Learning how to grease a bundt pan is an important kitchen technique everyone who loves to bake cakes should know, especially if you like to bake cakes that look pretty without frosting- Hello! Bundt cake pans. Even with a great Bundt cake recipe, if you don’t know the best way to grease a bundt pan and prevent your cakes from sticking, you may find Bundt cakes disappointing. Learn how to grease a bundt pan with step by step photos and never shy away from baking in them again.
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What is a bundt Pan? What does it look like?
If you don’t bake really often, you might not know what a bundt pan is or what it looks like.
Don’t worry you are not alone. That was me too at some point in my life. A Bundt cake pan is a cake pan with a tube in the middle and has fluted edges.
Though there are different types of bundt pans in the market these days, the traditional bundt pans come with fluted edges. However, you would find bundt pans that come with distinctive designs of the exterior giving a unique and beautiful design to bundt cakes.
Bundt pans may be described as a giant donut pan and are similar to tube pans but are not exactly the same as tube pans.
Nordic Ware is said to be the originator of these pans. Their founder H. David Dalquist was said to have created the Bundt pan in the bid to help post world war Jewish women society ( Hadassah Chapter of Minneapolis) reproduce the cakes their European mothers made for them.
What is the difference between a bundt pan and a tube pan.
Some people might classify a Bundt pan as a tube pan because it has a tube but that might not be really accurate.
- A tube pan has a longer tube in the middle of the pan and is usually used to bake angel food cakes, sponge cakes and chiffon cakes. A Bundt pan is better suited for sturdier cakes like pound cakes
- Tube pans usually have removable sides/ bottoms to help slide out the angel food cake. Bundt pans are one piece pans.
- Tube pans have smooth round edges with no exterior designs. Bundt pans have fluted edges with decorative designs.
Types of bundt pans
There are different types and shapes and sizes of bundt pans. We also have silicon ones as well.
What is the best Bundt pan to buy?
The Nordic Ware bundt pans though pricey is the best bundt pan in the market. They always give sharp and crisp edges to my bundt cakes. Before owning Nordic Ware Bundt pans, I never got those beautiful edges I always wanted with the other brands I had.
Where to buy bundt pans
Bundt pans can be bought online or in your favorite cake supplies shop.
How to grease a bundt pan and prevent your cakes from sticking with step by step photos.
There are two methods to grease a bundt pan properly and I will share that with you in the next few sentences.
If you follow the steps I am about to show you, your bundt cakes will never stick again. (Allow some margin of error please. Since the saying goes never say never)
That being said, I have never had my bundt pans stick with this method and I have made a lot of bundt cakes.
Quick Tip!
Don’t use a cooking spray / baking spray to grease a bundt pan it won’t work. It might work in regular shaped pans but not in a bundt pan. Most bundt pans are non stick and cooking sprays may not work well with non stick surfaces because it contains lecithin as one of its ingredients.
1. Shortening/ butter and Flour (method 1)
Step 1:
Start with a clean and dry bundt pan. Grease the pan with butter or shortening using a pastry brush. Make sure every nook and cranny in the pan is well greased. Pay special attention to the tube area.
Pour flour into the bundt pan
Step 3:
Cover the bundt pan with a sheet of cling film then shake it around to get the flour/ cocoa powder to stick to the butter/ shortening you applied to the pan previously make sure the flour/cocoa coats the tube properly. (this may seem like too much work but please do not skip it. Your bundt cake will be better for it.)
After shaking pan around to coat
Step 4:
Flip over the dusted pan while it’s still covered with the cling film. Tap around it several times ( not gently 😀) to release excess flour and discard.
Flip over and tap to release excess flour
Discard excess flour
Step 5:
Turn it over and your bundt pan is ready to be filled with your delicious cake batter.
2. Use a cake release
You can use a cake release which is essentially a mix of shortening and flour to grease the bundt pan. This method is faster and eliminates many steps from the first method.
Simply apply some cake release in a clean and dry bundt pan. With a pastry brush, spread release all over the pans paying attention to the tube.
If you don’t have a store bought cake release you can make yours by following the instructions below. It’s easier than you think.
What is cake release?
Cake release also known as pan release or goop is a simple mixture of fat and flour. It is used to coat cake pans before baking.
How to make cake release
Homemade cake release is made with the ratio of 1:1:1/2 of three common pantry ingredients.
- 1 part Shortening
- 1 part flour (For gluten free baking. Swap out the flour for cup for cup gluten free flour like)
- 1/2 part vegetable oil*
* Some recipes use a ratio of 1:1:1 but I prefer to use 1/2 part of oil.
Mix ingredients till well combined. Use immediately or store a clean jar for later, it can keep at room temp for up to 3 months and up to 6 months in the refrigerator.
How to remove cake from a bundt pan after baking.
If the bundt pan was well greased before baking, it’s actually very easy to get your baked cake out of it. Follow the step by step instructions below and find out how.
Step 1:
Let the cake cool for at least 10 mins before attempting to get it out of the pan. This is done for 2 reasons, first, so the pan cools down enough to be handled and second, hot cakes are soft and the cake might break.
Step 2:
When the cake has cooled for at least 10 mins in the pan. Place a cooling rack over it and or a plate or cake round.
Step 3:
Gently flip over the cake while holding the pan and the rack/plate/cake round. One hand will be on the cake pan while the othe will be on the cooling rack/ cake plate / cake round.
Flip pan over and cake should slide out easily
If the bundt pan was greased properly, the bundt cake should slide right out of the pan. If that doesn’t happen, gently tap the pan on all sides and it should.
Step 4:
Remove the pan and let the cake cool completely. Then slice and enjoy or frost it with a glaze, melted chocolate or just dust with powdered sugar. (my favorite way to decorate cakes. It’s easy and hassle free. All by you need is your powdered sugar and a sieve or flour shaker 😉)
Love easy step by step guides like this one, check out these other How-to guides on the blog
If you have ever had issues with your cake sticking, this guide should help you get your cakes out without any problems.
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