Bought a Nordic Ware fluted tube bundt pan years ago—not cheap! Used it mostly for a simple chocolate cake that’s moist and delicious on its own or with a light dusting of icing sugar. The pan has a sort of non-stick coating. At least, it looks like it. At first, cakes released like a charm. However, it became necessary at times to slip a palette knife down the sides to help things along. Consequently, a few scratches.
Long story short, cakes NEVER released from this pan in recent years. No matter what I tried. We don’t have Baker’s Joy here, but I’ve used similar products. Have tried straight butter, straight canola oil, butter & flour, oil and flour. I always ended up with a big mess—great chunks of cake sticking to the pan. Haven’t used it in ages, but would like to with some of the new recipes in RHC. Anybody have any suggestions?
Carolita, I had problems with all my Bundt pans, until I tried with shortening, oil and flour (equal parts each).
I brush the pan *very* thoroughly and heavily with this mix. I prefer to loose some detaling, but to get the
cake in one piece.
Recently, I bought Cake Release (Wilton), and it worked very well; thereīs no need to use a lot of it. The
only thing I donīt like is the smell (though nobody seems to notice it, but me).
If I didnīt have Cake Release, I would use the shortening mix again.
I was going to suggest the ‘pan grease’ recipe, but Silvia beat me to it. I keep a small jar of it here in my pantry, it keeps forever. I find that it will separate over time, just whisk it back together. I beat mine with a small hand mixer initially, this seems to help homogenize all the ingredients and helps break up lumps of flour. Depending on how much you need to grease pans, it’s hard to tell you how much to make to start with. I use 1/4 cup each for my batch of ‘pan grease’.
i can’t find baker’s joy in hawaii neither and buying online won’t ship pressurized canned goods by air! i’ve been using Bak-klene from Williams Sonoma, very expensive, but lasts a long time, and works wonderfully, worth every penny. Safeway brand, Wilton brand, Pam brand, doesn’t work as good, but if you apply a double coat, then it is just as fine. i believe Bak-klene and Bakers Joy is available locally for restaurant use, but who needs a case of 24 cans!
thanks for the 1-1-1 pan grease recipe, maybe it will spray with one of those olive oil pumps?
I second Silvia’s recommendation to make up a batch of “baker’s grease.” That is what I use in my bundt pans. For good measure, I also spray the already-greased pan with Pam cooking spray (does not contain water), just to be sure I’ve covered every nook and cranny.
Thank you, everyone! Couldn’t be more timely. Quick question as I’m about to mix up my pan grease. Does it matter if the flour is AP or cake flour or….?
Not too late. Thanks, Rozanne. That’s what I used, and it worked like a charm. So thrilling to have finally found the answer to the bundt pan problem. Also, to have made my first cake from RHC. Photos and details later.
Thank you for the feedback Carol. I always use Baker’s Joy but the other day one of my neighbours said it contained propane. I checked the ingredient list and sure enough it does. Now I am paranoid and don’t want to use it. I know it is in small amounts and I don’t bake cakes everyday. I started using shortening and flour but it is not as convenient as using Baker’s Joy. Oh well….
I’m going to try the shortening /oil/ flour recipe. Anyway, Baker’s Joy is not available in Canada (as you already know). I stock up when I make a trip across the border. If this recipe works, I won’t have to stock up on Baker’s Joy anymore.
Hector, the baker’s grease is too thick to be sprayed.
Use a brush, small enough to reach all the nooks and
crannies. I also like to use baker’s grease, because,
as it is white, you can see if there are ungreased spots.
hectorwong - 24 September 2009 08:33 PM
i can’t find baker’s joy in hawaii neither and buying online won’t ship pressurized canned goods by air! i’ve been using Bak-klene from Williams Sonoma, very expensive, but lasts a long time, and works wonderfully, worth every penny. Safeway brand, Wilton brand, Pam brand, doesn’t work as good, but if you apply a double coat, then it is just as fine. i believe Bak-klene and Bakers Joy is available locally for restaurant use, but who needs a case of 24 cans!
thanks for the 1-1-1 pan grease recipe, maybe it will spray with one of those olive oil pumps?
Hector, I forgot to add that Wilton’s cake Release is not a spray,
but a liquid. *Perhaps* it could be sprayed with one of these
misters you mentioned.
Another option - I too have successfully used “baker’s grease”, but I’ve also successfully sprayed my bundt pans with non-stick spray like Pam, and then sprinkled granulated sugar in the pan instead of flour. It adds a slight crunch to the exterior crumb of the finished cake, and my bundts always release without any problems.
PATRINCIA:
Hello again. I must say that I am delighted that there is one or two others in the baking world other than French pastry bakers
that know & realize that the use of gran. sugar especially with butter in use as a pan preparation is superior than the common use of butter/flour mixture. Good for you Patrincia. However Patrincia, Carolitta’s problem cannot be fixed 100% with what has been suggested as a potential remedy ....but it probably will work at times & maybe not other times.
Have a nice day my learned friend.
....but it probably will work at times & maybe not other times.
