How To Prepare A Cake Pan

A cake that won't release from its pan is so frustrating and a surefire way to quickly suck all the fun out of baking.

A just-baked cake cleanly released from its pan.

The secret to making a cake that easily plops out is to prepare the pan properly by greasing, lining and flouring it. And, it's important not to skip a step. 

Many recipes just call for greasing and flouring, but also lining the pan with a fitted piece of parchment is insurance that everything will work out, no pun intended.

So here's how to prepare a cake pan and keep smiles in the kitchen where they belong:

With a pencil, trace the bottom of your cake pan onto a piece of parchment and cut it out.

Thoroughly grease the cake pan with butter or vegetable shortening. I prefer shortening.

Line the bottom of the greased pan with the cut piece of parchment.

Now thoroughly grease the pan again with butter or shortening.

Add about 1/4 cup of flour to the pan.

Shake the flour evenly over the bottom of the pan.

Now lift the pan up and tap the flour evenly around the sides of the pan. I'm holding the pan over a second pan that needs to be floured so that the excess flour won't be wasted.

Once the sides are coated with flour, the pan is ready for batter and baking.