You’re having a party. You need an elegant (but still easy) dessert, something beyond a simple sheet cake. What to make… Light dawns on Marblehead! Bundt cake is a simple yet striking way to turn a standard cake into something special.
So you bake your Bundt, turn the pan over, hold your breath… then let the expletives fly as the cake tumbles out of the pan in chunks, a ruined mess.
Prevent Bundt cakes from sticking: Our top 10 tips for perfect bundts every time
1. If it ain’t broke…
If you use your grandma’s beat-up old aluminum pan (or a brand new top-of-the-line model), and your Bundt cakes ALWAYS come out of the pan with nary a crumb out of place — thank your lucky stars! Read the rest of this post if you feel like having a self-satisfied chuckle, but don’t change a thing in your Bundt-baking routine.
2. Use a non-stick pan — preferably one in good shape
Non-stick pans are the perfect solution to the inherent challenges in a Bundt cake’s intricate design. But beware the older non-stick pan: a scratched, worn non-stick surface may no longer be slick enough to release your cake flawlessly.
3. Grease the pan thoroughly
Use non-stick vegetable oil spray or melted shortening — not butter. The milk solids in butter can act like glue, encouraging cake batter to stick to the pan. (You always butter your pan, and your cake never sticks? See tip #1, above).
If your pan is particularly intricate, use a pastry brush to apply melted shortening to all its nooks and crannies.
Oh, and don’t forget the center tube: it needs just as much careful attention as the rest of the pan.
4. Grease the pan just prior to adding the batter
Most recipes start out, “Preheat your oven. Grease your pan…” We’ve found that greasing a non-stick Bundt pan too far ahead of time allows the oil to slide down the inside of the pan and pool in the bottom.
5. Don’t flour the pan; but do coat it
If you’re using a non-stick pan and still having trouble with sticking Bundts, try sprinkling a coating of either finely ground nut flour (that’s toasted almond flour on the left) or granulated sugar into the greased pan before adding the batter. Either will provide a barrier between batter and pan — which is what you’re seeking.
“But isn’t sugar sticky?” Yes, it becomes sticky as it cools; and it can act like glue when fully cooled. But while warm, sugar is still semi-liquid, and your sugar-coated cake should slide right out of the pan.
What about flour?
Here’s an experiment I did sprinkling the inside of a greased Bundt pan with toasted almond flour (left side of cake); granulated sugar (top), and flour (the missing chunk, and some adjoining real estate at the bottom).
Not only does flour sometimes provide a less-than-satisfactory non-stick experience, it also adds a dry layer of “gunk” to the cake’s surface. I prefer either sugar or finely ground nuts (nut flour).
“I always flour my Bundt pan and my cake always comes out just fine,” you say? See tip #1, above.
6. Loosen the edges of the cake when you remove it from the oven
A bit of gentle poking with a table knife or thin heatproof spatula is all you need to do. Carefully slide the knife or spatula down the sides of the pan as far as you can, to release any sticking spots.
7. Don’t forget the tube
Sometimes your cake may rise up and over the tube, which will effectively block it from releasing from the pan. Either cut away any extra cake that’s encroached on the tube; or gently push it back with your fingers. You want the entire top surface of the tube to show.
8. Let the hot cake rest for a few minutes
If your cake breaks when you turn it out of the pan, you could be misinterpreting the cause. Some cakes are extremely fragile right out of the oven; even if they don’t stick to the pan, the simple act of moving them from pan to rack causes a fracture.
I like to let my Bundt cakes rest for about 5 minutes right side up; then for another 5 minutes upside down on a rack. Sometimes the cake drops out of the pan as soon as I turn the pan onto the rack. Sometimes it needs a little help — read on.
9. Give your Bundt a gentle nudge
If you’ve turned the pan over, waited, and the cake hasn’t dropped out of the pan onto the rack, give it a few gentle side-to-side jiggles. This small motion is often enough to release it.
10. If all else fails…
Return your cake to the cooling (but still warm) oven for about 10 minutes. Often this mild heat is just enough to soften and release any baked-on areas clinging to the sides of the pan.
King Arthur Flour has decreed 2017 the Year of the Bundt, so we’ve been baking an awful lot of Bundt cakes here in the test kitchen recently. The cake starring in this blog post is also our 2017 Recipe of the Year: Lemon Bliss Cake. We highly recommend this cake as a jumping-off point for using the tips in this post!
And, if you have any Bundt cake tips of your own, please share them in comments, below. We look forward to hearing (and learning!) from you.
Thanks PJ, lots of excellent tips.
I’d like to add an alternative to using a spatula (tip no.6). The blade of a spatula or knife is often wider than the groove you’re trying to release and its edges can sometimes scratch the pan, damage the cake, or do both at the same time. If you have this problem (or fear for your non-stick coating) try using a spudger instead. Spudgers are carbon-fibre flat-bladed and, best of all, thin tools used in computer repairs. Easy to find, especially online, and cheap. I keep one handy to use when my almond powder coating fails.
I made the cake and it stuck. Used butter to grease pan.
