How Long To Bake A Double Recipe For Cake

For anybody who has baked, there have been times when a single recipe simply isn’t enough. If you are preparing a meal for a large group of people, then a recipe that serves 4 people simply isn’t enough.

The same principle applies when you are baking cakes – if you want to bake a cake recipe to make a tiered cake, then you will need more than just a single recipe.

Thankfully, doubling a cake recipe is easy, all you have to do is double all the ingredients in the recipe, and adjust the recommended baking time. However, knowing how long to bake a double recipe isn’t always the easiest task. Especially if you want that all-desired even bake.

In this guide, we’ll be taking a look at how long you should bake a double recipe for, and the best way to adjust the cooking time depending on the cake pan that you are using. So, if you want to find out more, keep on reading!

What Is A Double Cake Recipe?

First things first, let’s take a look at what a double recipe is. As the name suggests, a double recipe is a recipe which contains double the ingredients in the original recipe. So, if you are following cake recipes, then a double recipe will be double the cake batter of a regular recipe.

Most people who bake have doubled a recipe at some point. If you are cooking for more than just a handful of people, this is usually essential. Likewise, if you are baking a cake that is made up of multiple tiers, you will usually have to make at least a double batch.

Most of the time, baking a double batch is nice and simple, even if you are following a precise recipe. Creating the cake mix itself is usually simple because all you have to do is double the amount of ingredients.

So, if you are baking a red velvet cake, then you will need to double the unsalted butter, double the cream cheese, and double the baking powder too.

But baking the recipe is a lot trickier. This is because you will have to adjust the cooking time to take the additional ingredients into consideration. So, let’s take a look at how long you should bake a double recipe cake batter for.

How Long Should You Bake A Double Recipe Cake Batter?

When you create a double recipe cake batter, you cannot simply put your cake in the oven for the recommended bake time. Instead, you will have to adjust the cooking time of your cake.

There is no exact science as to how much you should adjust the bake time, instead, it is best to regularly check on your cake through the oven door.

The great thing about baking cakes is that a lot of the time, you can get a good idea about whether, or not, they are cooked by simply looking at them. So, it is important to check on your cake regularly.

When you double the recipe, we wouldn’t recommend adjusting the oven temperature. Instead, we would simply recommend baking your cake for longer.

Place your cake pan in the oven, and then leave your cake to cook for the amount of time that the original recipe calls for. Once this time is up, you should open up your oven and check on the cake.

Most of the time, when you are baking a double recipe, the cake will not bake in the same amount of time as the original recipe. So, you will usually need to put your cake back in the oven.

From then, we would recommend checking on the cake in 5-minute increments until you can see that it is clearly baked. Only then should you remove it from the oven.

The Pan Makes A Difference

Although it is important to note that the type of cake pan that you use has a huge impact on the baking time of a double recipe. There are lots of different types of pans that you can use to bake a cake, including traditional cake pans, sheet pans, a half sheet pan, and even a bundt pan. So, let’s take a look at how the pan makes a difference to the baking time.

Using Cake Pans

If you are using cake pans, then it is likely that you have either opted for round cake pans or square cake pans. The amount of time that it will take for your cake batter to bake in these pans depends on how many pans you are using.

If you split your cake batter across multiple round pans, then it is likely that your cakes will be much shallower. So, they usually will not take too much longer to bake than the baking time stated for the single recipe.

In contrast, if you are using a single round cake pan, then your cake will take considerably longer to bake. You should check the recipe regularly, but it can take up to an hour for a heavy cake to bake.

Using A Half Sheet Pan

If you are using either a sheet pan or a half sheet pan, then the baking time will usually be slightly different. Sheet pans come in a variety of sizes, and half sheet pans are essentially half the size of a regular sheet pan.

The amount of time that it will take for your cake to bake in a sheet pan depends on how much batter you add to the pan. Just as with round cake pans, if you have a thick batter then it will take longer to bake. In contrast, if you have a thinner batter, then it will likely cook faster.

Just as with round pans, we would recommend cooking the cake for the time that the recipe states, and then check every 5 minutes until the cake is completely baked.

Summary

In short, a cake that contains double the ingredients will take longer to bake than a cake that contains the recommended amount of ingredients. So, you should bake the cake for the recommended time, and then check it in 5-minute increments until it is baked.

Kathryn Sewell

Kathryn Sewell

Hi! I'm Kate and I have been baking and cooking for as long as I can remember. I like to share the most interesting tips and recipes I try here on What Kate Baked for you to enjoy. If you have a favorite recipe you'd like to share send it over on social.

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