A Tube Pan looks like a pan for a very large doughnut. It is used for sponge and angel food cakes. It is a deep, ring-shaped pan with a tall tube in the centre. The tube is hollow, with no bottom on it, to allow hot air to pass through it like a chimney. A Tube Pan allows for even cooking of the middle of cakes, and for taller cakes, because the space in the middle is unavailable for batter. The centre chimney gives Angel Food Cake batter something to grip on to in the centre as it rises, allowing for better rising as it bakes in the oven.