Batter, to the right depth
Enter the tin and how many layers, and get the batter to mix per tin and in total, with rough bake times by size.
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The tin
The fill
Batter per tin
870 g
3.5 cups, 8 in round, filled half
Total batter
1.74 kg
7.0 cups across 2 tins
Oven guide
180C
160C fan, 30-40 min. Guidance only.
Worked from the space inside the tin at the fill you pick, so a deeper or wider tin gets its own answer. Cups are the primary figure; grams assume about 250 g a cup and shift a little by recipe. Bake times are a guide off the tin size, not a promise. Mix about a tenth over so scraping the bowl still fills the last tin.
Bigger tins bake longer and cooler. A 13 in tier and up goes in near 160C for 50 minutes or more, often with a heating core down the middle. Test with a skewer.
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Batter and bake times at a glance
| Tin | Cups (2 in deep) | Oven | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| Round 6 in | 2 cups | 180C | 25-30 min |
| Round 8 in | 3 cups | 180C | 30-35 min |
| Round 9 in | 5.3 cups | 180C | 30-35 min |
| Round 10 in | 6 cups | 180C | 35-40 min |
| Round 12 in | 7.5 cups | 180C | 35-40 min |
| Round 14 in | 10 cups | 160C | 50-55 min |
| Round 16 in | 15 cups | 160C | 55-60 min |
| Square 8 in | 6.5 cups | 180C | 60-65 min |
| Square 10 in | 9 cups | 180C | 65-75 min |
| Square 12 in | 14 cups | 180C | 65-75 min |
| Square 14 in | 19 cups | 160C | 65-75 min |
Wilton wedding-cake guide, tins filled one-half to two-thirds. A guide, not a promise.
How much batter per tin
Batter is worked from the tin, not the recipe. Filled past two-thirds a tin domes and spills, filled short it bakes flat. This works the volume your tin holds at the fill you pick, then gives it in grams and cups, per tin and across every layer.
The fill
Half bakes level, two-thirds is the ceiling
A tin filled halfway bakes to a level, even layer that stacks without carving, which is why decorators fill low and bake more tins. Two-thirds is the top of the range and gives a slight dome. Go past it and the batter climbs the sides and spills before the middle sets. Pick the fill and the number moves with it.
The amount
Batter comes from the tin, not the servings
How much batter a cake takes is set by the space inside the tin, not by how many it feeds. A 10 in round holds well over twice a 6 in, so it takes well over twice the batter. This works the volume of your tin at the depth you fill it, then splits it into a figure per tin and a total for every layer you bake.
By size
Bigger tins bake longer and cooler
A small tin bakes through in half an hour at a normal heat. A large tier holds so much batter that the outside sets long before the centre, so it goes in cooler and for longer, often with a heating core down the middle. The bake times here are a guide off the tin size, not a promise. Your oven and recipe have the final say.
Practical
Weigh the batter into each tin
For layers that match, weigh the batter and divide it evenly between the tins rather than eyeing the level. Mix a little over the number, near a tenth, so scraping the bowl still fills the last tin. A clean, even fill is what gives flat tops and layers that stack straight.
FAQ
Common questions
How much cake batter do I need for an 8 inch tin?
About 3.5 cups, roughly 870 g, to fill a standard 2 in deep 8 in round halfway for a level layer. Fill it to two-thirds for a slight dome and it takes closer to 4.5 cups. Enter your tin above and it works the exact figure.
How full should I fill a cake tin?
Between a half and two-thirds full. Half bakes a level layer that stacks cleanly, two-thirds gives a slight dome. Filled past two-thirds the batter spills over the side before the centre sets.
How long does a cake take to bake by size?
Roughly 25 to 35 minutes for a 6 in, 30 to 40 for an 8 in, and 40 to 50 for a 10 to 12 in, at 180C, 160C fan. Tiers of 13 in and up go in cooler, near 160C, for 50 minutes or more. Treat it as a guide and test with a skewer.
How do I work out batter for a tin that is not on a chart?
Work it from the volume. Multiply the area of the tin by the depth you fill, then divide by about 14.4 for cups. This tool does it for any round, square, or rectangle size, so an odd tin still gets a straight answer.
Can I use one recipe across different tin sizes?
Yes, once you scale it to the new tin. Work the batter each tin needs here, then use the Tin Conversion Calculator to scale the recipe up or down to hit it.
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