How to Bake a Level Cake that Doesn't Stick in the Pan

There are few things more exasperating than going to the trouble of mixing a cake and then having it come out lopsided or stuck to the pan when removed from the oven. Through twenty years in the cake decorating business, I was forced to learn ways to deal with those problems.

The first way to keep a cake from sticking is to grease the pan thoroughly with a solid shortening, such as Crisco or other similar products. Never use butter or margarine or rely on pan spray. While those products might work at times, they don't work consistently in all situations.

Next add a generous amount of flour and shake it around to coat the inside of the pan. Pour any loose flour out onto a sheet of waxed paper, and folding the paper to form a "ditch," pour the flour back into the canister or whatever container is used to store flour.

If there are any shiny spots left on the pan, recoat those areas with shortening and cover them with flour. When baking cakes in character pans and others with multiple lines and low and high places, this method is virtually the only one that will work.

If using a normal flat pan, either rectangular or round, the safest and most reliable way to prevent sticking is to use waxed paper in the pan. First, grease the pan well with shortening. Then, cut or tear a piece of waxed paper at least large enough to cover the bottom of the pan. Press the paper firmly and smoothly down into the bottom of the pan, forcing it into the "joint" where the bottom and sides meet. Using a sharp blade, such as a utility knife, run it around that "joint" and cut the paper stuck to the bottom of the pan away from the rest. Pull the excess paper away and discard it.

Then, grease the pan again, this time greasing right on top of the waxed paper stuck in the bottom of the pan, and on the sides. Finally, add flour to coat the pan and shake to cover all the shortening.

If one has a problem with cakes rising too high in the middle, there are two solutions to that. One is to put the batter-filled cake pan into a cold oven and then turn the oven on to 300 degrees instead of the usual 350, adjusting baking time accordingly. If one is concerned about the cake drying out because of a longer baking time, placing a pan of water on the lower rack under the cake will compensate for that.

Another way which works better, but is more trouble, is to wrap the sides of the pans with wet terry cloth. Some cake decorating supply businesses sell terry cloth strips for that purpose. Because I used cake pans of so many different sizes, I made my own strips by tearing an old towel into strips three times as wide as the depth of the pans and folding the strips twice, making three thicknesses. I wet the strips, then wrapped them around the pans, overlapping the ends slightly, and pinned them together with a large safety pin. These wet strips cause the outside edges of the cake to bake more slowly so they will rise at the same rate as the middle of the cake. When the cake comes out of the oven, the strips can easily be removed without taking out the pins.

To test a cake for doneness, press down on the middle of the cake lightly. If it springs back, it is probably done. When the cake is done, remove it from the oven. Then run a sharp, thin knife blade around the sides of the cake to release any stuck places. Invert over the pan a plate or whatever will be used as the base for the decorated cake. (Some recommend letting a cake cool for a while before taking it up, but I find it's more likely to stick if you do.) Using pot holders on the pan, and gripping the plate or other base at the same time, flip the pan over, transferring the cake to the base. There is no need to worry about the cake sticking on the bottom, as the waxed paper will come out with the cake and can be easily peeled off. In some cases it will remain in the pan, but will keep the cake from being stuck.

The waxed paper method is especially important if one needs to use a pan that is rusty or corroded. It's almost impossible to keep a cake from sticking in such a pan, but the waxed paper method will always work.

Some have asked if the waxed paper wouldn't be likely to burn in such cases. The answer is no. Unless the cake burns, the paper will not burn either, and even if it should, it would cause no problems, as it will never be exposed to the air.

If one has a problem, as I now do, with an oven that just doesn't want to sit level in spite of my best efforts, cakes may still turn out lopsided. To deal with an unlevel cake, especially if it will be only one layer, one can carefully slice off the high places while the cake is still in the pan, and place them in the low spots before turning out the cake. The top will then be on the bottom and after the cake sits for a while, no one will even notice that the cake has been "patched."

I hope readers will find this helpful. If I can answer any questions about it, please contact me. Happy baking!