Welcome to the Cake Decorators Q&A
Can You Bake a Cake in a Glass Dish or Pyrex?
Hi team,
I am making a baby shower cake, which will be a pregnant lady torso, I don’t want to buy the domed tins, or ruin the shape by baking in round tins and then having to carve. If I used Pyrex dishes would I need to line them or bake them any different ( i.e. temperature or shelf level).
Regards Sandra.
CakeFlix Guidance
Can You Bake a Cake in a Glass Dish? Yes, you can bake a cake in a glass dish, provided it is suitable for oven use. An oven-safe Pyrex dish can be a handy alternative when you haven’t got the right cake tin. However, glass behaves differently from metal, so you may need to adjust the temperature and baking time.
Can you bake a cake in a Pyrex dish?
You can use a Pyrex dish labelled suitable for oven baking, following the instructions for that particular product. Don’t assume every glass bowl, storage container or lid is oven-safe. Check for chips or cracks before using it, and follow the manufacturer’s guidance on temperature limits and sudden temperature changes.
A rounded dish can also help you bake a domed sponge for a novelty cake, reducing the amount of carving needed afterwards.
What temperature should you use?
Glass heats more slowly than metal but retains heat well. This can leave the outside of your cake well browned while the centre still needs cooking.
If your recipe was written for a metal tin, a common starting point is to reduce the oven temperature by around 15°C, keeping the same conventional or fan setting. For example, 180°C becomes approximately 165°C. This is a guide rather than a rule for every recipe. King Arthur Baking’s guide to baking pans explains the differences.
Should you grease or line the dish?
Grease the inside and line the base with baking parchment where practical. For curved dishes, use shaped parchment pieces to help with release. Choose a dish that gives a similar batter depth to the original tin, and leave room for the sponge to rise.
How do you know the cake is cooked?
Use the middle shelf unless your recipe says otherwise. Baking may take longer, particularly in a deep dish, so check the centre with a skewer. For a typical sponge, it should come out clean or with a few crumbs, rather than wet batter.
Place the hot dish on a dry, heatproof surface. Allow the sponge to firm up before carefully turning it out onto a cooling rack.
Ready to try another bake? Explore our baking tutorials for recipes and techniques to build your confidence.
Need more Important Information on Baking and Cake Decorating?
Learning about how to make and store ganache is just one of 39 lessons covered in the CakeFlix Diploma, which, along with 1,800+ tutorials from 100+ of the world’s top cake artists, comes as part of your CakeFlix membership from only £5.17 a month (billed annually).
CakeFlix Diploma – Certified Learning
Hi team,
I am making a baby shower cake, which will be a pregnant lady torso, I don’t want to buy the domed tins, or ruin the shape by baking in round tins and then having to carve. If I used Pyrex dishes would I need to line them or bake them any different ( i.e. temperature or shelf level).
Regards Sandra.
CakeFlix Guidance
Can You Bake a Cake in a Glass Dish? Yes, you can bake a cake in a glass dish, provided it is suitable for oven use. An oven-safe Pyrex dish can be a handy alternative when you haven’t got the right cake tin. However, glass behaves differently from metal, so you may need to adjust the temperature and baking time.
Can you bake a cake in a Pyrex dish?
You can use a Pyrex dish labelled suitable for oven baking, following the instructions for that particular product. Don’t assume every glass bowl, storage container or lid is oven-safe. Check for chips or cracks before using it, and follow the manufacturer’s guidance on temperature limits and sudden temperature changes.
A rounded dish can also help you bake a domed sponge for a novelty cake, reducing the amount of carving needed afterwards.
What temperature should you use?
Glass heats more slowly than metal but retains heat well. This can leave the outside of your cake well browned while the centre still needs cooking.
If your recipe was written for a metal tin, a common starting point is to reduce the oven temperature by around 15°C, keeping the same conventional or fan setting. For example, 180°C becomes approximately 165°C. This is a guide rather than a rule for every recipe. King Arthur Baking’s guide to baking pans explains the differences.
Should you grease or line the dish?
Grease the inside and line the base with baking parchment where practical. For curved dishes, use shaped parchment pieces to help with release. Choose a dish that gives a similar batter depth to the original tin, and leave room for the sponge to rise.
How do you know the cake is cooked?
Use the middle shelf unless your recipe says otherwise. Baking may take longer, particularly in a deep dish, so check the centre with a skewer. For a typical sponge, it should come out clean or with a few crumbs, rather than wet batter.
Place the hot dish on a dry, heatproof surface. Allow the sponge to firm up before carefully turning it out onto a cooling rack.
Ready to try another bake? Explore our baking tutorials for recipes and techniques to build your confidence.
Need more Important Information on Baking and Cake Decorating?
Learning about how to make and store ganache is just one of 39 lessons covered in the CakeFlix Diploma, which, along with 1,800+ tutorials from 100+ of the world’s top cake artists, comes as part of your CakeFlix membership from only £5.17 a month (billed annually).
CakeFlix Diploma – Certified Learning
Hi Sandra
It’s fine to use the Pyrex dishes. You will need to line it with parchment paper for easy release. Please be aware that glass does not let heat through as well as metal pans so baking time will increase. Keep a close eye and nose on the baking. Once the cake is taken out of the oven the glass will retain heat for longer than metal. This means that cooking will continue once the cake has been removed from the oven. Try and unmould it as soon as practical.
Hope this helps ?
Thank you very much, I will give it a go.
Regards Sandra.
