How to Keep Cake from Sticking to the Pan
No more crumbly cakes! I’ll show you how to keep cake from sticking to the pan so your cakes come out easily every single time.
There are few baking disasters worse than a cake that sticks to the pan. You put in the time and effort, you’re excited as you pull it from the oven, but when you go to remove it from the pan it sticks and comes out in pieces. I’ve been there, and it is sooo frustrating.
But it’s been a long time since I shed tears over crumbled cake, and I’m here to pass my knowledge on to you! Here’s how to make sure your cakes come out clean and in one piece every time.
Table of Contents
- How to keep cake from sticking to the pan
- Always line cake pans with parchment paper
- Two ways to grease and flour cake pans
- Tips for removing cakes from the pan
- What about bundt cakes?
- More cake help
How to keep cake from sticking to the pan
These 2 steps are an absolute MUST to guarantee your cakes won’t stick (skip one or both and you’re just asking for trouble):
- Always line cake pans with parchment paper
- Grease well with butter and flour OR non-stick baking spray
Let’s break down these musts a bit more, shall we?
Always line cake pans with parchment paper
Once you find the magic of parchment paper, all of your bakes go so much more smoothly! Lining your cake pans with parchment ensures that the bottom of the cake cannot stick to the pan, and that it will all come out in one piece. I never bake a cake without parchment paper!
Tip: You can buy parchment rounds that will fit inside your pan, or you can trace around the outside of your pan onto a sheet of parchment paper with a pencil and cut it out. As you line your pan, place them pencil side-down.
Two ways to grease and flour cake pans
You need grease and flour to form a barrier between the pan and your cake. Grease alone won’t cut it! Here are 2 suggestions:
- Grease pan with butter and flour (works also with margarine or shortening). Rub soft butter over the entire surface of the pan with leftover butter paper liners or a paper towel. Sprinkle the pan with a bit of flour and shake and rotate the pan until it’s completely dusted. Then dump out the excess.
- Use a non-stick baking spray that includes flour. Look for brands like Baker’s Joy (sold in all grocery stores) or White Cap (sold at specialty stores or online and lasts forever).
I used butter+ flour in all of my cake pans for years and it worked beautifully. Then I discovered that nonstick baking spray works just as well and is even easier!
Tips for removing cakes from the pan
- Let baked cakes cool in the pan for 10-15 minutes to let the structure finish setting up.
- If any of the edges of the cake appear stuck, run a knife around the cake to loosen.
- Flip it carefully out of the pan. I usually flip the cake out onto my hand and then quickly flip it back down onto a wire rack so that it cools parchment side-down, but that’s just my preference.
What about bundt cakes?
My biggest piece of advice is to start with a bundt pan you trust, you can even use a quality nonstick bundt pan! Then make sure you grease and flour the bundt pan just as instructed above, greasing every nook and cranny all the way to the top.
After it’s baked and you’ve let it cool for a few minutes, give the pan and gentle shake up and down and see that it bounces lightly inside the pan. That way you know it’ll come out clean when you flip it out of the pan.
More cake help
- My Favorite Cake Tools
- How to Bake Flat Cake Layers
- How to Store and Freeze Cake Layers
- How to Build a Layer Cake
- How to Frost a Cake
This post was originally published June 2014.
Thank you. I recently baked a sweet potato pound cake the cake was delicious I grease the pan with a little olive oil and flour half of the bottom of the cake was sticking to the pan after letting the cake cool for 30 minutes
HI I was wondering if you have any ideas on how to make the cake batter stick to the non stick angel cake pan? I know this is the opposite of what has been discussed here.
Hi! Angel food cake needs to be able to stick to the sides of the pan as it bakes, that’s how it rises so high and achieves such a light and airy texture. Angel food cake recipes specifically say to not grease the pan before baking. I didn’t even know they made nonstick ring pans, and I would suggest buying a traditional pan for angel food cakes. I hope this helps!
Thank you for the advice here -gosh I needed it!!!
I bake cakes at Thanksgiving and Im stressing becausemy pound cakes always stick. I typed in “how to keep cake from sticking to the pan”…this post popped up. I read all the posts and I thought I got my answer , well…my pans are bundt pans non stick, I spray with Pam, I even put flour because it always stick 🙁 I even bought new pans, still the same thing…PLEASE HELP ME!!
Have you tried a baking specific non-stick spray (which has flour in it), like Baker’s Joy or White Cap? If so and you’ve followed all of my other suggestions, then perhaps it’s the recipe? Sorry I cannot be of more help!
