hello from Germany first, I’m new here. i consider myself to be quite an experienced baker but i don’t cakes much, more bread. anyway, i bought the nordicware petit four pan to be honest just because it looked so pretty. now i’ve tried anything and everything to make it work but none of the recipes (reliable, good ones) i’ve tried has a pretty look. all come out fluffy (even pound cakes) and with big bubbles so you don’t see anything of the pretty indentations. I’ve tried mixes, cake bibles recipes and various others. i mailed the nordicware staff - they couldn’t send me a recipe because they don’t have one. i’ve tried baking on every rack of the oven, at lower temperatures and of course i tapped the pan on the counter to release air bubbles - nothing helped. i’ve never had the same problem with any of my cakes.
does anyone have experience with this or alike pans and tips? i’d appreciate that a lot!
thanks, sanni

Hi Sanni,

Welcome to the blog. If air bubbles are the problem, here is a trick I’ve heard about but never tried: After you grease and flour the pans, take some batter and smear it into the pans, as if you are frosting them on the inside. This will help to fill in the detailed areas. Then, continue to fill the pans as usual.

Sometimes, I spin my cake pans, or I slide them back and forth quickly across the countertop, to make the batter settle. I don’t like to tap them because I am afraid I will dent them by accident.

I also recommend that you try a bundt cake recipe. Bundt cakes are a type of butter cake, baked in a pan called a bundt pan, which has decorative detail.

I have a question. When you mix the batter, what kind of a mixing tool do you use? If you are using a whisk, you might be beating a lot of air into your batter without realizing it.

If I notice my batter has more air bubbles than usual, I’ll drop the filled pan from 2 or 3 inches above the counter a couple of times - that seems to bring most of the bubbles to the surface.

how about decreasing the amount of baking powder?

How are you prepping the pan? With a spray release?  Or by greasing with butter/flour or baker’s grease (butter, shortening or oil and flour)?

Have the bubbles appeared in the same spot with each recipe you’ve tried?  What kind of oven do you have (conventional or convection?)

THanks for all your help. I haven’t come around to try the tips yet, too much work but they sound good. I can choose between conventional and convection as my oven allows different settings but aside from baking many sheets of cookies i always use conventional. I thought about decreasing the bp but have no idea where to start. i did let the filled pan fall on the counter - didn’t work, the bubbles are all over but mostly on the bottom and later top - where the filigran pattern is . and because of that pattern i use bakers secret to grease.

Sanni, I’m thinking along the same lines as Jeanne.  The best thing for preparing a shaped pan is a spray with both oil and flour in it, like Baker’s Joy.  Many other methods can result in the bubbles you describe.