Kevin, as you’ll see in step three, we suggest using “non-stick vegetable oil spray or melted shortening — not butter. The milk solids in butter can act like glue, encouraging cake batter to stick to the pan.” We hope this tip can help make for a more successful next bake! Mollie@KAF
I just made one today, using a complicated pan design which is made to look like a castle with towers and draw bridges, large stonework and such. I carefully filled all details with softened butter and flour. Of course, the cake was stuck and would not release until i blasted all sides with a blowtorch.
I keep a couple of small plastic knives around (the kind that you’d normally throw away) to loosen cake and bread from my non-stick pans (tip 6). They won’t scratch non-stick surfaces, they get into the smaller groves of a bundt pan, and as long as you’ve let the bread or cake cool for a few minutes (tip 8), they have no chance of melting.
Jim, thanks so much — that’s a great use for those plastic knives they throw into your bag at the fast food takeout (along with the fork and spoon), for sure! PJH
I use Baker’s Joy or Pam with flour and never have a cake get stuck. Be sure to use enough of it, and your bundt will slide right out of the pan. In fact, Nordicware recommends using those sprays.
Thank you MartinB. Had never heard of spudgers before — but now I’m going to buy a dozen to use and to share!
Just have to remember to mark the kitchen spudger and the computer spudger differently so I don’t accidentally use the wrong one.
I recently left a cake too long in the pan and it ended up glued to the pan. I heated a wet dish towel in the microwave and laid it over the inverted pan and the cake released.. Whew!
I have found that a bundt cake made with oil (apple cake) does not stick to the pan. Using a canola spray instead of one with flour also adds to the success of that cake coming out clean. I made a “light” cake that called for butter and oil and forgot to use canola spray and used the flour and oil spray. The cake stuck. Cut the cake in slices, froze the wrapped slices and now it’s ready for fruit and whipped cream or trifle! I never have a problem with tube pans or angel cake pans so I decided to stick to those pans and play it safe.
I found this post very interesting and am looking forward to trying out some of the tips. I was struck by the fact that you did not reccomend Everbake or another cooking spray. Is this because these products don’t do a good job of coating a bunt pan?
We love using Everbake, Heike! Don’t get us wrong, it does a fabulous job of making Bundt cake release easily from the pan. For many bakers, this falls under tip number #1: it’s our go-to for easy release so we don’t change a thing. However, we also recognize that Everbake isn’t accessible for all bakers, so we wanted to explore some other tips that may be helpful. It turns out the melted shortening does a miraculous job of coating pans as well. Kye@KAF
Thank you for the tips! My daughter gave me a beautiful new decorative bundt pan and I am going to try the lemon bliss cake recipe ! Looking forward to a perfect cake using the helpful tips! Thank you
When you say shortening do you mean products like Crisco? Just had an Epic Failure with an ornate cake pan and love your tips. Thanks.
We’re happy to be able to offer them, Mary. Crisco is the most well-known and most commonly available shortening, but there are other brands, including organic ones, out there. Any vegetable shortening should work essentially the same way. Mollie@KAF
Any thoughts on silicone bundt pans (or silicone bakeware in general)? I made the Lemon Bliss Cake in one. Releasing it was touch & go, but the icing successfully disguished the resulting minor imperfections. Delicious.
If we’re being honest, silicone isn’t our favorite for baking, as it doesn’t encourage as much browning since there is very little heat conducted. Cakes tend to be the best sort of recipe to bake in silicone, however, since they don’t require a crust. Be wary that the edges of the cake may be baked through before the center is done; you’ll likely need to add 10-15 minutes of additional baking time to your cake to ensure it has finished all the way through, but start checking for doneness at the time the recipe suggests. It sounds like you’ve got a solid handle on making beautiful cakes with your silicone pan, so refer to tip number 1: don’t fix what’s not broken! Happy baking! Kye@KAF
In my decades of baking, I have never succeeded in turning a bundt cake out looking like the pan in which it was baked. I will try these 3 of my 4 cakes in tube pans. ( I bake for a fairly large group every Friday). The tube pan cakes were perfect.
Looking forward to seeing a beautiful bundt cake in my future 🙂
Keep us posted on your results, Barbara! We can only imagine the delighted look on your face when you turn out your first beautiful Bundt. We’ll keep our fingers crossed for you. Kye@KAF
I often use cocoa in place of flour, sugar or nut flour. It looks dramatic, especially with a white icing, adds some flavor and allows the cake to release flawlwssly.
Bak-Klene ZT from Williams Sonoma never fails.
Made Lemon Bliss Cake and found it to be way too sweet. Next time will either do just the glaze or the icing but not both.
