Final answer:
The volume of a standard 10-inch round cake pan is approximately 10.875 cups. If the 10-inch pan is not available, two 8-inch round cake pans or a 9x13 inch rectangular pan can be used as they have similar volumes.
Step-by-step explanation:
The recipe calls for one (10-inch) round cake pan, and you are interested in learning the volume of this cake pan and what alternative pans could be used if you do not have the 10-inch size. First, let's calculate the volume of a 10-inch cake pan. A standard 10-inch round cake pan typically has a depth of about 2 inches. The volume (V) of a cylinder, which is the shape of a cake pan, is calculated by using the formula V = πr²h, where r is the radius and h is the height (depth). Since the diameter is 10 inches, the radius is 5 inches. Thus, the volume is V = π(5 inches)²(2 inches) ≈ 3.14159 × 25 in² × 2 in ≈ 157.0796 cubic inches. To convert this to cups (since cooking measurements typically use cups), we use the conversion that 1 cup is approximately 14.4375 cubic inches. Thus, the volume of our cake pan in cups is approximately 157.0796 / 14.4375 ≈ 10.875 cups.
If you do not have a 10-inch round cake pan, you could use two 8-inch round cake pans or a 9x13 inch rectangular cake pan, which have similar volumes and can therefore hold a similar amount of batter. In cooking, it is important to measure capacity accurately, and this can be done with measuring cups.
In conclusion, when substituting cake pans, you are attempting to maintain the same batter volume to ensure that the recipe turns out correctly. The original recipe mentions a 10-inch round cake pan, but if that is not available, two 8-inch round cake pans or a 9x13 inch rectangular pan could serve as suitable substitutes.