How to Line Your Baking Tin (Round & Rectangle)

By Savini Gauri

All the bakers have been through their struggles and funny relationship with baking paper or parchment paper.

While growing up and learning how to bake I was never told to use baking paper. Every time a cake was baked at home, the baking tin was brushed with oil and dusted with dry flour. But never did we use baking paper.

Before we get started feast your eyes on this Mango and Coconut Cake which was baked in a perfectly lined round baking tin!

Welcome back to my Back to Basics Series. We (all bakers) have all had a love-hate relationship with baking paper (or parchment paper). We've always loved the way it made taking cakes and bakes out of the tin easier. But it has always been a hassle to cut and fit inside the baking tin with minimal hassle and high accuracy.

I think it is impossible to calculate and count the number of baking tins and pans I have lined over the years. What I can tell you is, that it is a real struggle every time if you don't know the correct method to do so. It can be especially difficult if the baking paper comes in a roll or pre-cut squares instead of perfect rounds (which are super difficult to find in India).

What do we do about it?

One option is to keep your baking tin on the parchment paper and trace a circle around it. Cut out the circle and place it in the baking tin. But I find this method very tedious and I would not like ink or pencil lead in my food. So here's my go-to method.

How to Line a Round Baking Tin?

1. Take a sheet of parchment or baking paper. Tear or cut off a piece slightly bigger than the cake pan.

2. Fold it in half.

3. Fold it in half again. This time, fold it in half from right to left so that it closely resembles a square.

4. Fold the square into a triangle.

5. Fold the triangle in half again. Fold up to make an even smaller triangle.

6. Hold the triangle against the baking tin where the center of the paper (the pointed part) is aligned with the center of the baking tin. (see picture for reference)

7. Cut the parchment. Using where you are holding the baking paper as a guide, trim the triangle about 1/2-cm in from the edge of the pan.

8. Unfold the parchment and you have a perfect round for your cake tin!

The round baking tins are still easier to line in comparison to rectangular or square ones. They're a cakewalk in comparison (pun intended). Over the years, I have come up with quite a few ways of lining square and rectangular baking tins. But most of them require a lot of time, practice and patience except for one method. For this, all you need is baking paper and a pair of scissors. So here's the quickest and most convenient method.

How to Line a Rectangular Baking Tin?

1. Take a piece of baking paper that is bigger than the baking tin (base and height included).

2. Fold the baking paper in half forming a rectangle.

3. Fold it in half again. This time, fold it in half from right to left so that it closely resembles a square.

4. Now take a pair of scissors and make a cut (3-4 inches long) starting from the open most corner of the paper heading towards the center (see picture for reference).

5. Unfold the baking paper and place it in the tin and you will notice how the baking paper will adjust to the shape of the baking tin.

6. Then firm up the creases by applying pressure using your fingertips.

And Voila!

You are now equipped to perfectly line almost any baking tin or pan that comes your way.

Happy Baking!