Springform pan substitutes
Springform pan substitutes — 7 options, ranked
Also called spring form pan, cheesecake pan, springform tin, loose-sided cake pan
Use 9-inch round cake pan with a sling
Use a 9-inch round cake pan lined with a parchment or foil sling: two long strips crossed in the pan with the ends hanging over the rim, so the chilled cake lifts straight out. A 9 x 2-inch cake pan holds about 8 cups against the 10 to 12 cups of a 9-inch springform, so fill it to within ½ inch of the rim and bake any extra batter in a ramekin. An 8 x 8-inch square pan has almost the same floor area (64 square inches, the same as a 9-inch round) and gives bars instead of wedges. A solid pan cannot leak in a water bath, which a springform often does.
- Verdict —
- Tweak it
- The tweak —
- Grease the pan, lay two parchment or heavy-duty foil strips about 3 inches wide across it in a cross with 2 inches hanging over each side, then press a parchment round on the base. Fill to within ½ inch of the rim, chill the baked cake at least 4 hours, run a thin knife around the edge and lift by the four tabs.
- Best for —
- cheesecake
- Pantry —
- Likely in your cupboard
Updated 8 Oct 2026 · no sponsored swaps
But first: what’s the springform pan doing?
Pick your caseDoes the cake have to come out whole, and how deep is it?
Use a 9-inch round cake pan with crossed parchment or foil strips and a parchment round. Chill the cake at least 4 hours before lifting. If the pan is only 2 inches deep, bake the extra batter in a ramekin.
Notes on 9-inch round cake pan with a sling or removable-bottom cake pan
An 8 x 8-inch pan matches the floor area of a 9-inch round, so the recipe bakes as written. A 9 x 13-inch pan gives a layer about half as deep: check it at half the time.
Notes on 8 x 8-inch square pan with a sling or 9 x 13-inch pan with a sling
Bake and serve it in a deep-dish pie plate. Expect leftover batter and a sloped slice.
Notes on 9-inch deep-dish pie plate
Nothing is baked, so any lined container works, including a foil pan you cut away. Freeze the cake for 30 minutes before lifting it so the sides hold.
Notes on 9-inch round cake pan with a sling, 8 x 8-inch square pan with a sling or disposable foil cake pan
Use a lined muffin tin and shorten the bake: start checking at 15 minutes at 325°F.
Notes on muffin tin with paper liners
A springform pan does one thing a solid pan cannot: it lets go of the cake from the side. That matters for anything too soft, too tall or too crumb-crusted to be flipped out, which mostly means cheesecake, flourless cakes, mousse cakes and ice cream cakes. Its straight 2 ½- to 3-inch wall also gives a tall cake. Any substitute has to solve the release, with a liner you can lift by or a dish you serve from, and has to hold the same volume of batter or bake the overflow separately.
Every option, one card
Ranked| # | Substitute | Instead of springform pan | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 9-inch round cake pan with a slingcheesecake | See notesTweak it | Tweak it |
| 2 | 8 x 8-inch square pan with a slingcheesecake bars | See notesTweak it | Tweak it |
| 3 | Removable-bottom cake pancheesecake | See notesWorks | Works |
| 4 | 9-inch deep-dish pie platecheesecake served from the dish | See notesYou'll taste it | You'll taste it |
| 5 | 9 x 13-inch pan with a slingcheesecake bars for a crowd | See notesYou'll taste it | You'll taste it |
| 6 | Muffin tin with paper linersmini cheesecakes | See notesYou'll taste it | You'll taste it |
| 7 | Disposable foil cake pancheesecake to give away | See notesYou'll taste it | You'll taste it |
| Not a swap | Unlined cake pan | not a swapNot for this | Not for this |
9-inch round cake pan with a sling
similar taste and texture
The same footprint as a 9-inch springform, with a paper or foil sling doing the job of the removable side.
- Best for
- cheesecake, flourless chocolate cake, tortes, ice cream cakes
- Prep
- Grease the pan, lay two parchment or heavy-duty foil strips about 3 inches wide across it in a cross with 2 inches hanging over each side, then press a parchment round on the base. Fill to within ½ inch of the rim, chill the baked cake at least 4 hours, run a thin knife around the edge and lift by the four tabs.
