I often don’t have the required size of cake or tart tin called for in a recipe. How many tins does a person need? If I don’t have the right size, should I go smaller or larger?
Nicky, Norwich
“You know Maslow’s hierarchy of needs? Well, I think of baking kit a bit like that,” says pastry chef Nicola Lamb, whose first book, Sift, is out in May. At the bottom of the pyramid, you’ve got basic needs, such as food and safety, then, at the top, there are life’s luxuries. “So, while a six-inch (15cm) tin would be nice if you’re into layer cakes, it’s not necessary,” she says, whereas a round/eight-inch (20cm) springform cake tin is essential. Guardian baking columnist Benjamina Ebuehi agrees (although she prefers a simple loose-bottomed tin to a springform one), while Sarah Lemanski, founder of Nova Bakehouse in Leeds, likes a nine-inch (23cm) springform.
