Bake Twice the Joy: How to Double Recipes and Choose Cake Pans

Whether you’re feeding a crowd or want a small sweet treat for the family, my bakery cake recipes from Amycakes Bakery now offer two batch sizes. Keep reading to learn how to double my small-batch cake recipes (the recipe card handles the math). Use the chart near the end of this page to pick the best cake pan(s) for your batch.

Double-Batches of Amycakes Bakes Recipes

Using my extra-moist cake recipes, you can choose a standard batch (1x) or a double batch (2x).

Follow these simple steps:
1). Select 2x for a double batch — you can choose it next to “Servings” or under “Ingredients.” The recipe will automatically double the ingredient quantities and servings.
2). Both grams and cups are listed on the same line, so there’s no separate toggle. If you have a kitchen scale, grams give the most consistent results.
3). Print the doubled recipe using one of the print icons on the recipe page.
4). Read on so you’re prepared when you see uncommon measurements in a 2x batch.

This video shows how simple it is to make a 1x batch and small cakelets using the Ultra-Moist Double Chocolate Cake recipe. I trim cakelet rounds at room temperature, then chill the sheet pan briefly in the freezer so the pieces firm up and are easier to remove. Decorate and serve at room temperature.

What’s with the ½ tablespoon and other measurements?

When you select 2x, the recipe software only multiplies quantities rather than reformatting them into more familiar measurements. As a result you may see amounts like ½ Tbsp, ⅛, ⅜, or ⅞ cup. If you measure by weight with a kitchen scale, these won’t apply. If you use volume measurements, here are simple equivalents to keep on hand:

½ tablespoon = 1½ teaspoons. A ½ tablespoon spoon exists but is uncommon; use 1 + ½ teaspoons when needed.

⅛ cup = 2 tablespoons. If you don’t have an ⅛-cup measure, use 2 tablespoons.

⅜ cup = ¼ cup + 2 tablespoons.

⅞ cup = ¾ cup + 2 tablespoons. Or measure 1 cup then remove 2 tablespoons.

Cake Pan Options

I prefer baking cakes in sheet pans and cutting rounds with cake rings. For 1x batches I use ¼ sheet pans; for 2x batches I use ½ sheet pans. Baking on sheet pans yields more even cakes with minimal doming and well-cooked edges. After baking you can cut layers for 8″ or 6″ cakes, or smaller cakelets — see my guide on stacking and layering for details.

If you don’t own sheet pans, round pans or standard sheet-cake pans work fine; you may only need to adjust baking times. The cake pan chart below is a useful companion to my cake recipes.

Troubleshooting Overflowing Sheet Pans

Troubleshooting Overflowing Sheet Pans

All my cake recipes are a close fit in the recommended 1" tall sheet pans. A few readers have reported slight overflows. Common causes and fixes:

1) Lower-than-expected oven temperature — a cooler oven can slow baking so the batter rises faster than it sets. Verify your oven temperature with an oven thermometer.

2) Uneven or warped pans — some pans spread batter unevenly or are slightly shorter in height.

3) Measuring variation — using cups instead of weighing ingredients can introduce small differences in volume.

If overflow is frequent, try baking in taller pans: a 9x13 (2" tall) for 1x batches or a 12x18 (2" tall) for 2x batches. These give more headroom while still allowing you to cut rounds with a cake ring. If the bottom layer requires extra cake, reserve scraps to fill gaps when assembling.

Cake Pan Chart

Have questions or feedback? Leave a comment below — I’ll do my best to help. 🙂