Cornbread Consternation

October 21, 2008 3:36 PM

So how do I adjust this cornbread recipe so I can use a bigger pan? What factors should I consider (fat content, type of starch, etc) in making this kind of adjustment in the future?

I am making some cornbread for a function. It's from a box (Penguin brand from costco) and it calls for cooking at 350 degrees F for 35-40 min in an 8x8x2 pan. Since I need to make at least 30 servings and have but one pan that size, I'm in for a boring Tuesday night.

I have two 9x13x2 pans. How should I adjust for that dimension?

Also, is it better to cook them separately? Do I need to change heat/time for cooking two as opposed to one?

Thanks, y'all!

posted by frecklefaerie to Food & Drink (10 answers total)

You don't need to adjust the recipe content. Same heat, though I would probably preheat the oven to 375 or 400 and let it fall to 350 to get so much room temperature batter going quickly. You can cook them at the same time. Don't put them side-by-side on the same rack; they'll block the air circulation in the oven - instead, put them on separate racks, and switch halfway through (rotate the pans, too, while you're at it). They will need to bake longer, probably more like an hour. Test with a toothpick.
posted by peachfuzz at 3:53 PM on October 21, 2008

For the same height cornbread, you need 1.8 boxes per pan. Use two boxes per pan, cook 5 minutes longer at the same temperature: your cornbread will be slightly thicker.

Good advise from peachfuzz on rotating pans.
posted by francesca too at 4:00 PM on October 21, 2008

For the same height cornbread, you need 1.8 boxes per pan. Use two boxes per pan, cook 5 minutes longer at the same

I understand how you got the extra amount of mix necessary, but how did you come by the amount of time? This would be very useful for me to know - I usually just wing it.
posted by The Light Fantastic at 4:08 PM on October 21, 2008

Response by poster: peachfuzz: I was worried about circulation, so thanks for clearing that up for me.

So it won't burn the edges and keep the center soft by keeping it at the same temp? I'm beginning to think I cook too much with a microwave. :\
posted by frecklefaerie at 4:13 PM on October 21, 2008

Try to maintain the same thickness of the batter. That's what I've found most useful for batters, although I don't do this often. Find surface area, rather than just comparing dimensions of the pan. 8x8 is 64 square inches, 14x9 is 126 square inches. Thus, a 14x9 pan takes just about the same amount of batter as two 8x8 pans. Rotate the pans, as has been suggested, and check the center with a toothpick until it's done.

Also, should you ever try this with round pans, find their areas, as well. It's 2*pi*radius, and you can get the radius by dividing the diameter by two. Pans are sold and referred by diameter. And yes, you can move a recipe from a round pan to a square pan and vice versa if you take the conversions into account.
posted by mccarty.tim at 4:30 PM on October 21, 2008

Response by poster: ha, and just now of course I did the math in 3d instead of 2d, and the volume works out roughly the same for 9x13x1 with 8x8x2.

So I guess my question boils down to the implications of surface area in cooking.
posted by frecklefaerie at 4:31 PM on October 21, 2008

As has already been said, thickness is what matters here.

In general, though, the cornbread will let you know when it's done. Don't worry. Same temp, but keep an eye on it and make sure you take it out just after the toothpick/knife/broom straw test shows clean. Cornbread is hard to screw up. :) It's either dry and needs lots of butter and honey, or moist and needs lots of butter and honey.
posted by paanta at 4:53 PM on October 21, 2008 [1 favorite]

Seconding paanta here. Just keep an eye on it. If it looks done, take it out and stick a knife/fork/toothpick in the middle and see if it comes out clean or gooey. If it comes out gooey, put it in for another five minutes. Repeat as needed.
posted by Nattie at 5:05 PM on October 21, 2008

Response by poster: Here's what I did:

I had just one 9x13 pan, so I used one bag of mix. I took peachfuzz's advice about preheating to a higher temp (375) then turning it down to 350. I cooked for less time, just 30 min. I also did it in three batches. The first batch I used butter to grease the pan, and it stuck a little. The next two I used non-stick cooking spray and it came out much easier.

It came out yummy! Though a little dry. I guess cornbread is generally a little dry. This mix advocated making "honey cornbread" out of it and drizzling honey on top. Haven't tried that yet.

Thanks for the tips, mefi!
posted by frecklefaerie at 7:22 AM on October 22, 2008

It took me a while to get back to the thread. I'm glad it turned out ok. As for the five minutes extra cooking, I got it from a lifetime of cooking. Cupcakes and muffins need about ten minutes less than a square pan, the square pan takes about 5 minutes less than a oblong pan, the oblong pan takes about ten minutes less than a bundt type pan.
posted by francesca too at 12:37 PM on October 22, 2008 [1 favorite]