Barb, feel free to adjust the Lemon Bliss Cake recipe slightly to be more inline with your taste buds; the sugar can be reduced by 25% in the cake batter with good results. You can also skip the glaze and icing and simply garnish the cake with freshly grated lemon zest if you want to make it even more sugar-friendly. Happy baking! Kye@KAF
Thanks, PJ, for an encouraging post! I do have a few observations:
1. On #3, Grease the pan thoroughly, I question using nonstick vegetable oil spray, even KAF’s Everbake Spray. I agree that it is the best on the market, and I’ve used it for eight or nine years. But I noticed that my pans were collecting a fine layer of gunk, even after washing thoroughly with hot, soapy water after removing my cakes. And then I noticed that the gunk seemed to stick to my baked product, causing them to stick which was the exact opposite effect I wanted! So I started painting my pans with “pan grease”, a mixture of equal amounts by volume of shortening, all-purpose flour, and vegetable oil. I mix 1/3 cup of these three ingredients together in my stand mixer and store them in a half-pint jar on my pantry shelf. And I definitely use a silicone brush to apply this stuff, regardless of how “intricate” the pan is. By definition, if it’s a Bundt, it’s intricate in my book! The mixture works like a charm. I don’t coat the pan with anything else (nut flour, granulated sugar), although I do think those give a delightful crumb to the cake. Once the pan is coated, I put it in the REFRIGERATOR while I mix my cake batter. I don’t know why a cold pan hitting a hot oven works, but it does!
2. On #6, Loosen the edges of the cake when you remove it from the oven, I have the original Teflon-coated Bundt pan I received as a wedding gift in 1970. I don’t bake in it any more, because I always “loosened the edges of the cake when I removed it from the oven”, and now it has scratches down the sides of the pan where my gentle poking with a table knife ruined my pan! And those places now stick! However, loosening the edges certainly helps with removing the cake from the pan. My method now is to let the cake rest for 5 minutes after removing it from the oven, and then to gently pull the cake back from the edges, both on the outside edge of the pan AND the inside edge along the tube section, with my fingers. You will be able to see a half-inch or so of the cake pull away from the pan. This seems to make a huge difference in the cake coming out whole! And by avoiding using anything on the surface of my pan, I never scratch it inadvertently.
I’m definitely going to try your cooling method of five minutes right side up and five minutes upside down on the cooling rack, rather than the ten minutes right side up I’ve always done, just because that sounds fascinating to me. And I have had cakes that wouldn’t budge without those few extra minutes in the warm oven for a second try at removing them from the pan! Works like a charm.
The only other observation I have is that in the pictures, it appears that the baked cake is being turned onto the cooling rack without placing the cooling rack face down on the pan and then turning both cake and rack together until they are right side up. I have always done the rack-on-top-of-the-cake-pan and flipping both together, regardless of the type of cake pan I’m using, just because it seems safer.
So those are my experiences and observations, and as you say, “See #1 above!”
I have just ordered a new Bundt pan to replace the old one that’s going to recycling and a silicone one going to Goodwill. I’m excited to try it and appreciate the tips on this blog on how to deal w/ leaving half the cake behind. I appreciate the tips on coating the pan. I use vegetable shortening in the form of sticks to grease pans like my scone pan, pie pans, & cake pans but always did it before preparing batter but will be my last step.
Love your tips. I find it important to cool the cake IN THE PAN on a cooling rack for five minutes or so. This allows air to circulate under the pan.
After cooling in the pan, I shake the cake a bit from side to side before turning it out onto the cooling rack. And, yes be sure to place the cooling rack face down on the pan and flip. Works like a charm.
Great insight! If you read the small print in the brochures that come with most non stick items you will find that non stock cooking sprays voids the warranty. Even with expensive pots and pans it’s always been there Plain as day. I too, have one of the original bundt pans that is now scratched and coated with non stick spray. I use it now for meat loaf! I line it with plastic wrap, put cheese in the middle and bake on a roasting pan. I really sppreciate all the tips and can’t wait to try again with my new one.
I also use ‘pan grease’ from my time in a professional kitchen. Works like a charm every time. The ONLY time I’ve ever had a problem is when I didn’t use it! ;p I store mine in the refrigerator and it keeps forever.
Awesome!!!! I’ve been using butter & a/p flour all these years and never knew how wrong it was!!! Thank you so much! Gotta make a cake now!!! 🙂
Me too and always thought I just didn’t use enough! That’s how Mom taught us to do it. I can’t wait to make another Louisiana Crunch Cake and try these tips for myself!
Hi P J, Please tell me about toasting the almond flour, what temperature and for how long.
Thanks!
Hi Nancy, you can toast almond flour just like you would toast almond–spread in a thin layer on an ungreased baking sheet. Bake in a preheated 350°F oven for 8-10 minutes, stirring once, until it’s fragrant and golden brown. You can also buy Toasted Almond Flour from us too! Kye@KAF
I cursed the flour and the spray with flour included. No more No more to qoute Poe! A good spray of canola on pan and tube gives me perfect release every time. Most say to cool 5 mins b4 turning over, I wait the time. It works because the ckae shrinks a little. Now I would never ever try the angel food cake (tube pan, not bundt) placed upside down on a bottle…no good can come of that in my opinion. Or am I wrong?
Some bakes swear by the upside down angel food cake method, Kathy! Often times angel food cake is quite fragile when it comes out of the oven. To prevent it from collapsing in on itself, it can help to recruit gravity and turn it upside-down! You might want to give it a try the next time you make angel food cake at home–you might be pleasantly surprised. Kye@KAF
Kathy S. I use a medium funnel to cool my angel food cakes upside down. I fear a glass bottle would break!
