Tips to prevent cakes sticking to tin

[PattyCakes]

I think the first thing I would do is check that I'm using a good quality cake tin (or tins) of the non-stick variety, and preferably with loose bottoms if you can. Non-stick doesn't mean that you won't need to use paper on the bottom of your tin, but it really does help with the sides of shallow tins. Deeper tins for baking fruit cakes and cakes that need to bake for longer, will require to be lined around the sides.

If you're making, say a victoria sandwich, start by greasing your non-stick tin with a little butter - make sure you get up the sides of the tin adequately. Then, line the bottom of your tin with a parchment disc cut to size - not greaseproof - paper. Greaseproof paper is not as effective as parchment paper in keeping your cakes from sticking to your tins.

Once your cakes are baked, you will see that they are naturally coming away from the sides of the tin, and that tells you that all is well with your bake! Allow them to cool for 5-10 minutes in the tins, but don't leave them for too long or they will sweat and become soggy. Once you've turned them upside down on your wire rack, the sides of the tin will lift off perfectly, and you will then be able to simply lift the separate bottom of the tin off your baked cake. Be careful as it will be hot! All that remains is to carefully peel off your parchment paper.

I hope this helps.

 

[evelynmcgregor]

I always grease my cake tins, then dust the inside of the pan with flour, then I put a circle of wax/parchment paper in the bottom of the pan. They never seem to stick when I do this. There is also and item called Bakers Magic. It is a spray with both oil and flour that coats the pan. I have used this, too and it works great.

 

[Dez97]

grease the pan with butter, and then shimmy some flour over the butter around the whole pan. I normally do this when I am baking and it helps to keep the cake from burning and sticking. Hope it helps.

 

[Shazia]

Thank you everyone

 

[Shazia]

Have you tried the nonstick cooking spray for baking?
It has a bit of flour in it and it is supposed to a bit of flour in it to help your baking good come out of the pan clean.
I have not used it yet , but i have head good thing.

Yes I use the cooking/baking spray.

 

[Norcalbaker59]

Very old post I know...

Baker's pan release grease: equal parts BY WEIGHT of flour, shortening, neutral oil. Mix until smooth. With pastry brush apply a light coat to sides of pan.

This pan release works exceptionally well in bundt pans with intricate designs. For bundt pans apply a heavier coat, taking care to get into all the little nooks and crannies.

Parchment: Line the bottom of cake pans with parchment.

 

[Angie CupcakeQueen]

I always use Pam nonstick spray for baking. Unlike others I've tried, this stuff actually has a nice smell and doesn't ever leave an aftertaste on some of my cakes. Works every time.

 

[RedShoe]

I would LOVE to hear some suggestions for bundt cake pans because this is the bane of my existence! My issue is usually when i add fruit to the batter. It all sinks to the top (if you will) and sticks to the pan, making the flip a complete mess. I don't flour my pans because i don't cover my cakes in frosting. i like their natural skin to show, and flour makes them ghostly. HELP!

 

[Norcalbaker59]

I would LOVE to hear some suggestions for bundt cake pans because this is the bane of my existence! My issue is usually when i add fruit to the batter. It all sinks to the top (if you will) and sticks to the pan, making the flip a complete mess. I don't flour my pans because i don't cover my cakes in frosting. i like their natural skin to show, and flour makes them ghostly. HELP!

1. Baker's grease. I use it all the time on my mini lemon lavender bundt cakes and no film, no stick. Bundt pans should not be floured the traditional way as it will make the batter stick. But baker's grease with equal parts by weight of oil, shortening, and flour won't leave a film.

2. Grease every nook and cranny using a pastry brush. It's very important that you use a pastry brush to get in every crevice.

3. Set a clean dish towel in a jelly roll pan. Just before you pull the cake out of the oven, pour boiling hot water on the dishtowel. Enough just to wet it. You don't want it dripping wet. Place the Bundt pan on the dishtowel. Let it cool for about 20 minutes. The steam will help release the cake.

4. To keep the fruit from sinking to the bottom (which is the top when inverted) of the Bundt pan, pour about 1/4 of the batter in the pan BEFORE you add fruit to batter. Then fold the fruit into the remaining batter. The add it to the bundt pan.

