How do I line this tin?
Every piece of paper cut to size for your own tin, with the snips counted and the fruit cake collar included.
Free. No signup needed.The short answer
An 8 inch round tin, 3 inches deep, needs a base circle 20 cm across and a side strip 67 cm long by 10 cm tall, with 2.5 cm folded along the bottom and about 43 snips cut into the fold. That is 89 cm of paper off a 30 cm roll. For a rich fruit cake the same tin takes two layers, a strip 15 cm tall, a 67 cm brown paper collar and about 94 cm of string, which comes to 178 cm of paper.
How do I line this tin?
BakerInbox
Tin to line
What you are baking
One layer, level with the rim. Anything that bakes in under an hour.
Base circle
Cut 1
20 cm across
Draw round the tin base on the paper and cut just inside the line, so it sits flat rather than curling up the sides.
Side strip
Cut 1
67 cm long by 10 cm tall
Fold 3 cm along one long edge and cut about 43 snips into the fold, so the tab splays across the base.
Greaseproof paper to pull off
89 cm
Everything above, off one roll
Roll width needed
30 cm
The side strip cuts in one pass
Grease the tin first, then the paper sticks to it instead of sliding round as you pour. Butter, or a neutral oil on a piece of kitchen roll, is all it takes. For a round tin the snipped tab is the whole trick: fold it, cut into the fold, and the flaps overlap flat across the base instead of buckling up the side.
Ready to bake. BakerInbox keeps the order that cake is for.
Start free trialCake tin lining charts
| Round tin | Base circle | Side strip | Strip height | Fruit cake strip | Snips |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6 in15 cm | 15 cm6 in | 51 cm20 in | 10 cm4 in | 15 cm6 in | 32 |
| 7 in18 cm | 18 cm7 in | 59 cm23 1/4 in | 10 cm4 in | 15 cm6 in | 37 |
| 8 in20 cm | 20 cm8 in | 67 cm26 1/4 in | 10 cm4 in | 15 cm6 in | 43 |
| 9 in23 cm | 23 cm9 in | 75 cm29 1/2 in | 10 cm4 in | 15 cm6 in | 48 |
| 10 in25 cm | 25 cm10 in | 83 cm32 1/2 in | 10 cm4 in | 15 cm6 in | 53 |
| 12 in30 cm | 30 cm12 in | 99 cm39 in | 10 cm4 in | 15 cm6 in | 64 |
Measured for a 3 inch deep tin. Strip length is the circumference plus 3 cm of overlap; strip height is the tin depth plus a 2.5 cm tab to fold and snip along the bottom. The fruit cake column adds a 5 cm collar above the rim, because a cake that bakes for hours will burn on top without one.
Which lining a bake needs
| Style | Layers inside | Collar | Brown paper outside | Use it for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Everyday sponge | 1 | None | No | One layer, level with the rim. Anything that bakes in under an hour. |
| Deep or long bake | 2 | 2 cm | No | Two layers and a small collar. Madeira, mud cake, anything over an hour. |
| Rich fruit cake | 2 | 5 cm | Yes | Double lined, a tall collar, and brown paper tied round the outside. |
Made with BakerInbox. Free cake tools at bakerinbox.com/tools
What each piece does
Lining a sponge tin is two pieces of paper and one fold, and the tin in front of you sets every measurement.
The side strip
Two measurements, and neither one is the tin size
Length is the circumference plus 3 cm, so the ends overlap instead of springing apart as the batter goes in. Height is the depth of the tin plus a 2.5 cm tab along the bottom, plus a collar if the bake is a long one. An 8 inch round, 3 inches deep, comes out at 67 cm long by 10 cm tall. A 10 inch is 83 cm and a 12 inch is 99 cm. If you are putting a recipe into a different tin, scale the recipe between tin sizes first, then line the tin you are actually using.
The snips
The fold every quick guide skips
Paper is flat and a round tin is not, so the strip has to be persuaded. Fold 2.5 cm along one long edge and cut into the fold every 1.5 cm, which is about 43 cuts on an 8 inch round and 64 on a 12 inch. The flaps then splay out across the base and lie flat, and the base circle goes on top of them to hide the joins. Without it the strip creases up the side of the tin and prints every crease into the sponge. A square or rectangular tin needs no snips at all, just a crease at each corner before the strip goes in.
