But all baking pans are not created equal. Depending on what you’re baking and what type of pan you’re baking in, you’ll need to prepare it a little differently. Follow the guidelines below to ensure an easy release for specific baked goods but there are a few over-arching “rules” you should keep in mind for the best results, no matter what. First, don’t skip the pan prep: lots of cookie sheets and baking pans will claim to be non-stick but, over time, those non-stick coatings can break down or flake off. It’s best to plan on a worst-case scenario every single time. Dramatic? Maybe. A safe bet? Most definitely. To be safe, brush all your pans with a thin layer of softened butter (yes, sometimes you can use non-stick spray, but I find butter best in every case). Line the pan with parchment (see below for how to do it) and butter the parchment. Do this with all your straight-sided pans and you should be good to go. Obviously, you can’t line a Bundt pan with parchment, so keep reading to see how to tackle that. Still getting stuck? Here’s how to get out of a jam: Wrap the cooled cake and pan in plastic wrap and freeze for at least 6 hours and up to a day. Unwrap the frozen cake and run a thin knife around its edge. Insert two forks on opposite sides of the pan. Using the forks as levers, gently squeeze and nudge the cake to loosen it. Invert the pan and tap the edge on a 45-degree angle to pop out the cake. No luck? Frost the cake (or dust with powdered sugar) and serve straight from the pan. RELATED: What Is European Butter?
