Should You Use a Metal, Glass or Cast Iron Pie Pan?
If you are just an occasional baker, you might be wondering what is the difference between different baking dishes. How does this affect how the pie turns out? Will you need to change your recipe? What about baking time – does that change the type of cake pan?
What are the different types of cake tins?
Most of us use whatever pie shape we have. As a child, my family had metal pans for pies, which is why we used them. On holidays, when we needed to bake more pies than there were pans, we used disposable aluminum pans.
When I moved in, I somehow ended up with a glass baking pan that seems to have grown in popularity over the past few decades. I have been using this glass baking pan for years, baking some very respectable homemade pies. I also have a cast iron skillet which I recently discovered can also be used to bake pies. Other people will use a ceramic baking pan.
There are several important differences to keep in mind when choosing a baking pan or trying to use whatever you have on hand. Depending on what you need, what is stocked in the kitchen, and what your comfort level as a baker is, you may prefer one type of baking dish over the other.
Here are a few factors to consider when thinking about which pan to buy and what to bake in it.
Using a metal cake pan
The metal cake pan is a true classic and for good reason: it heats up quickly and evenly for a reliable result. When it comes to the crust of a pie, it’s that quick heat that provides a nice crispy bottom crust rather than a wet, undercooked mess.
“Remember that darker metals brown faster than lighter metals,” said Christine Pittman, founder of COOKtheSTORY. “A medium gray frying pan has always given me the best results.”
Using a glass baking pan
One of the reasons glass baking tins are so popular is because you might see a crust on the bottom while baking. For more inexperienced bakers, this visual is comforting, as it helps determine when to get the cake without worrying about not baking it.
As beneficial as this advantage is, there are some disadvantages to consider when using a glass baking pan. “Glass and ceramics are slow to heat up and are generally not suitable for browning and crunchy pie doughs,” Pittman said. “Slippery surfaces tend to shrink the dough.”
Using a ceramic cake pan
A ceramic baking pan will be very similar to a glass pie, except you won’t be able to see the bottom crust while baking. For this reason, if you don’t already have a ceramic baking pan that you really want to use, choose a different type.
Using a cast iron skillet
Cast iron pans are a versatile all-rounder in the kitchen, as they can be used for a wide variety of cooking purposes. Considering how versatile they are, this means that if you have limited space or resources, a cast iron skillet is a very utilitarian item.
Cast iron pans can also be used to bake pies. If you are in a situation where you are asked to bring a pie for Thanksgiving dinner, but you do not own a casserole of pies and do not want to use a disposable one, use your skillet option. Unlike glass or ceramics, a cast iron skillet will distribute heat evenly, although it will take longer to heat up. The downside is that the crust will not be as flaky and will take a little longer in the oven.
To use a cast iron skillet as a baking pan, you need to adjust the pie crust ratio, remembering that it will be a deep pan. (That’s a plus in my opinion. Fold these layers of fruit, please.) Generally speaking, it’s best to divide the dough into 60/40 proportions to use for the bottom and top crust respectively. You will also want the dough not to hang over the sides of the pan.
What happened when I tested different cake tins
I have baked pies from time to time for many years, as this is one of those baked dishes that I think is worth the time and effort to make at home and not buy them in the store. When it comes to pies, I love the flaky butter crust and lots of lightly sweetened fruit, a combination that is hard to find in commercial bakeries, especially if you’re in your college days. / writing budget.
Over the years, I’ve developed a method that (usually) gives pretty good results, even though I’m an average home baker at best. Given the differences between the types of cake tins, I was curious to see how they stack up when tested side-by-side.
To understand how these baking tins differ from one another, I made a triple dose of my standard buttered pie crust , triple apple filling, and then assembled three cakes, one of which was a medium gray metal. a baking pan, one in a glass skillet and one in a 10-inch cast iron skillet. I put these cakes in an oven that was preheated to 375 ° F and baked them until light golden brown.
The metal and glass baking pan took about 65 minutes. A cast iron skillet that takes longer to heat up took 80 minutes.
How did the different pies come about?
The result was three delicious apple cakes, each slightly different, but the tastiest cake was baked in a metal pan. The crust was the exact mix of flaky and tender that I love, no wet bottom. (There’s a reason the metal pie pan is a time-honored classic.)
The second best was a pie baked in a glass pan. Although it was not so tender, the crust was still scaly and was considered one of the best I have made.
The big advantage, as always, was that I could see the bottom crust as it baked, which meant I knew very well when it was done. Sometimes this calmness is worth it, especially if you’re a little distracted.
With a cast iron skillet, I missed the mark, baked it for too long, resulting in a hard brown crust on the bottom. Looking at the top crust of the pie, which was a slightly darker shade than the other two cakes I baked, I suspect that if I had taken it out a little earlier, I would have had a decent crust. I don’t rule out using a cast iron skillet for now, as I really like how versatile it is, but I’d recommend caution.
My verdict? For best results, use a metal baking pan or glass baking pan if you’re not entirely sure of your ability to tell when a pie is ready. And if you have a limited range of kitchen utensils or are an experienced baker, you can try experimenting with a cast iron skillet.