I also have a question. I have a stoneware bundt pan. I read that you need a lower temperature for glass , but how much lower? Thanks.
Linda, for glass people generally say bake 25° lower; but stoneware isn’t considered glass, so just use the same temperature. Good luck — PJH
My angel food cake pan has feet for cooling upside down 🙂
and if all the above fails, you can make trifle; layer broken cake pieces, custard, and fresh fruit in a glass bowl……. people rave about it!!!! (can even use instant pudding in a pinch)
Oooh! This is me. I pretend that that was the plan all along. And if you tell people about your lemons-into-lemonade-fix, they think you’re really smart.
My Bundt cake pan is one of the heavy aluminum pans listed in #1 above – whoopee! I take very, very good care of it – keep it in the original box when not in use. Recently I made the Plum Cake recipe using baby food, remember that one? Baby food plums are not being offered anymore, so I substituted the apple and cherry baby food. It worked just fine, but this summer I plan to cook and puree fresh plums to put in the freezer just for this cake. I love the spice flavors of cloves, cinnamon, allspice, ginger and nutmeg in this Plum Cake recipe. I used English Mixed spice in making the cake this time.
What about cocoa powder to sprinkle on the greased pan before filling with the batter? I’ve read to use that instead of flour when making a cake to prevent annoying blobs of white flour on the cake top.
Teresa, coating the inside of the pan with a nut flour or sugar provide a better layer of separation between the pan and cake than cocoa powder since both of those ingredients have some grit to them. However, we’ve heard from many happy bakers that dusting the pan with cocoa powder is their go-to move for baking chocolate cakes. You’re welcome to give it a shot, or if you’re feeling nervous about your cake sticking, try using nut flour or sugar. Both blend in nicely with the dark chocolatey exterior. Kye@KAF
I loved the plum cake with baby food! what a Blast From The Past.
Hey PJ – thanks so much for this excellent article. I’ve recently been fighting this exact issue with my Bundt cakes, so this info is very welcome and I’ll put it to use today (I promised a Bundt cake to my coworkers for tomorrow). I have a question, though, about Tip #5. You say to use granulated sugar, but the picture (to my inexperienced eye) looks more like powdered sugar than granulated. Also, my guess is that powdered sugar would provide a much lighter and more consistent coating to a pan than granulated sugar (just a SWAG). Can you please confirm that you are really recommending granulated sugar? Thanks for your help – Dimitri
Dimitri, it really is granulated sugar, we promise! Confectioner’s sugar doesn’t have much grit to it, so it doesn’t provide much of a layer of separation between the cake and pan. The granulated sugar will melt as the cake bakes, so you won’t see the granules on the crust of the cake when it’s done. Just a beautiful Bundt. Happy baking! Kye@KAF
Thank you. I have a cast iron bundt pan. Sticks every time. I am going to go get a non stick. What do you think about silicone? I was not impressed when I tried many years ago but there are some beautiful silicone bundt pans. I have been very tempted…
Delaine, we tend to find silicone pans very hard to clean and not very good at conducting heat, so we don’t use them much. If you decide to give one a try, we suspect that you may need to extend the baking time to account for the lack of conductivity. Start checking at the time suggested in the recipe, but keep baking until your tester comes out crumb-free. Mollie@KAF
Need to make a printable copy w/o pics. Make it easier to keep in kitchen notebook.
Thanks
Thanks for sharing this feedback with us, Paul. We’ve heard from some other bakers who would also like see this turned into an easily-printable resource. For the time being, you can try copying the body of the article, pasting it into a document, and removing the photos or elements you don’t need. Hope that helps! Kye@KAF
My mother used to grease and use farina instead of flour to coat pan when making bunt cakes. You use less farina than flour.
Using Butter milk powder instead of real butter milk, is there a preference ?
Ron, we like to use Buttermilk Powder when there’s no fresh buttermilk on hand, or in low-moisture recipes like pastry and pie crust. Buttermilk Powder a shelf-stable product that’s easier for some bakers to store. They both contribute a tangy flavor, so you can choose whatever make more sense for your baking needs. Kye@KAF
Oh how I wish you had posted this 2 weeks ago. I made the Lemon Bliss Bundt cake. Only for it to be a Topless Lemon Bundt. The flavor was amazing. And everyone who tried it raved. And even then, I was determined to try it again and have it come out of the pan, top and all. So now with your tips, I will try again this week. Thanks. Better late than never.
We’re loving your positive attitude, Linda! It sounds like your Topless Lemon Bundt was a hit regardless of the presentation, but we think that armed with these tips, you’ll be able to make a cake that is as beautiful as it is delicious. Good luck! Kye@KAF
Just read tips how to prevent bundt cake disasters & agree with all, however due to celiac I have to use gluten free flours—-can I expect good results as well.
Yes, you definitely can Ann. You might consider using almond flour to dust the inside of your Bundt pans. Our blend is made in a certified gluten-free facility. You could also try coating the pan with sugar, as well as it’s naturally gluten-free. Happy baking! Kye@KAF
Thank you for these tips! It’s always a tense moment for me when removing a bundt cake from the pan. I’m an experienced baker but I still, at 75 years old, have a lot to learn. You folks are my favorite source.
