How Big is a Muffin Pan?

A muffin pan is also known as a muffin tin and is actually a mold that everyone uses to make cupcakes or muffins. We all know that the companies that manufacture these things make them in every size possible. However, though it isn’t really a standard, the usual pan usually has room for 12 muffins and is about 3 1/2 ounces.

Of course, there are pans that will hold more than just 12 muffins. Asking around in a store, the clerk will be more than happy to show you a pan that can hold six, eight, 11, 24, and 35 muffins. Well, the big factor that will decide just how big a pan you need is the amount of room you have available in your oven.

Mini muffins are entirely a different picture since there is also no standard number of cups in a tin. A cup in a pan for mini muffins is about 2 1/8 ounces. There are tins for this size that hold six, 12, and even as much as 24 mini cups. Other than the regular tin and mini tin there are also jumbo tins, which actually have cups as big as 8 3/16 ounces. Jumbo tins can have four, six, and 12 cups.

Dealing with Muffin Pan Volumes and Dimensions

It would be well to note that pans of different sizes will actually have different capacities. Obviously, each pan size can hold different volumes of batter. People will usually have to deal with pan sizes in case the recipe you’re using uses a different pan size that you have at home.

Using a larger pan muffin pan than what is specified in a recipe will definitely make the batter depth a lot shallower. This will then require you to adjust the baking time since the batter will now bake a lot faster than what is stated in the recipe you’re following. The reverse is also true since using a smaller muffin tin will deepen the batter depth requiring more baking time.

Tip: In case you have to make pan a substitution, be sure to measure the dimensions of the pan from the inside edge of the cup. Never include the thickness of the pan when you measure it. Note the pan’s volume since this is what you will need to make adjustments in both the temperature and cooking time. Shorten or lengthen the baking time accordingly and lower or raise the oven temperature depending on the batter depth.

Another solution to such a dilemma is to buy a new muffin pan, which will definitely cost you some money. Well, whatever solution you’re willing to use, the goal is to prevent any over browning of the delicious muffins you intend to serve.