If you’ve ever wondered why your baked goods come out looking different even when you’ve used the same brand of bakeware, you’re about to find out. According to veteran bakers, the color of the baking pan you use will impact how well your sweet treat bakes. Whether it’s cookies, cakes, or brownies, the pan makes all the difference. Cookies baked on a dark tray will have a more crispy edge and the bottom will brown more than those baked on a light tray. For cakes, because the dark metal products conduct heat more quickly, the bottom of the cake will be darker and the edges will set faster. This means you’ll end up with a shorter cake with a more rounded top and a thick crust. As for brownies, darker pans will cause the outer edges of the brownies to cook and set faster than the middle. As a result, you’ll end up with brownies that have a super crisp edge as opposed to the softer edge brownies made in a lighter pan. So now you know: Dark-colored pans absorb heat more efficiently than lighter pans, and more heat radiates off its surface.