Superb cake. No problems!!!
My .Bundt pan( Nordic Ware) is 45 years old, and does have a few minor
scratches on the non stick surface, but it still turns out a lovely cake. I am 90 years
of age, and I enjoy baking cakes and I imagine my Bundt pan will out live me.
I enjoy your website, and copy most of the recipes.
Judith
45 years on baking in your Nordic Ware bundt pan is super!
What coating have you been using?
Best wishes,
Chris
Hello.
I have a very good assortment of Bundt pans. I can truefully say that Nordicware pans are the best on the universe.
I use Spray to coat pan thourghly and when baked I let it sit for exactly half of the time that it cooked….turn over..it always comes out Perfect
All you need is Baker’s Joy! Spray it on the pan generously…..it will come out of the pan easily and intact after baking!
I find that bouncing the cake in the pan by shaking it up and down helps to release the cake from the pan .
I agree using Bakers Joy is all that is needed. I’ve been baking for many years and it is always what I use. My bundt cakes never stick.
Loved your article! I’ve used one or two choice words trying to get a bundt cake out of the pan myself.
I’ve come up with a much easier solution though. One day by accident I bought a can of baking spray instead of the regular stuff. I had out my mini-bundt pan and started to give it a spray and this white foamy stuff came out of the can! Well, I finished spraying, spooned in my batter and baked. I let the pan sit for five minutes after coming out of the oven then turned out onto a cooling rack. The results were perfect!
I now don’t cringe when reaching for my bundt pans! I look forward to using them. Buying that can of baking spray by mistake was a very lucky accident. I can’t figure out how I baked without it!
Crisco and Wondra flour. Works every time. Recommended by Williams Sonoma years ago, and they tell you about it when you buy an intricate pan. Use a silicon brush for the Crisco. When they use brand names like this, I listen. It has worked for at least 10 years.
I use a plastic take out knife to loosen the sides and tube. I’m so afraid that a metal knife will scratch the inside of my pan. The lemon bliss cake is delicious!
Thank you so much. You hit on all my problems. Think I need new pan.
mine is old and non-stick. It is scratched.
Do you have any receipes that you mail out.
Thanks again,
Shirley
Hi Shirley, if you like baking from printed recipes, you may want to check out our selection of cook books on our website. There’s lots of tasty things within the pages inside. You can also print the recipes linked here by clicking on the “Print recipe,” button on the right hand side of the page when viewing them. Our friendly baker specialists are also willing to send you up to three recipes if you give us a call at 855-371-BAKE(2253). Kye@KAF
I tried oil, cooking spray, nuts. But the best for my intricately detailed sandcastle cake has been cooking spray with flour. And for those days when you think: I can just use plain ol’ spray; it’ll be okay. I stop, and say: I just spent my money and my time on this. Do I really want to ruin it?
I have a problem with the mini Bundt pans – the kind that bakes 6 small, intricate ones. I do admit that I used non-stick spray with flour the last time, and only one cake was okay. I can’t remember what I used the previous time, because it was a long time ago.
Also, I thought that using sugar to coat the pan would lead to burning. Maybe I should try again, using sugar?
Hi Deb, we think you should give the melted shortening and sugar method a try next time you bake a batch of your mini Bundts. A pastry brush is key to getting the shortening into all the nooks and crannies. Sugar won’t burn if the cake is properly baked, but rather it will turn into a liquid. (It will only burn if that cake is bound to burn too.) We’ll keep our fingers crossed for you! Kye@KAF
Do you have any good gluten free bunt cake recipes? All gluten free recipes will be appreciated.
Thanks for asking, Malani. We have a tasty selection of gluten-free Bundt cakes to choose from. They range from an Almond Bundt Cake, to Pumpkin Cake, to a Sour Cream Coffeecake. Check out the full selection here. Kye@KAF
I use a home version of a cake pan release: 1 cup Crisco shorting, 1 cup flour, and 1/2 cup vegetable oil. (These are mixed together to form a smooth but light paste. It will keep for a long time.) Grease the pan (as mentioned) just before pouring in the batter. Never a problem releasing or design change by stuck bits left behind. Hope this helps the readers.
I too have used this prepared mix for coating all my pans and the cakes come out perfectly. I put into an old frosting container and keep it in the refrigerator. Been using the recipe for years!
The Lemon Bliss Cake was an awesome use of my Christmas gift bundt pan. I brushed the glaze onto the cake, but then had so much left that I slid the warm cake back into the pan and poured the remaining glaze over the top (really the bottom) of the cake. I used a thin spatula to lift the cake in a few places so that glaze ran down to the bottom (really the top) of the cake and let it stand until it soaked in. Yummy lemon flavor all over the cake. It was even better the next day when the moist glaze had diffused throughout. Thanks King Arthur, my office has a new favorite cake.