- Pantry
- Likely in your cupboard
A 9 x 2-inch cake pan holds about 8 cups; a 9-inch springform holds 10 to 12. A recipe written for a full 3-inch-deep springform will have batter left over, so bake the extra in a ramekin or muffin cup. It cannot release a warm or soft cake: the cake has to be cold and firm before it is lifted.
8 x 8-inch square pan with a sling
similar taste · corners slightly firmer
Almost exactly the floor area of a 9-inch round, so the depth and bake time stay close to the recipe.
- Best for
- cheesecake bars, mousse cakes, no-bake cheesecake, icebox cakes
- Prep
- Line with two crossed sheets of parchment or foil cut to the width of the pan, leaving 2 inches of overhang on all four sides. Chill fully, lift the whole slab out by the overhang and cut into squares with a knife wiped clean between cuts.
- Pantry
- Likely in your cupboard
An 8 x 8-inch pan has 64 square inches of floor and holds about 8 cups; a 9-inch round has about 64 square inches. The corners bake a little faster than the center, so start checking 5 minutes early. You get squares, not a round cake to present whole.
Removable-bottom cake pan
similar taste and texture
A straight-sided pan whose base pushes up and out, which frees a cake the same way a springform does, from below instead of from the side.
- Best for
- cheesecake, tortes, deep quiche, layer cakes
- Prep
- Set the cooled pan on a sturdy can or jar and slide the ring down, then move the cake on its base to a plate. Wrap the outside in two layers of heavy-duty foil before a water bath.
- Pantry
- Special trip
Check the depth: many are 2 inches deep, not 3. A fluted tart pan with a removable bottom is the same idea but only about 1 inch deep, so it holds a tart or a thin cheesecake and nothing taller. The loose base leaks thin batter and lets in water, just as a springform does.
9-inch deep-dish pie plate
similar taste · thinner at the edge, so the rim sets firmer
Skips the unmolding problem altogether: the cake is baked, chilled and served in the dish, cut in wedges like a pie.
- Best for
- cheesecake served from the dish, no-bake cheesecake, crumb-crust tarts, quiche
- Prep
- Press the crumb crust up the sloped sides to the rim. Fill to within ½ inch of the top and start checking 10 minutes before the recipe's time, because the layer is shallower at the edge.
- Pantry
- Likely in your cupboard
A deep-dish 9-inch pie plate holds 6 to 8 cups and a standard one only 4 to 5, so a full springform recipe makes more batter than it takes. The sides slope, the first slice is hard to get out clean, and the cake cannot be presented free-standing.
9 x 13-inch pan with a sling
similar taste · thinner, firmer layer
Turns a round cheesecake recipe into a tray of thin bars for a crowd.
- Best for
- cheesecake bars for a crowd, no-bake bars, icebox desserts
- Prep
- Line with a parchment or foil sling. Start checking at about half the recipe's bake time; the bars are done when the edge is set and the center 2 inches still wobble.
- Pantry
- Likely in your cupboard
The floor is 117 square inches against about 64 for a 9-inch round, so one recipe bakes into a layer about half as deep. Make close to double the crust to cover the base. Thin bars overbake quickly and have less of the creamy center a deep cheesecake has.
Muffin tin with paper liners
similar taste · more edge, less creamy center
Makes individual cheesecakes that peel out of their liners, with no unmolding at all.
- Best for
- mini cheesecakes, individual tortes, small no-bake desserts
- Prep
- Line 12 standard cups, press about 1 tablespoon of crumb crust into each, and fill three-quarters full. Bake at 325°F and start checking at 15 minutes; the centers should still wobble slightly. Chill in the tin.
- Pantry
- Likely in your cupboard
A recipe for a 9-inch springform fills more than one 12-cup tin, so plan on 18 to 24 or halve the recipe. Small cakes go from set to dry within a few minutes. This is a different dessert in shape: no tall slice.
Disposable foil cake pan
similar taste · paler, softer crust
A thin 9-inch foil pan that is cut away from the chilled cake with scissors instead of being unlatched.
