameter grows. The increase in height adds to the increase in area, so volume grows at close to the cube of the diameter ratio.
Tools in this article
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