Small batch baking tips and ways to reduce recipes to serve fewer people! Tips and tricks for making dessert for two, or small versions of your favorite desserts in small pans for portion controlled desserts!
Behind the scenes, I get a lot of emails. A lot.
You usually write me to ask me about my bakeware. I am so happy that you are on the hunt to find miniature bakeware so that you can make my small batch desserts. I am so glad we are on this ride together! Sharing small dessert recipes is my passion, and your validation means the world to me. Thank you thank you.
If you're new to Dessert for Two, I suggest you start with these three pans. You probably already have two of them in your kitchen!
The 6" round Cake Pan:
Let's talk first about the 6" mini cake pan. The majority of the questions I get refer to this little pan! This pan measures 6 inches across and 2 inches high. In the past year, they started making a 6" cake pan that has 3" tall sides. Do not buy that size. The extra inch of height will make your cake sink. It has to do with the amount of heat in the oven radiating off the sides of the pan. I have trouble-shooted a ton of recipes this past year with readers only to find out they have the 6x3" pan instead of the 6x2" pan.
The 6x2" pan is the standard cake size for the top layer of a wedding cake. Isn't that sweet?! In the case of Dessert for Two, it's the only layer we need.
I have tons of recipes for your favorite cakes, scaled down to size here: small cake recipes. We don't need to be tempted with all those leftovers, do we?
If I had to pick a favorite mini cake, I'd chose this glazed oatmeal cake. Soft and tender with a crunchy frosting!
The Quarter Sheet Pan:
Next up is the quarter-sheet pan. It measures 9 x 13" and has a 1" lip around the edge. The standard baking sheet pans that you have in your house for roasting vegetables and baking large batches of cookies is a half sheet pan that measures 17 x 12". Two quarter sheet pan fit inside your standard baking sheet, roughly. (If you're wondering about the full sheet pan, do not--it's usually only for commercial use and most likely won't fit in your home oven).
I use this small baking sheet to make a small batch of cookies (I have almost 100 recipes for cookies that make less than 1 dozen!) and also a Texas Chocolate 'Quarter' Sheet Cake (pictured above). A standard recipe for Texas Chocolate Sheet Cake makes enough for at least 12 servings. Awesome for a party, not so awesome on a Tuesday night alone on the couch with Netflix.
The 9x5" bread loaf pan:
Last, but definitely not least, the standard bread loaf pan is a workhorse in my kitchen. I use it for everything, because when you cut it down the middle, it makes two generous portions. And when I say I use it for everything, I really mean it: lasagna, bakery-style brownies, one pint of ice cream, and even rice crispy treats! There is no end to the ways you can use this pan to make smaller portions of your favorite foods. Plus, I know you already have a bread loaf pan in your kitchen!
I hope this guide to small baking pans helps you whip up even more small desserts in your kitchen! Do you have any tips and tricks for small batch baking that I need to know about? I'd love to hear from you!
Helen Nicole says
A great Easter day. I eat a lot of chocolate. the plump eggs. This year I do it all by yourself. my mother is very happy. great. Happy Easter!
Sandra says
Thanks for this great post! I was so excited when I bought my 6-inch cake pan after discovering your blog....love my mini cakes so much.:) I have several 9x13 casserole pans but clearly the sheet pan will be added to the top of my baking wish list. (on a side note: the egg yolk/white only recipes in your index are genius!--I refer to them all the time when a DesserForTwo recipe leaves me with extra of one or the other. Thanks again.)
Christina Lane says
Thanks so much, Sandra! I'm so glad to hear you're enjoying it!
Leila says
I bought my 6 in. pan because of your blog and love it!
Christina Lane says
That's so great to hear, Leila! Thanks so much! What's your favorite recipe to use it?
barb. says
As always, love your posts! The right size is sooo helpful and the recipe never works with a substitution. My husband got me a small straight sided glass vessel for trifle today - had to serve our dessert-for-two for Easter in a tall crystal long-stemmed flower vase - lovely but had to go down to the elbow to get the dessert out! Thank you just for being you!
sweetpea says
Your mini carrot cake with cream cheese frosting is lovely in the 6"!
Peggy says
Bought the 6" pan first, figuring it would be just right to make 4 small servings. Thought I should look online to see if anyone had any scaled down cake recipes, and found you! How lovely to have all the recipe 'fiddling' done for me. Terrific blog, thank you
Christina Lane says
I'm so glad you found me, Peggy! :) Check the recipe index for mini cakes to use your pan ;)
Debbi Herman says
Hi Christina, I recently made your mini expresso/chocolate pound cake and it was a hit. As always, your desserts are so yummy. I also wanted to mention the tiny glass Pyrex pie pan you use in your cookbook for pies can be purchased from Amazon.
Wendy (BlueSchmoo_NM)) says
Bought the 6" pie pan (glass) because of your blog, it makes the perfect pie for two, I also made a gift basket for friends with your book, the small. Srping form pan, and pie pan and some baking spices.
TracyB says
You absolutely are the reason why I bought my 6" round cake pan - actually I bought two of them and they are soooo perfect to have. I had 6 people over for dinner and made a double layer 6" cake with ZERO leftovers - that made me very very happy! I have recently become an empty nester and love all your smaller recipes! Thanks for sharing all your recipes and knowledge!
Christina Lane says
Hi Tracy! You are the reason I do what I do :)
Samantha says
Thank you for this!! I already have a bread pan but will have to get the other two :).