Sounds like you turned your glaze into a soak! Way not to waste a drop–it’s like liquid gold! Kye@KAF
For the past year or two, I’ve been using a concoction called “goop” which is equal parts vegetable oil, vegetable shortening, and AP flour. I brush it on with a pastry brush and nothing has ever stuck since using the goop pan release. Is it possible that by mixing the flour with the oil and shortening the flour absorbs the grease and allows for better results rather than greasing the pan and dusting with dry flour? I love food science! I’m looking forward to hearing your thoughts.
By the way, I shared the “goop” recipe at the end of a very sticky cake recipe – Pineapple Upside Down Bundt Cake. You can see the results here. http://pintesting.com/pintesting-pineapple-upside-down-bundt-cake/
Ann, your “goop” sounds like a thing of miracles! There’s many reasons that this flour-oil-shortening mixture is popular among Bundt cake bakers, primarily for its convenience. Flour is made up primarily of starch and gluten, and starch readily absorbs liquid making it a great ingredient to neutralize spills and absorb oil. In the case of the “goop,” the fats and flour bind to form an easily spreadable paste that acts as a buffer between the pan and cake, allowing an easy release. Sounds like you’re onto something! 🙂 Kye@KAF
I had an old bundt pan and decided to turn it in for a new Nordicware one. I have had terrible luck with my bundt cakes breaking. I called Nordicware and they told me to lower the temperature from 350 to 325. Cakes are now not overdone but they still broke. I went on the Nordicware website and it says to use Bakers Joy baking spray with flour. I counted. The girl used 17 quick sprays and then spread it in all the creases with a pastry brush. It works.😄 I have made three cakes trying this method and they have all come out fine. As much as I love butter for greasing it does not work for bundt cakes. I also bought Wilton cake release and it leaves an awful taste on the outside of the cake even though it works. The idea about waiting to grease until time to put cake in pan is terrific hint. No greasy bottom. The only thing I would do a little different is lower temp to about 330.
Hope this helps. My experiment seems to work.
This was funny! What a waste of time going through all of that effort, when simply making some Pro Pan Release and brushing it into your pans would be so much quicker and no timing required for when you put batter into the pan.
To make Pro Pan Release:
In mixing bowl beat equal parts (1:1:1 ratio):
Shortening
Vegetable oil
Flour
Beat until somewhat thick and fluffy, kind of like marshmallow creme, about 3 minutes.
Brush insides of pans lightly to coat.
After baking, your breads and cakes will practically leap out of the pan, whether simple mini-loaves or the most intricate detailed pans. Should normally remove them around 10 minutes though.
Leftover Pro Pan Release can be stored in a mason jar almost indefinitely on your kitchen shelf (about as long as any of its ingredients would stay fresh on their own). Just stir before using if it’s sat for a while, as it can separate some and then you won’t have the same ratio.
Notes: you can substitute any solid for the shortening, like coconut or even butter (just be sure to refrigerate, if using butter and know that the shelf life is less and may need to bring to room temperature). You can use which ever high temp. liquid cooking oil you like (i.e. Veggie, corn, canola, grape seed, etc.) and most flours will work, just make sure they’re finely ground like all-purpose.
If making a chocolate cake/bread you can substitute cocoa powder for the flour. Just remember the 1:1:1 ratio. Here’s to much happier baking!
Hi, Lisa. We’ve had bakers in our community swear by this formula for years. Thanks for sharing! Susan
I have been using this mixture for the last year or so and have not had one Bundt cake stick. It is the best thing that I’ve ever used.
I make an awesome Margarita Bundt cake. For me, pouring Margarita mix over the cake fresh out of the oven makes for extra moistness and my cakes never stick. I use a stoneware pan that also locks in moisture. Great tips! Trying Lemon Bliss tonight!
I use no-stick cooking spray with flour, and so far, it has worked great!
Thanks for the great tips!
I appreciate these tips. I bought a new non-stick (expensive) Nordicware bundt pan last year, and the first (only) cake I made with it was a disaster for sticking. Wondering if lard would work to grease the pan? (I don’t keep shortening or the aerosol spray in my kitchen.) Thank you!
Lard is 100% fat, so it might work well for greasing your pan. Also try using the other tips illustrated here to best results (dusting with nut flour or sugar, letting it sit for five minutes before turning it over, etc.). Let us know how the results turn out! Kye@KAF
Hi!
Great tips! I would like to add, with more delicate Bundt cakes-right out of the oven, letting the cake rest on the cooling rack a few minutes, after turning it over, will drape the pan with a couple of kitchen towels-to trap in the heat a little bit for a few minutes. I’ve convinced myself that there might be a bit of steaming action between the cake and the sides of the pan by doing this-enchancing the releasing of the cake. Seems to work.
I read carefully, there are many good suggestions, yet I bake bundt cake very often, most of the time I butter, I sprinkle flower, they came out fine, time to time small area had stuck but I always mended. the new kugelhoph pan I got from you broke the very first one but I think i didn’t lift the mold straight up, tasted well through. I wonder if I can use almond flour to sprinkle instead almond nut? Thank you, elizabeth
We’re sorry to hear your new Bundt pan gave you some trouble, Elizabeth. This pan can be a little tricky with its tall, slender design. Try using this pan with sturdy cake recipes (pound cake might be a great choice), and removing the pan carefully after it has cooled for at least 5 minutes. Lifting off the pan without tilting it will be important. Good luck! Kye@KAF
I have always made my own “pan release” mix one part flour and one part vegetable oil, and one part vegetable shortening. Mix thoroughly and “paint” on with a pastry brush. I use this for cake and bread pans and have never had anything stick. Plus it’s easy to see where you started and stopped so you don’t miss any spots.