- Best for
- cheesecake to give away, no-bake cheesecake, ice cream cakes
- Prep
- Set the foil pan on a rimmed baking sheet before filling so it can be carried without flexing. After chilling overnight, snip down the side in two places and peel the foil back.
Most foil cake pans are only 1 ½ to 2 inches deep and hold less than a springform. The thin wall bends when lifted full and can crack the surface, and it gives a paler crust than a heavy pan.
Unlined cake pan
unchanged
A regular cake pan with no sling and no parchment, for a cake that cannot be turned out.
- Best for
- nothing that has to come out in one piece
- Texture
- the cake breaks on the way out
- Pantry
- Likely in your cupboard
A crumb crust grips bare metal and a cheesecake is too soft to be dug out or shaken loose, so it comes out in pieces. Line the pan with a sling, or serve the cake from the dish.
Don’t swap it here
3 cases- A recipe that fills a 9 x 3-inch springform to the top, poured into a 2-inch-deep cake pan.Fill to ½ inch below the rim and bake the rest in ramekins, or scale the recipe to two-thirds.
- A warm cheesecake lifted out by its sling.Cool 1 hour on the counter, then chill at least 4 hours or overnight before lifting.
- SafetyA glass dish that is not marked oven-safe, used as the baking pan.Use a metal cake pan, or glass or ceramic bakeware that is marked oven-safe.
Questions
6 questionsWhat can I use instead of a 9-inch springform pan?
A 9-inch round cake pan lined with crossed strips of parchment or foil that hang over the rim. The strips act as handles to lift the chilled cake out. A 9 x 2-inch cake pan holds about 8 cups, a few cups less than a springform, so keep the batter ½ inch below the rim and bake any extra in a ramekin. An 8 x 8-inch square pan has the same floor area if you would rather have bars.
Can I make cheesecake without a springform pan?
Yes. Bake it in a lined cake pan and lift it out cold, bake it in a deep-dish pie plate and serve it from the dish, or bake it in a lined 8 x 8-inch pan and cut bars. The recipe itself does not change. What changes is how deep the cake is and how soon it is done, so go by the wobble in the center, not the clock.
Can I use a regular cake pan instead of a springform pan?
Yes, as long as it is lined so the cake can be lifted. Use two crossed strips of parchment or heavy-duty foil with the ends over the rim, plus a parchment round on the base. Without a liner a cheesecake cannot be turned out in one piece.
What is the same size as a 10-inch springform pan?
A 10-inch round has about 79 square inches of floor. A 9 x 9-inch square pan, at 81 square inches, is the closest common match and bakes the recipe at nearly the same depth. A 10-inch round cake pan with a sling also works; check that it is at least 2 inches deep and hold back batter if it is not as deep as the springform.
Can I use a pie pan instead of a springform pan?
For serving from the dish, yes. A deep-dish 9-inch pie plate holds 6 to 8 cups and a standard one 4 to 5, so most springform recipes make more filling than fits. Fill to ½ inch below the rim, bake the rest separately, and start checking about 10 minutes early.
Can I use a bundt or tube pan instead of a springform pan?
For a sturdy cake that can be turned out, such as a coffee cake, yes: a 10-inch tube pan holds more than a springform. For cheesecake, no. It cannot be inverted while it is soft, and a two-piece tube pan leaks thin batter.
Tips for substituting springform pan
5 tips- Measure a pan's volume with water: fill it to the rim from a measuring cup. A 9 x 2-inch round holds about 8 cups, a 9 x 3-inch springform about 12, an 8 x 8 x 2-inch square about 8 and a 9 x 13 x 2-inch pan about 14.
- Make the sling from two strips so there are four tabs to lift by. One strip lets the cake tilt and slide off.
- A solid cake pan is the better choice for a water bath. Set it in a roasting pan and pour in hot water to come 1 inch up the side; there is no seam for water to get through.
- To free a stuck cake from a metal pan, hold the base over a low burner or in a pan of hot water for 10 to 15 seconds to soften the butter in the crust, then lift. Do not put a glass or ceramic dish on a burner.
- A cheesecake is done when the outer 2 inches are set and the center still wobbles when the pan is nudged. In a shallower pan that point comes sooner than the recipe says.