How long should you leave a cake in a pan after baking?

Make your first six-layer cake effort a success by making sure it doesn’t break apart when taken from the pan. Not all cakes need you to oil and/or flour your baking pan. (For example, angel food cakes are cooked in tube pans that enable cakes to be readily withdrawn without greasing.) But most of the time, you’ll find even a basic yellow cake recipe calls for your pan to be greased prior to putting it in the oven. When you know how to properly oil a pan, you’ll be able to pull cakes out of the pan with ease.

How to Grease and Flour a Pan

Cakes that will be removed from the pan call for a greased and floured pan; recipes that are served in the pan simply call for greasing. Skip this step if your recipe does not call for a buttered pan.

Step 1: Brush pan with shortening

Using a pastry brush ($11, Bed Bath & Beyond) or paper towel, brush solid shortening evenly over the bottom of the pan, being careful not to leave any uncoated, shiny spots. Grease the edges and corners of the pan while turning the pan. Grease just about 1 inch up the edges of the pan, not all the way to the top. Grease fluted tube pans with extreme care, being sure to cover the whole surface, including crevices. Cakes made in these pans are notoriously difficult to remove.

Step 2: Flour the pan

After the pan has been well oiled, add a few spoonfuls of all-purpose flour to the bottom. If you’re baking a chocolate cake, consider using unsweetened cocoa powder instead of flour for a nice deep brown color and enhanced chocolate flavor.

Step 3: Evenly distribute flour

Hold one edge of the pan; tap the other with free hand to distribute the flour. The flour will “skate” over the oiled surface and adhere to it. When the bottom of the pan is coated, tilt the pan, tapping to move the flour over the sides. Tap any excess flour into the trash.

Test Kitchen Tip: For a quick nonstick brush-on, stir together ¼ cup each vegetable oil, shortening, and flour. Instead of greasing or flouring, brush on pans.

How to Line a Pan with Parchment Paper or Waxed Paper

The extra step of lining the bottom of the pan with parchment paper is an even surer method for getting the cake out of the pan, especially those that are more likely to stick (we’re looking at you, carrot cake). Bear in mind that this procedure is only applicable to cakes prepared in flat-bottomed pans. For fluted tube pans, use the grease-and-flour procedure described above.

Step 1: Trace the pan

After greasing your pan (as described above), place it on a piece of parchment paper and sketch around it with a pencil.

Step 2: Cut and fit paper

With a clean pair of kitchen scissors, cut just inside the traced line on the paper. Smooth down any creases or bubbles by pressing it into the corners.

Step 3: Fit paper, then grease and flour

Unless otherwise stated in the recipe, oil and flour the top of the parchment paper (following the steps above).

How to Remove a Baked Cake from the Pan

Taking a cake from the pan at the proper time is crucial to preventing it from sticking or falling apart on you. Cool your cake according to the directions on the package. Certain recipes, such as those for cake rolls, stipulate that the cake be removed from the pan immediately after baking. Some cake recipes call for placing the pans on a cooling rack and cooling the cake in the pans for a short period of time (typically 10 minutes) before removing the cake. Set a timer in the kitchen for this stage. If you leave the cake in the pan for too long, it may become difficult to remove.

Step 1: Flip pan onto wire rack

To remove a layer cake from a pan, set a wire rack on top of the cake and turn the cake and pan over.

Step 2: Lift pan off cake

Pull the pan away from the cake, taking care not to break the cake’s edges.

Step 3: Remove paper, if used

Peel the waxed or parchment paper (if used) off the cake gently and quickly. Cool the cake according to the directions on the package. If you’re removing a cake roll from the pan, loosen the cake from the edges of the pan with a knife or offset spatula and turn out the cake onto a prepared kitchen towel before cooling as directed.

Put your cake-making knowledge to good use and practice some baking therapy with a delightful champagne cake with strawberries. Instead, opt for a traditional chocolate cake. Not to mention the ice cream!