Informative, chatty, delightful! Thanks!
I slide a toothpick or wooden skewer around the edge of the pan and the tube to release the sticky parts. They don’t scratch the pan. And they slide along the shape of my pan better than a knife or a spatula.
A wooden skewer is a great suggestion — that worked well for me. Ironically, the Bundt cake came out beautifully but the extra batter I baked in a loaf pan (prepared the same way) is completely stuck….
I love making Bundt cakes so thank you for all the tips! I always use Pam for baking (Pam with flour) and cool my cakes for 10 minutes before turning over. They always come out intact.
Who is the manufacturer of the pan in the article and where can I get one?
Paula, Nordic Ware makes this stunning Party Bundt Pan. You can order it here! Kye@KAF
Don’t you just love the design? It is perfect for slicing. I am going to look for one.
It would be great for my office baking. I want to start baking a bundt cake for birthdays.
Lucy, sounds like you might be intrigued by our full Bundt pan selection on our website. Check it out to see if any leave you feeling eager to bake! Kye@KAF
I use a solution of equal parts flour, solid shortening, and vegetables oil, which I mix thoroughly and brush on. I’ve used this for years with success. I make a batch and save it for bundt cakes as well as anytime I need to grease and flour pans.
Thanks for another great set of tips. I ruined a Bundt cake not long ago!
It would be SUPER AWESOME if you could do an infographic of tips too. It’s easy to pop a single page info sheet into a binder for later reference — tough to find and read a blog while baking!
We’re glad to hear you found these tips so helpful you’d like to have them easily accessible all the time. We’ve shared your request to the right team to consider as future info-graphics are planned. Happy Bundt baking! Kye@KAF
Me too!!! I think that is a great KA idea!!!
Thanks so much for these tips, I have a few bundtcake recipes which are favorites, but getting them out of the pan was often a problem!
I make a lot of bundt cakes for various functions and am always interested in the best techniques. When King Arthur’s Susan Reid did a presentation in our city over five years ago, I asked her if she knew a temperature test for bundts, since they many times look done, but upon being turned onto a plate, are still soupy in the middle. She went back to her lab, did some checking, and emailed me that the best temperature she found, using a probe thermometer, was that the center of the cake should register 209 degrees. I have used this number faithfully since, and it works every time! An exact temperature is much more accurate than using the clock or going by the look of the cake!
I also have had great success using Baker’s Joy for the greasing/flouring step.
Wish I lived closer to King Arthur. Would love to come take some classes with you all sometime!
Thanks, Janet, for putting that piece of research of mine out there for wider use! Bake on, sister! Susan
Thanks so much for these hints!! I had stopped making bundt cakes because they never fully released from the pan. I’m going out tomorrow to grab a new no stick pan, mine was my mothers, and can’t wait to begin turning out delicious cakes made with your recipes!!!
Releasing the Bundt cake from the pan….Was once told to put the pan in hot water for 5 minutes right out of the oven, then turn it over onto the rack to completely cool. So far this has worked for me…hope it works for someone else. Nothing more annoying than a not-so perfect Bundt cake….
Thank you so much for this information. There are a number of things that I will now be changing when baking my bundt cakes. I can’t even begin to tell you how many trifle desserts I have had to make because the original one, a bundt, came out in parts. Finally, a cake that’s whole.
I having been making the best pound cakes in a non stick bundt pan for years.
The bundt pan is a heavy duty one. First I coat with butter and then flour. Wait 20 minutes after it comes out of the oven and have never had a problem with crumbling or sticking. Some say I could sell them.
I always use Crisco shortening and AP flour to grease and flour my Bundt pan…and it is about 35 years old. However, I DO NOT let it cool for more than 1 minute after removing from the oven, choosing to turn it out while still quite warm. Never have a problem. However, I have a newer (3 years old) Bundt pan (same brand and style as old one) in which my cakes nearly always stick or don’t come out cleanly. The weight of the pan is lighter than my old one, so I am going to try the sugar or nut flour when baking in the newer pan.
I made the Lemon Bliss Cake as soon as I saw it at the first of the year. My cake came out of the pan beautifully except one side of the top 😕. I was so bummed and decided to take it to work instead since they eat anything that resembles home baked goods no matter how it looks thankfully. I baked something else for house church but . . . the Lemon Bliss that I took to work received so many OMGOSH THIS IS THE BEST CAKE YOUVE EVER MADE raves I wanted to share. Thanks for the tips for baking in Bundt pans they are so helpful. I will bake this Bundt cake again.
We’re glad to hear it was a hit with the crowd at work! We hope that with these tips here, you’ll be able to bring a cake that looks as good as it tastes next time. Good luck! Kye@KAF
We’ve always used Crisco, then a little flour. This article makes me want to go find my Bundt pan and get baking. 🙂
Thanks so much for this! After patching together my fallen-apart Lemon Bliss Cake last week, I decided to add “get Bundt cakes out of the pan whole” to my bucket list. These suggestions are just what I needed.
