How do you calculate the volume of a pudding mold?

I decided to make Martha Stewart's cranberry steamed pudding for Christmas dinner, but it called for a 7½-cup mold and I only had a 5½-cup mold and a 3½-cup mold, so I decided I'd split the cranberry topping and the batter between the two, making a large and a small pudding. Imagine my aggravation, after buttering two molds, putting in the cranberry topping and pouring the batter, when it appeared that everything would have fit in the 5½-cup mold and still left the requisite ½-inch headspace. Believe me, I had a few choice words for Martha at that point, since it was too late to salvage what I'd already poured into the smaller mold! I think there would have been a 3+-inch headspace if I'd actualy had a 7½-cup mold to use.

Which raises the question: how do you calculate the volume of a pudding mold? I just poured water into mine and measured it. My molds held 6 and 4 cups, respectively, so I subtracted a half-cup, figuring that was enough to allow for headspace in the molds. Either Martha's crazy or that method isn't correct, so how *do* you calculate the volume of a pudding mold? Thanks in advance!

Diana B
  • Posted by: Diana B
  • December 27, 2014
  • 3510 views
  • 3 Comments

3 Comments

Diana B.
Diana B. December 28, 2014
Both my molds are decorative, Nancy. So I guess the general consensus is that Martha was wrong. Anyway, the pudding was delicious!
 
Nancy
Nancy December 28, 2014
Agree w/you and greenstuff (Chris). In addition, as I found recently check ing if wok was big enough for a roasting chicken , and if pudding mold is round (not decorative shape), you can use formula for volume of a sphere and cut it in half. I know, shades of Mr Ross, my h.s. geometry teacher and R L Beranbaun...but sometimes math DOES help in the kitchen.
 
Greenstuff
Greenstuff December 27, 2014
Your method is fine, it's just what I was going to suggest.
 
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