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How To Remove Angel Food Cake From Pan Without Removable Bottom in 9 easy steps

You probably saw the flour, sugar, and eggs in the pantry and thought, “Hey, I have all the ingredients to make angel food cake.” But, what you did not see was one sticky problem on your horizon. You can easily make and bake the cake, but you will likely break a sweat trying to get it out in one piece. 

Follow these nine steps on how to remove angel food cake from pan without removable bottom:

1. Closely follow the recipe.
2. Use parchment paper.
3. Create a hole in the middle.
4. Cool the angel cake upside down.
5. Run a knife around the edges.
6. Tap the bottom and the sides of the pan.
7. Warm up the bottom.
8. Freeze the cake.
9. Remove the bottom with a spatula.

One thing is certain: after reading this article, nothing will come between you and that slice of heaven.

1. How to remove angel food cake from pan without removable bottom: Closely Follow the Recipe

The standard angel food cake recipe is pretty simple. Put simply, you’ll need to whisk egg whites, flour, sugar, and cream of tartar together. 

However, whisking is risky. The cake’s angel-like texture depends on how you manipulate the egg whites and mix them with the rest of the ingredients. Mix it wrong, and the next thing you know, your angel cake will collapse straight into the inferno.

You should follow these four simple tips to help your cake to rise to the heavens: 

• Do not overbeat the eggs. You should beat them until they form soft peaks. 
• Do not grease the pan. Avoid using fats with angel food cake at all costs.
• Cook until the top gets golden brown. This usually takes between 30 minutes and 1 hour, depending on the temperature, which ranges from 160°C to 190 °C (320°F to 375°F).
• Do not mix the ingredients aggressively. Instead, fold the eggs gently on top of the flour and sugar. 

2. Use Parchment Paper

I mentioned earlier that you should never grease the pan while baking angel food cake. You should not even sprinkle the pan with flour. These actions will make your cake crumble along with your dreams of a soft, fluffy dessert.

If your pan is sticky, the best option is to line the bottom with parchment paper. If you are using a round pan, follow Martha Stewart’s footsteps as outlined in this video: 

Follow these seven steps to get a clear-cut parchment circle for your pan:

1. First, fold the parchment paper into a square.
2. Fold the square into a triangle. 
3. Fold the triangles into halves until the final triangle is about 1 inch (2.5 cm) wide.
4. Bear with me—flip the pan upside down and place the triangle on top of it.
5. You’re almost there. To measure the length, place the tip of the triangle at the center of the pan.
6. Finally, cut the paper sticking out following the curve of the pan.
7. Unfold and enjoy the perfect circle.

3. Create a Hole in the Middle

A hole in the middle of the cake is essential because it will spread heat through its center, allowing the dessert to rise and bake evenly.

If you do not have a tube or bundt pan, you may create the middle hole using a can lined with parchment paper. 

You can do this in five simple steps:

1. Take any tin can and line it with parchment paper. 
2. Stick the sides of the paper together so it doesn’t fall out. 
3. Fill the can with beans or rice to help it remain heavy and in place. 
4. Place the lined can in the middle of the cake. 
5. Proceed to fill the pan with batter.

4. Cool the Angel Cake Upside-Down

Once you have made sure that the cake texture is light and you have baked it for the right amount of time, the next step is cooling. 

Before you cool the cake down, it is essential to turn it upside down. The only way for the cake to remain fluffy is to make it fight gravity as if its life depends on it.

Leave the cake for at least 30 minutes (or as long as necessary) to reach room temperature. To ensure the cake is cool enough, touch the top of the cake. It should be cooler than your hand.

If you are in a hurry to grab a bite of the cake, you can put it in the refrigerator. Regardless of your method, the cooling process is essential because it forces the cake to shrink slightly, making it easier to remove from the pan.

5. Run a Knife Around the Edges

Once the cake has risen and cooled down, you should unstick it from the edges of the pan. If your pan has removable edges, this step should be easy. If not, you can still follow these steps to remove the cake successfully:

1. Take a knife with a serrated blade. If you use a straight blade, you will compress the cake. A bread knife will not destroy gentle textures, including soft cakes and bread.
2. Dip the knife in hot water. This step is crucial as it will help the knife slide easily through the cake and keep its edges intact.
3. Repeat the dipping each time you run the knife around the edges.

6. Tap the Bottom and the Sides of the Pan

If you have done all of the above and the cake still won’t slide down, don’t panic—there are still more techniques to try. 

You should tap the bottom and sides of the pan. Your cake should remain upside down, with cut-out edges. Use your hand to tap the pan gently and encourage the cake to release from the pan.

7. Warm Up the Bottom

Sometimes the cake’s temperature will get too low if you let it cool for too long. In this case, you should use a damp kitchen towel to warm up the bottom. The cake will loosen up, and you should be able to remove it.

Another option is to place the cake in the oven for a few minutes. The cooling and heating will make the cake expand and shrink. It should be easier to remove it once it changes its volume. 

8. Freeze the Cake

If warming up didn’t work and you would like to keep the form of the cake without ruining it, there is one more thing to try. 

Place the angel cake in a freezer and let it sit for 1 to 2 hours. Once it has frozen, you should be able to run the knife along the edges again and remove it quickly.

9. Remove the Bottom With a Spatula

This final step works best if you don’t have a springform pan. In such cases, use an offset spatula to remove the cake from the sides of the pan gently.

Once you have created enough room, stick the spatula under the cake. Scrape a little bit and flip it upside down. Scraping should make it come out quickly.

If the surface is rough and unpresentable, you can use it to your advantage by decorating your cake top with berries or whipped cream. It will not only look good, but it will also taste delicious.

Bon Appétit

Making angel food cake can be a frustrating process, and removing the final product from the pan can be even more so. Luckily, there are a few tricks on how to remove angel food cake from pan without removable bottom you can try to free your dessert, so you can have your cake and eat it too. 

Once your cake lands on your plate in perfect shape, feel free to demolish it. After all this hassle, you deserve not one but two slices of angel food cake.

If you want any more tips and tricks on how to remove cake from a pan without breaking it check out my article here.