How To Remove Cake From Pan Without Breaking

Baking is often an outlet to release stress. However, mishaps such as accidentally breaking your perfectly baked cake while removing it from a pan can ruin an otherwise fun activity. In this article, we will explain how to remove cake from a pan without breaking it.

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Use the Right Cake Pan

A good pan, whether non-stick or not, is essential in baking. It contributes to the outcome and quality of everything you bake, including cakes. Therefore, using one that ensures your cake comes out in one piece would be a good idea.

If you are a new baker or want to upgrade your current bakeware, here are some foolproof suggestions (all are available on Amazon.com):

Make Sure That Your Pan Is Greased and Lined Properly

Aside from using good quality bakeware, it is also important that you grease and line your pan properly for good measure. Doing this will help your cake come out easily and make cleaning easier.

Or, if the cake does stick by chance, you will not have a hard time removing it from the pan since there will be parchment paper between it and the pan.

grease the plan well in order to remove cake from pan without breaking

Here are the steps to do this:

Measure and cut out some parchment paper the same size as the bottom of the cake pan.
Cut another strip of parchment paper that will fit the pan, and add a bit of allowance that can hang over it.
Grease the pan with some butter.
Place the bottom piece and flatten it to make sure it sticks to the pan, then do the same to the side piece.
Set your prepared pan aside until you are ready to use it.

Alternatively to parchment paper, you can also use flour or cocoa powder. Pick the one that best matches the color of the cake you are baking.

Here are the steps for this method without parchment paper:

Follow steps one to three from the procedure above.
Get a good amount of flour or cocoa powder and pour it into your greased pan.
Move the pan around until the inside is fully coated.
Dump out the excess flour or cocoa powder and set your pan aside.

Even though there is no such thing as too much butter, you can also use some cooking spray in place of it. But then again, the more the butter, the better, right?

Create the Right Conditions to Remove Cake Without breaking

Time and temperature are a crucial factor in baking and can greatly affect the result of your baked goods, especially cakes.

So make sure you follow the time and temperature that the recipe you will be using calls for. But if there is no mention of either, the safest temperature would be at 350 °F (177 °C), and the baking time would be between 30 to 35 minutes if using a standard 9-inch (23 cm) cake pan.

In addition, having a timer and oven thermometer on hand will also come in handy to ensure accuracy.

Only Remove Cake When It Is At The Right Temperature

It may be difficult for anyone eager to try out the cake they just baked, but allowing the cake to cool off has its benefits.

Cool cake is less soft, therefore it won’t break as quickly.
As the cake cools it shrinks. This effect should separate the cake from the cake pan.

Once the cake has cooled, it will be loose and easier to handle. I suggest you use a cooling rack for this method so air can hit all parts of the pan simultaneously and cool it faster and more evenly.

Plus, you would not want to burn yourself trying to remove the cake as soon as you take it out of the oven. Trust the process and be patient.

Since we are discussing cooling racks, here are some good ones to have in your stash (available on Amazon.com):

This method won’t work that well if you are trying to remove a cake from a bundt pan.
Check out my article here if you want to find out about that method.

Invert The Cake Pan

Another trick worth trying would be turning the pan upside down on a plate or a cake board. Once you turn it over, leave it in that position for a couple of minutes.

The weight of the cake will do the work, while the non-stick layer and the grease will assist it. If it hasn’t come loos after a few minutes, gently tap the bottom of the pan to release the cake.

Remove Cake By Force

Sometimes, a cake will not come out immediately despite taking preventive measures. It could be because the batter has oozed through the parchment and stuck to the sides of the pan. In this situation, using a knife can do the trick.

However, this measure is best kept as a last resort. Your cake won’t come out looking as perfect as it otherwise would.

If you decide to use this method, a butter knife might be better than a regular knife, so your pan does not get ruined by the sharp tip. Simply run the knife around the pan to break any parts that may have stuck during baking.

Conclusion

Following some of the tips on how to remove a cake from a cake pan and the preventive measures regarding how to remove cake from a pan without breaking can save you from all the hassle and increase the chances of your cake coming out perfectly intact every time.

Aside from that, these tips are completely doable and will not take much of your time. After all, baking should be fun and relaxing, right?