 

[RedShoe]

For the grease, you mean like a Tbs of each? i wouldn't call that a "weight" tho. I tried Bakers Joy spray (supposedly a similar idea) and it left huge air bubbles on the skins of my cakes as well as discolored my silicon pans.

gonna try the towel and 1/4 batter ideas cuz im tired of making my fave cake ugly.

 

[Norcalbaker59]

For the grease, you mean like a Tbs of each? i wouldn't call that a "weight" tho. I tried Bakers Joy spray (supposedly a similar idea) and it left huge air bubbles on the skins of my cakes as well as discolored my silicon pans.

gonna try the towel and 1/4 batter ideas cuz im tired of making my fave cake ugly.

If you don't bake by weight, I suppose you could use volume. I bake by weight and was taught to make it by weight. But as long as you use equal portions I'm sure it will work.

I use:
20 g shortening
20 g neutral oil
20 g flour

Whip it with a whisk until smooth. It will look like a creamy white thin paste. Apply with a pastry brush.

In bakeries they make it up in big batches and store it the the refrigerator. It will keep several months in an air tight container. Just scoop some out into a small bowl and let it warm up on the counter before using it. Personally I make it as I need it. It's fast.

They use this in commercial bakeries because it works and it's way more cost effective that spray.

The flour sprays are fine for standard cake pans, but not bundt pans. Every time I've used the sprays in a Bundt pan my cakes stick. Every time I use baker's grease, I get my cakes out of the bundt pan whole--with the exception of my original Nordic Ware Bundt pan that's like a billion years old. That pan has never once released a cake intact. For some reason I've dragged that pan from one side of the United States to the other. That pan has been in three different states with me. I don't know why just don't throw the damn thing away.

The bubbles you got from the spray is from too much spray. It bubbles the batter where the spray puddles. Whenever you use spray in any cake pan, take a clean pastry brush to spread the spray evenly over the entire surface.

 

[RedShoe]

Which NW pan is that? I've been dying to get the Heritage and Jubilee, but if it's given you fits for years, maybe not...

Believe it or not, the best spray i've used so far was from the 99 cent store! it worked like a charm on all of my flavors. I thought i'd upgrade and get one of the brand sprays and haven't been nearly as pleased with them. But i'll try this grease tomorrow. i'm doing some R&D on cuba libre and mojito flavors...

 

[Norcalbaker59]

Which NW pan is that? I've been dying to get the Heritage and Jubilee, but if it's given you fits for years, maybe not...

Believe it or not, the best spray i've used so far was from the 99 cent store! it worked like a charm on all of my flavors. I thought i'd upgrade and get one of the brand sprays and haven't been nearly as pleased with them. But i'll try this grease tomorrow. i'm doing some R&D on cuba libre and mojito flavors...

Not the heritage or jubilee. It's an old mini pan. One of their early attempts at a non-stick. So dismal in performance that it was only around for a season.

Im all about the mini bundt. I like the scale of the cake. And given that it is normally an uniced cake, I don't even put powdered sugar on mine, drying out is a real issue. Especially if stored in the refrigerator. Once sliced, it's a race to eat it before it's stale. So I only bake mini bundt cakes.

Im really loving the heritage pan since they now have a mini. I find with mini bundts, the more simple designs work best.

 

[RedShoe]

Wait, you slice a mini? (note to self: stop stuffing the whole thing in your mouth. be a lady.) I was told by many bakers not to refrigerate cake. I only put mine in the cooler if it has a fruit or dairy topping.

I love the way my minis look, but they're a pain in the ass to make. I use the silicon pans because they were the only ones i found the size i wanted. Wilton and NW's minis were too big for profitability and the dozen pan are too small. I have to time the first stage of cooling just right so they don't stick (yes in silicon, yes sprayed and massaged), but don't break either. I was having fits over some of the cakes not browning until i realized 1. french vanilla doesn't brown and B. no one's minis brown. Then leveling and individually dressing them... ugh. but they look awesome, give the perfect balance of flavors and make a really cool display!

