The No-Fail Way To Grease A Cake Pan

If you are new here, welcome! If you are one of my sweet loyal readers, this post may seem a bit arbitrary. However, I wish I had read one of these blogs when I first began my baking journey! Instead, I dealt with recipes simply mentioning a "greased pan" and not HOW to do it. It wasn't until culinary school that my chef had to spell it out for me. Lucky for you, now you have me!

How often do you get stuck re-baking cakes because they don't turn out perfectly the first time? If you've ever had a cake fall apart or burn, you know it's frustrating.

Baking is a skill that takes time and practice to master. Many things can go wrong during the baking process, such as overmixing batter, underbaking, or using too much butter.

There are several ways to ensure that your baked goods come out perfect every time. The key is knowing what ingredients to use and how to combine them properly.

But the trickiest part, without a doubt, comes when you have to remove the cake from the pan. Any amateur baker will know about the dreaded pan.

The pan that suddenly gets so attached to the cake just as you are about to take it out. The result is a spongy mess as bits of the cake get stuck to the pan.

But there is a way to prevent this headache from happening at the finish line:

Greasing your pan properly.

No-Fail Ways To Grease Your Cake Pan

Greasing your pan is a great way to prevent any sticking issues. It also helps with removing the cake once it’s done. Here’s how to grease and release your pan:

1. Make sure the pan has been washed in hot water. This removes any residue left by previous bakes and prevents any more build-up over time.

2. Use oil (or cooking spray) on the inside of the pan. You want to coat the entire interior surface. If you're using butter instead, make sure it is room temp and you are using a brush to coat all the nooks and crannies of the interior and sides of the pan.

3. Bake the cake as instructed. If no details are mentioned or you are free-baking, a typical cake recipe calls for 20 minutes at 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Unless the recipe states it, try not to stray too far from the standard during the first attempts at the recipe.

4. Remove the cake from the oven and let cool completely. This allows the crumb to settle and bond with itself, holding the cake together.

5. Run a knife around the edges of the pan.

6. Invert the cake onto a plate, or other mobile "middle man" surface. This is just a middle station for you to peel off the bottom of the pan if it has an insert. Also, use this opportunity to check the coloring and doneness of the bottom of your cake.

7. After you peel off the bottom of the pan, invert the cake again onto your cooking rack for further cooling, a cake board, or your cake stand.

This is the basic way to grease your pan using oil or butter. This greasing method prevents any sticking issues, but if you're looking for something more foolproof, here are other options.

Greaseproof Paper

If you'd like to try a different method, then you should give the greaseproof paper a shot. Greaseproof paper comes in different forms, some of which can be used in baking.

First, there is parchment paper, or sometimes called baking paper or bakery paper. Depending on the brand, some of these are treated with a thin layer of silicone to make them heat-resistant. Therefore, they are widely used in commercial settings to reduce the overuse of baking pans by just switching out these disposable baking papers. They are widely sold in rolls and pre-cut sheets.

Another greaseproof paper is wax paper or made from waxed paper. DO NOT use this type of greaseproof paper. Wax paper is widely used for packaging and handling foods but is not resistant to the heat of the oven. It will burn and stick to your baked goods. Some are a lot thinner than parchment paper, almost like tissue, so this is a good way to differentiate between the two. But if in doubt, check the packaging to see if it is oven-safe. If it is, whichever paper it is, use it to line your pans to prevent food from sticking.

The best way to line your pan with greaseproof paper is to quickly create a template. Whether your cake pan is square, rectangle, or circle, place it on top of your paper and trace the shape of outside bottom of your pan. Using butter or oil spray, stick this sheet to the interior bottom of your pan.

For the sides, lay your pan on it's side over your paper. Measure and mark out a strip of paper that is at least 2' thicker and as long as the perimeter of the pan. Cut multiple strips of paper if you need to cover all the sides of the interior. Likewise, with the bottom sheet, use butter or oil on the interior to help stick the paper to the sides of your pan. Allow the extra 2 inches or more to extend upward when you turn the cake pan right side up. This will ensure that when you pour the cake batter in, it will be contained within the areas of the pan that are only covered with greaseproof paper.

Note: Using the greaseproof paper method, make sure to invert the cake onto a small plate or surface than the top of the cake's diameter, This will make it easier to remove the paper from the sides of the cake.

How To Prevent Baked Goods From Sticking To The Pan

As mentioned above, there are several reasons why baked goods stick to the pan. Some of these include:

Overmixing the Batter

Too much mixing causes air bubbles to form within the batter. Unless the recipe is not using any artificial leveners, and calls for only manual mixing (like sponge cakes), these air pockets may cause the cake to rise unevenly.

Not Letting the Cake to (Slightly) Cool Before Taking it out of the Pan

This allows steam to escape. Steam causes the cake to puff up. After baking, allow the cake to settle down to it's almost final shape.

Letting the Cake Sit in the Pan Too Long

This causes the cake to either dry out, cook longer in the hot pan, or develop a hardened crust that may stick unevenly to the pan.

Forcing the Cake out of the Pan

Obviously, if you force the cake out of the mold, it could break apart. I know cake smells so tempting to eat immediately out of the oven, but have some finesse my fellow bakers!

Going a Step Further than Greasing Methods

Whether you chose to use greaseproof paper or not, some bakers will add a thin layer of flour into the pan to help separate the cake batter from the pan. Just a tablespoon or two will do, and you move the pan all around to have gravity coat the bottom and side. Tap all the excess flour out of the pan to ensure it is a thin even coat of flour.

Use the same flour that the recipe calls for in the cake batter. If you are baking a chocolate cake, use cocoa powder instead of flour. This will ensure you don't have white residue on your finished brown chocolate cake.

If you used greaseproof paper, brush or spray another coat of butter or oil evenly on top of the paper. The pan will need this to stick the additional layer of flour or cocoa powder.

Note: It may be tempting to try and use powdered sugar for this step, but do not attempt this. Sugar, even in it's powdered form, will crystallize in direct heat of the pan and create an unwanted crust that will FOR SURE stick your cake to the pan or make it harder to remove the greaseproof paper.

Greasing Tips

If you're having trouble getting the cake out of the dish, here are a couple of tips to get rid of those stubborn stuck cakes.

First, don't panic! Don't throw the cake pan against the wall or slam it down on the counter. Doing so could damage the pan. I know this personally from my immature younger baker days haha! Instead, gently tap the side of the pan with a wooden spoon.

If this method does not work, then you can always use a knife. Rather than normally running you knife around the edge again the pan, carefully cut down slightly from edges of the cake. Once you've cut off all the stubborn stuck edges, carefully flip the cake upside down onto a plate. Continue to trim the cake into straighter edges or till you are satisfied saving the shape you want.

There have been times that I started out with a round cake and cut it into a smaller square because of an edge I did not like. Or another time, I had a square cake and used a round mold to cut it into a smaller circle because my square edges weren't perfect. Sometimes you have to improvise at the end to save all that cake-mixing hard work!

You could also try investing in some high-tech new hardware. Using silicone pans and molds is becoming a fast and easy solution to the sticking problem.

I hope these tips will help you as you bake cakes and more!

Check out this video from YouTuber and baker, Hodge Podge Australia. She uses butter and greaseproof paper only on the bottom, and that works perfectly for her. What works perfectly for you? Let me know in the comments!