Is the springform pan essential for this recipe?

Hi Rita! No, it’s not essential. If you have a roughly 9-inch pie or cake pan with high sides, you can use that. Just be sure to thoroughly grease it and let the cake rest for 45 minutes before attempting to remove it.

As long as you line it and grease it enough, a 9-inch cake pan would probably work fine unless it's very delicate, but from the looks of it it would be substantial enough to survive a flip out of the pan.