Our banana loaf recipe uses a 2lb (900g) tin size. This is the optimal loaf tin size for this particular recipe but that’s not to say you can’t get good results from a different tin size - or even from a different shape. However, you will be entering into the realm of “experimental baking” if you deviate from this aspect of the recipe so take a deep breath and prepare to be flexible - and accept that the first time you bake this recipe with the wrong size tin, the results may not be absolutely perfect. But we’ll bet they’ll be pretty good! If you put your cake into the oven, thinking all is well and then it rises…and rises…and rises over the top of the tin and starts flowing over, then you have probably overfilled your cake tin! A good rule of thumb is to never fill a cake tin more than two thirds (2/3) full. This will allow for space for the cake to rise in the tin without over-flowing. If you have used a smaller tin than stated in the recipe, consider baking two cakes in a row, using half the mixture each time..

Mary Berry with Lakeland 2lb Loaf Tin | Lakeland Mary Berry with Lakeland 2lb Loaf Tin | Lakeland

If you haven’t got a loaf tin at all, but have a square cake tin or a round tin, the standard sizes are 7” (18cm), 8” (20cm) and 9” (23cm). Measure your tin and use our advice below to consider the impact this may have on your baking. If you don’t have a 2lb Loaf Tin If you have increased the density of the cake mixture in the tin, possibly by using a smaller but deeper tin, you may find that the cake isn’t cooking evenly. If you are watching your cake, it is browning on top and looking very cooked, but a skewer won’t come out clean, you may wish to put a folded piece of baking parchment or greaseproof paper over the top of your cake in the oven. This will slow down the browning and may buy you enough time to ensure the mixture in the tin is all cooked. My cake is overflowing the cake tin! As its name suggests, a 1lb loaf tin takes half the amount of dough of a 2lb loaf tin. If you only have a 1lb loaf tin, we recommend either halving the quantities in the recipe or making all the mixture and baking two 1lb cakes one after the other. It may be tempting to put the full quantity of mixture into the 1lb loaf tin at once but with eggs and baking powder in the mixture, your cake should rise. And using such a small tin will result in the cake overflowing the tin and making a mess of your oven! As a rough guide, a 2lb (900g) loaf tin is about 21cm long, 11cm wide and 7cm high (8 x 4 x 3 inches approx) and a 1lb (450g) loaf tin is 16cm long, 11cm wide and 7cm high (6 x 4 x 3 inches). They do vary quite a bit from brand to brand but this should help you understand what you have got if you have one already. Please beware the difference between internal and external measurements, since a protruding lip will affect measurements - try to ignore this when measuring. If you prefer, you can measure the volume of water your tin holds. As a general rule, a 1lb (450g) tin will hold about 1.5 pints (850ml) of water. A 2lb (900g) tin will hold somewhere between 2 pints (1100mls) and 2.5 pints (1400mls); some hold even more, depending on the tin shape. What about other cake tin sizes?