Baking Brownies in a Round Cake Pan: Tips & Tricks
Requiring nothing more than basic cooking skills, a spatula, and a rectangle pan, brownies need very little time to make and a lot longer to forget. However, even if you have everything you need to make the brownies, you may lack the rectangle pan. So, how to make brownies in a round cake pan?
You can make brownies in a round cake pan the same way you make them in a rectangular pan. However, you need to consider the size of the round cake pan and the amount of brownie batter and adjust the temperature and baking time accordingly.
When it comes to baking, in general, everything needs to be just right for the baked good to turn out good. Brownies are no exception to this rule, and the pan is a massive factor in predicting their quality. In the following paragraphs, I will explain how to bake brownies in a round cake pan to lend you a helping hand when you might not have a rectangle pan handy.
How to Make Boxed Brownies in a Round Cake Pan?
Boxed brownie better is already perfectly made, and all you need to do is add eggs, water, and oil. This batter makes no difference between a rectangular pan and a round cake pan, so the making process remains the same as with the rectangular pan.
You only need to prolong the baking time and slightly increase the temperature.
Can You Bake Homemade Brownies in a Round Cake Pan?
Yes, you can bake homemade brownies in a round cake pan and do it the same way as you would do with a rectangle pan. However, though there might not be any changes in the brownie batter, there will be changes in the baking process itself.
The main problem arises because a round cake pan is usually narrower and taller than a regular rectangle brownie pan. This complicates things as your batter might not bake all the way down to the middle.
The batter will be taller and, therefore, denser, unlike with a regular rectangle pan, where the batter is thinner due to the pan’s shape. This means that you need to adjust the baking time and temperature.
Popping the brownie batter in a round cake pan and setting the same time and temperature as with a rectangular pan won’t do it, as your batter won’t bake all the way. Furthermore, leaving the temperature the same but prolonging the baking time is also not a good idea, as the batter might burn on the outside while still remaining partially baked on the inside.
Therefore it is best to adjust both the temperature as well as the baking time. How much you will increase the temperature and prolong the baking time would be a judgment call. These adjustments mainly depend on the size of the round cake pan.
The taller the round cake pan, the denser the batter, so make sure you know exactly what you are doing before popping the pan into the oven. Moreover, check whether or not your brownie batter is properly baked by inserting a skewer inside the batter. If there is batter stuck on the skewer, it needs more baking.
Common Mistakes When Baking Brownies in a Cake Pan
If you ever wonder why tour brownies didn’t come out as you hoped, whereby you did everything by the book, including the time and temperature adjustments to fit the round cake pan, make sure you haven’t made some of the mistakes below.
Overmixing the Batter
Overmixing the batter is by far the most common mistake with brownies. Fearing that the batter will be lumpy and too hard, people tend to go the extra mile and invest way too much energy needlessly mixing the batter that was ready to bake minutes ago.
The batter needs to be smooth but not thin. To avoid making this mistake check the batter while mixing. It should be smooth and creamy, so tilt the mixing bowl and see how it slides. If it slides whole and slowly, it means that it is done.
If it slides in pieces and separates, it needs more mixing. If by any chance it is drippy, it means you went too far, and you need to add flour to thicken it.
Using Cold Eggs
Cold eggs will cause the other ingredients in your brownie batter to firm up. This means that the batter will be harder to mix, separate, and bake all wrong. The result is crumbly and likely burnt brownies instead of moist and fudgy desserts.
To prevent this, always add room-temperature eggs that won’t shock the ingredients already in the batter. If you have already used cold eggs, try adding warm water to the batter to balance out the temperature and even out the batter.
Cutting Right Away
Cutting the brownies right away is the saddest mistake you can make. Imagine you did everything right, and the batter comes out perfect, even in a round cake pan, and you cut too early and ruin the brownies.
Always leave the baked brownie batter on the counter before cutting it, especially if you bake it in a round cake pan. The additional 30 minutes will give the batter enough space to set and rest, becoming more stable and resilient.
Using a Glass Round Pan
A glass round pan is great for lasagne, meat, or a casserole, but baked goods aren’t supposed to be baked in glass pans. No matter how much you grease the pan, the batter will always stick, ruining your hard work at the very end.
Always use metal baking pans, round or rectangular, to ensure the batter won’t stick.
Baking Brownies in a Round Cake Pan
Equipment
- Round Cake Pan
Ingredients
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- ¾ cup all-purpose flour
- ⅔ cup cocoa powder
- ⅓ cup powdered sugar
- 1 cup dark chocolate chopped
- ½ tsp salt
- 3 eggs large
- ½ cup extra virgin olive oil
- 2 tbsp heavy cream
- ½ tsp vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 325°F. Lightly spray your round cake pan with cooking spray and line it with parchment paper.
- In a medium bowl, combine the sugar, flour, cocoa powder, powdered sugar, chocolate, and salt.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, olive oil, heavy cream, and vanilla.
- Sprinkle the dry mix over the wet mix and stir until just combined.
- Pour the batter into the prepared pan and use a spatula to smooth the top.
- Bake for 40 to 48 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out with only a few crumbs attached.
- Cool completely before slicing.