I’ve done the parchment and Ive done the greasing and I’ve even done the greasing and flouring but never all 3. I’m definitely trying this as I’ve also had those heart breaking moments as part of the cake sticks. I also noticed you didn’t mention lining the sides of the cake tin but you get excellent results every time. Sounds wonderful to me. ❤
My big question is how do you do this for a bundt tin. They are a nightmare. Many a chocolate cake in bundt tin has brought me to tears as parts of the cake stay behind. Any tips would be really appreciated?
My main tip for bundt cake is to use a non-stick pan! It will save you so much heartache. Also, coat it generously with a non-stick baking spray (it should have flour in it). Baker’s Joy is my current favorite and you can find it in any grocery store.
Hi annalise I always use the butter/flour trick when lining my pans and also line them with parchment paper but when getting the cakes out they sometimes still stick to the sides a bit, I have to use a small knife to pull them away from the time and sometimes it tears the cake a bit. Please can you tell me where I’m going wrong with the sides
I am making a rich steamed pudding for a competition. All the recipes seem to say to grease the pan, but every time I’ve tried (thickly coating it with butter) it still catches on the sides a bit, which spoils the look. That’s okay for home eating, but not for a competition. I always put a round of baking paper (what you call parchment paper, I think) in the bottom. Can I also flour it do you think?
I can’t than you enough for your tips! I wish I would have read them before my beautiful cake stuck!?. I used spray from the grocery store, and it was a complete disaster. Next cake bake I will use the parchment paper, butter, and flour!
Thank you for all your advice on this subject. ♥️
Hi. I don’t know if you will get this email. I am a very old grandma who has only ever made 1, yes 1, successful sponge cake in my life. M<y question: I have stupidly agreed to make my 30 year old granddaughter a "guitar" shaped birthday cake. (My daughter-in-law doesn't think before she ropes me in for jobs/projects) So, guitar-shaped cake tin ordered. Questio1: do I somehow line the bottom with parchment paper? Question2: Do I need to somehow line the sides? Question 3, do I coat the bottom and sides in butter/flour?
I loved reading your blog, even though it is out of date. The tips remind me of my beloved mum and how she tried so many times to get me to make a successful Victoria sponge cake.
Regards Hilary
Hi Hilary! If the cake pan has a flat bottom, yes you should line with parchment. If not, just make sure you grease it really well. I would recommend a baking specific non-stick spray like Baker’s Joy that has flour in it. And then just grease the sides and bottom really well. I hope this helps!
I have made a lot of cakes when my kids were growing up and even before I was married. I never used parchment paper just the butter and flour and never had a problem with the cakes sticking. Even years later no problem. The last 2 cakes stuck using Betty Crocker and or Duncan Hines cake mixes. They both stuck…(grrr). The one cake fell apart so bad I just clumped it evenly on top of the other one and drizzled homemade icing over it. It was not wasted and tasted great. It must be covered sit tight so it won’t dry out
How would this apply when using a fluted or special pan like a bundt or a character pan?
My best advice for fluted bundt pans, etc. is to use a nonstick pan and coat very generously with baking spray or butter and flour.
Those are great tips! An easier way to get the parchment into the pan is to fold it into quarters first, then see where the center of the pan is and eyeball the center. Fold the parchment again, into eighths, then into sixteenths. Cut off the excess, unfold and the circle will fit in your pan! Easy peasy!
Thank you for the advice here -gosh I needed it!!!
I just made a failed cake 🙁 again and tried to put it together like a cake puzzle and ice the messiness thinking the icing would be like glue lol – needless to say my icing is now cake crumb icing and a big lumpy mess. My husband and kids being so kind as they are said it still tastes really good. I blamed my pan for my always sticking cake pieces. I will try the butter and flour and parchment and post how my next cake comes out 🙂
Oh dear, I have SO been there! I hope this tutorial will help prevent those headaches in the future!
Hi Dawn! I remember how my mother used to get a hot glass of water and a cake spatula to spread the frosting. She would set the spatula in the hot water for a few seconds and spread the frosting (thicker where the cake had stuck in the pan to cover the crumbs) This prevented getting cake crumbs in the frosting. She would immerse the knife every so often making it easier
to spread. Hope this helps
i guess you can’t line a bunt pan with parchment so I’ll try the butter.flour method. Question for my fellow bakers: how long do you allow the cake to cool before you turn it over onto the rack?
Yes, butter and flour or use a really good non-stick spray on a bundt pan, making sure to get every cranny. I usually let the cake cool in the pan 10-15 minutes before turning out the cake. I also do this thing before I flip it where I hold the pan with both hands and give it a few good shakes to see that the cake bounces inside of the pan. That way I know it’s not going to stick and if there are any little problem spots they hopefully get jostled free. Hope this helps!