 

[Norcalbaker59]

Wait, you slice a mini? (note to self: stop stuffing the whole thing in your mouth. be a lady.) I was told by many bakers not to refrigerate cake. I only put mine in the cooler if it has a fruit or dairy topping.

I love the way my minis look, but they're a pain in the ass to make. I use the silicon pans because they were the only ones i found the size i wanted. Wilton and NW's minis were too big for profitability and the dozen pan are too small. I have to time the first stage of cooling just right so they don't stick (yes in silicon, yes sprayed and massaged), but don't break either. I was having fits over some of the cakes not browning until i realized 1. french vanilla doesn't brown and B. no one's minis brown. Then leveling and individually dressing them... ugh. but they look awesome, give the perfect balance of flavors and make a really cool display!
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OH how BEAUTIFUL the baby cakes I love those minis! Yes a pain, but oh so chic! Those are very pretty. Really nice.

I love a cake that isn't brown. I hate crust--like really really hate crust. I cut it off of my layer cakes. I hate it that much. I especially hate crust on an event cake unless it's a chocolate cake. I don't like that crust line between the crumb and icing. I want the sliced cake picture perfect when plated.

Yes refrigerators have evaporators so they dry out a cake. But I live in a 100 yr old farmhouse with no AC. So when it hits 80° and above I have to refrigerate or freeze.

Freezing actually makes a cake moist. I'll bake an event cake a week or two advance then freeze it simply because it makes it more moist.

 

[RedShoe]

thank you! i've come to like the non-browning, but for a while it was just looking doughy and uncooked to me. But i've worked through it. I rather like when my bundts are golden brown. not like a rough crust, but their skin is just toasted. but then again, i work in nearly naked bundts as opposed to frosted cake...

 

[Norcalbaker59]

thank you! i've come to like the non-browning, but for a while it was just looking doughy and uncooked to me. But i've worked through it. I rather like when my bundts are golden brown. not like a rough crust, but their skin is just toasted. but then again, i work in nearly naked bundts as opposed to frosted cake...

Yes, definitely with a full size bundt or a naked wedding cake, a golden crust is part of the look. When I bake a sponge, butter, or pound cake, if it's a light delicate flavor, then I want the pale crust. For traditional white wedding cake, a super white crumb and pale crust is the holy grail. I know some bakers who even add white food color and a tab of violet to eliminate any hint of yellow in a white cake. I won't go that far, but I make sure the method and pan I use minimize the browning when I need a white cake. And I make sure the sugar is equal or slightly more than the weight of the flour. That gives me a moist crust that I can easily remove.

Your cakes are pretty. They look moist and tempting. That's important because we eat first with our eyes.

 

[Lenlen]

Once I use a stick of butter, I save the butter wrappers and freeze them. Then when I need to grease a pan, they are at the ready. For cakes, I first trace the bottom of the pan onto parchment, cut it out, then grease the bottom of the pan with the butter wrapper, place the cut-out parchment on top, and then re-grease the parchment and dust with a bit of flour. It doesn't matter if you can see the flour when the cake comes out of the pan. Usually it is going to be covered up by frosting or other such topping!

 

[RedShoe]

Steamed towel advice worked great! Thank you!

 

[RedShoe]

Very old post I know...

Baker's pan release grease: equal parts BY WEIGHT of flour, shortening, neutral oil. Mix until smooth. With pastry brush apply a light coat to sides of pan.

This pan release works exceptionally well in bundt pans with intricate designs. For bundt pans apply a heavier coat, taking care to get into all the little nooks and crannies.

Parchment: Line the bottom of cake pans with parchment.

NorCal, I could kiss you square on the mouth for this one, but i don't think my computer screen would like that much... This was a godsend for the orders i had this past week! The only cakes that even remotely stuck to the pans were the ones i didn't use this concoction on. The rest flipped right out, no haggle! Even the intricate minis in the silicone pan popped right out!

What i did notice is that there was a little more of a crust on my cakes than usual. Did i use too much flour maybe? I measured equal amounts, but by weight, the flour would have been much lighter.