Pan conversion chart
A 9×13 pan holds 234 cubic inches and an 8-inch round holds about 101, so a 9×13 recipe fills a little over two 8-inch rounds. The table below gives the volume of every pan here, computed from its own dimensions — divide one by another and the result is the number to multiply every ingredient by.
Every pan, and what it holds
| Pan | Dimensions | How it is worked out | Holds |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6" round | 6" across, 2" deep | π × 3² × 2 | 56.5 cu in |
| 8" round | 8" across, 2" deep | π × 4² × 2 | 100.5 cu in |
| 9" round | 9" across, 2" deep | π × 4.5² × 2 | 127.2 cu in |
| 8" square | 8" × 8", 2" deep | 8 × 8 × 2 | 128 cu in |
| 9" square | 9" × 9", 2" deep | 9 × 9 × 2 | 162 cu in |
| 9" × 13" rectangular | 9" × 13", 2" deep | 9 × 13 × 2 | 234 cu in |
| 8" × 4" loaf | 4" × 8", 2.5" deep | 4 × 8 × 2.5 | 80 cu in |
| 9" × 5" loaf | 5" × 9", 3" deep | 5 × 9 × 3 | 135 cu in |
How do I use this to scale a recipe?
Divide the volume of the pan you own by the volume of the pan the recipe was written for, then multiply every ingredient by that number. Going from an 8-inch square (128) to a 9×13 (234) is 1.83×. Going the other way is 0.55×. Round the results to amounts you can actually measure.
Are two 8-inch rounds the same as one 9×13?
Close, but not equal. Two 8-inch rounds hold about 201 cubic inches against the 9×13's 234, so a 9×13 recipe overfills two 8-inch tins by roughly a sixth. Three would be under-filled and bake shallow and dry. This is the pairing that catches most people out.
Questions people actually ask
Where do these numbers come from?
Each one is computed from the pan's own dimensions — π r² h for a round tin, width × length × depth for a rectangular one — rather than copied from a chart. That is why they are consistent with each other, and why the ratio between any two is exact.
Why is there no Bundt or tube pan?
A fluted mould displaces an amount that depends on the mould, so its volume has no formula — only a measurement. Every figure here is derived, so adding a Bundt would mean inventing a number and presenting it with the same confidence as the real ones.