I have a mini-pound cake recipe from my grandmother. It fits in regular a loaf pan.

I'd like to try the full traditional "pound cake" recipe (a pound each of sugar, butter, flour, and eggs). I can tell already it's going to need a bigger pan, but I don't know how much bigger.

Is there a way to calculate it based on (for example) the number of cups in the ingredients? I'd rather not mix it all and _then_ figure out none of my pans are big enough. I could just search for similar versions of the recipe online and see what size pans they suggest, but that leaves me in exactly the same position the next time i try a very old/traditional recipe that was written before modern cake pan sizes.

I was just wondering if any cake mavens knew how to calculate pan sizes based on the ingredients in a recipe.

I hope this will help: http://www.woodlandbakeryblog.com/baking-pans-sizes/

That chart presumes you already know what size pan you need. Unfortunately, I'm trying to deal with recipes that don't say what size pan to use.

But I do appreciate the answer!

ACan you fill it up with water and see how many cups it will hold?

AI read in another post here that you could convert the ingredient amounts to ounces then add them up and divide by eight and that you be the amount of cups the recipe makes. For exameple if you have this recipe 2 cups flour (8oz), 1 cup sugar ( 7 oz) two eggs (4oz) one cup butter (8oz) one cup milk (8 oz). Added together it comes to 35 ounces, divide it by 8 AND YOU get about 4.3 cup. Youu divide by 8 because that is how many liquid ounces there are in one cup.

a regular pound cake recipe is about 8 cups of batter -- so the loaf pan one is about 4 cups --

but the best idea to me is make it and measure it -- 

i mentioned in another thread that i only have so many math brain cells left and must use them wisely-- obviously vmanbakes has more than i do so a couple different methods there to choose from...so far..

but the brain cell you save today may be the one you could sorely need tomorrow -- so choose carefully  

not to mention it's a great reason to buy more cake pans so you'll be prepared for all outcomes! win win win