Grease first
Otherwise the paper moves as you pour
Butter, or a neutral oil on a piece of kitchen roll, over the base and up the sides. It is glue, not non-stick, and it takes ten seconds. Measure the depth of the tin rather than the depth of the batter: a 3 inch tin filled two inches deep still wants paper to the rim, because the sponge is going to climb. If you are unsure how full yours should sit, how much batter your tin takes has the quantity for every size.
Fruit cakes
Two layers, a collar, and brown paper on the outside
A rich fruit cake bakes for hours at a low temperature, and one layer of paper will not carry it. Line the tin twice, stand the paper 5 cm above the rim, and tie brown paper round the outside with string so the fruit at the edge does not burn before the middle is cooked. On an 8 inch round that is a 67 cm collar, about 94 cm of string, and 178 cm of paper in total. Stand the tin on a tray lined with newspaper too. Then work out the fruit and marzipan and how long it needs in the oven.
The paper
Same roll, four different names
Greaseproof paper in the UK and Ireland is parchment paper in the US and Canada, and baking paper in Australia and New Zealand. All of it is silicone coated and all of it works. Waxed paper is not the same thing and will smoke in the oven. UK rolls come 30, 38 and 45 cm wide, and US parchment comes on a 12 inch roll, which is 30.5 cm. Even the narrowest of those cuts the side strip for any domestic tin in one pass, including a deep fruit cake tin with its collar.
FAQ
Common questions
How do you line a cake tin with greaseproof paper?
Grease the tin, cut a base circle the width of the tin and a side strip as long as the circumference plus 3 cm, then fold a 2.5 cm tab along the bottom of the strip and snip into the fold. Put the strip in first so the snipped flaps lie flat across the base, then drop the circle on top. For an 8 inch round, 3 inches deep, that is a 20 cm circle and a strip 67 cm by 10 cm.
How much greaseproof paper do I need to line a cake tin?
About 89 cm off the roll for an 8 inch round sponge, and 178 cm for the same tin double lined as a fruit cake. A 6 inch takes about 68 cm, a 10 inch about 110 cm and a 12 inch about 131 cm. Any roll 30 cm wide or more cuts the side strip in one pass.
Do you grease a cake tin before lining it?
Yes. A thin film of butter or oil holds the paper still while you pour, which is the whole job it has to do. Once the paper is in there is no need to grease it as well, since greaseproof and parchment are already non-stick.
Why do you cut slits in the paper when lining a round tin?
So the bottom of the side strip can splay out flat across the base instead of buckling up the side. Fold 2.5 cm along the bottom edge and cut into the fold every 1.5 cm, which is roughly 43 cuts on an 8 inch round. The base circle then covers the flaps and the sponge never sees a crease.
Do you need to double line a tin for a fruit cake?
Yes, and add a brown paper collar round the outside. A fruit cake bakes for hours, so two layers inside and paper standing 5 cm above the rim keep the top and edges from catching. Tie the brown paper on with string, about 94 cm of it for an 8 inch round, and stand the tin on a lined baking tray.
Can I use baking paper instead of greaseproof paper?
Yes. Baking paper, parchment paper and greaseproof paper are the same thing under different names in Australia, the US and the UK. Waxed paper is not: the wax melts and smokes, so keep it for wrapping. Foil works at a push, but it conducts heat and browns the edges harder.
Do you have to line the sides of a cake tin?
For anything over about 40 minutes, yes. A quick sponge in a loose bottomed tin is fine with greased sides and a lined base. A deep cake, a mud cake or anything with a lot of sugar sticks as it caramelises, and lined sides are the difference between turning it out and cutting it out.
How do you line a square or loaf tin?
Cut one strip long enough to go round all four sides plus 3 cm of overlap, and crease it at each corner before it goes in. Skip the snips, they are only needed on a curve. For a loaf tin, one long strip down the length and up over both ends gives you handles to lift the cake out with.
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