Thanks for the tip about using almond flour or sugar to Coat pan before putting batter in…very helpful..mj
Great tip about using almond flour or sugar to coat Bundt pan before adding batter…my grandmother s receives always said to grease pan add flour shake out of pan and pour batter in.
Can any cake recipe be baked in a bundt pan, or does it have to be a heavier, specific bundt recipe?
Great question, Karen! Most standard cake recipes are suitable for being baked in a Bundt pan. We’ve put together a full article on our blog about how to choose what size Bundt pan for best results. Check out the Bundt pan size blog, and you’ll soon be on your way to making for favorite cake recipes in Bundt-form! Kye@KAF
My most trusty technique for successfully turning out a bundt cake is to have a cup of boiling water ready when the cake is ready to come out of the oven. Once the cake is out and on its cooling rack, pour the boiling water over a clean, folded tea towel in the sink. This should significantly dampen but not soak the towel. Carefully unfold the towel just enough to cover the top of the Bundt cake. After 10 or 15 minutes, remove the towel and successfully turn out the cake. This works every time whether I have floured the inside or not.
I love making Bundt cakes! Simple and beautiful, with endless variety. My favorite way of treating those intricate Bundt pans is to use solid shortening. It stays in place when brushed on, unlike liquid or spray oils which can shrink back, leaving “dry” spots or puddling at the bottom. Nut flour and sugar (and plain flour if you must) cling perfectly to it as well. If I’m doing something wrong, please don’t burst my bubble as it always works for me. And thanks for the great Bundt tips!
I grease the pan then cut parchment to fit (a bit tricky, but I taught geometry!) And then grease the parchment. Works for me.
My old original Nordicware cast iron bundt pan (yes, from the 70’s!) drove me crazy because my cakes always stuck. I stopped using it, plus it was so heavy. I now have the non-stick party pan and I just love it. Never a problem so far. I use a plastic knife to loosen the sides as it won’t scratch. I didn’t know about not to use flour or butter. Thanks!
Common sense stuff.
I always use Baker’s Joy to coat my pans, with great success.
That is what I use too, I don’t want to try anything else. I’ve never had a bundt cake stick after using it. I let it cool for 10 minutes after taking it out of the oven and then put a plate over it and invert it and out it comes.
“elegant, but easy” – true! I just made a chocolate bundt cake for company! Any tips for coating/dusting the pan? My recipe called for cocoa powder after greasing the pan. The cake came out very well (a little powdered sugar covered any faults!), but I would like an easier time with coating/dusting – less waste and less mess would be great, too!
Sounds like you might want to try brushing the pan with melted vegetable shortening and use the pastry brush tip–this is a very “clean” method and there’s really no waste. Coating the inside of the pan with sugar could work well for chocolate cake, or if you’re a fan of the flavor of toasted nuts, give the almond flour a try. Shaking the pan from side to side helps distribute the nut flour or sugar evenly, so you shouldn’t have to dump out much excess in the end. Good luck! Kye@KAF
Loved the lemon bliss cake! Took it to church for a luncheon and it was well-received there as well. Liked the tips – especially using the fine nut coating – worked like a charm! Happy baking for 2017 and thank you
I also discovered that flour is not so good as expected, I don’t like the final look of my bundt , so, what I use in addition to the grease is bread crumbs, very fine bread crumb, with same texture as nut flour, it works perfect too.
I bake Swedish bundt cakes every Christmas. I use very fine breadcrumbs to prevent sticking. It works every time.
Oh, i bet those are good. Do you have a direction in which to point me for recipes?
While it’s not Swedish, you may want to try making this traditional holiday Bundt bread, Brioche-Style Kugelhopf. Another great option for a holiday Bundt is the Orange-Cranberry-Nut Fruit Cake! Hope that helps. Kye@KAF
Thanks for the tips PJ. Another suggestion: A 50/50 mixture of cake flour and rice flour dusted over the spray of vegetable oil. This is also a perfect release agent for bread proofed in a Banneton.
Hello PJ: I thought I would add my words of Bundt cake wisdom here. A few years ago I was a finalist for the NordicWare Bundt contest. I had to bake a LOT of Bundt cakes. I have a collection of many designs that I collected through the years and for this contest too. Yeah…lots of failures and lots of sticky Bundts. My tried and true method for release of the cake is….use solid shortening (not melted) in all the nooks and crannies. Yes, use a silicone pastry brush. Then flour with Wondra flour very lightly. Tap out the excess. Don’t leave the cake in the pan more than 15 minutes before trying to release the cake. Then…take the cake in a kitchen towel…gently rock it back and forth…DO A LITTLE DANCE…and the cake should feel released. Then and only then turn it out on your favorite platter. Success!
Lorraine, so glad to hear from you — clearly you’re a Bundt baker of long experience! Thanks for these tips; I’ll be sure to do my dance the next time I feel like a Bundt is sticking… 🙂 PJH
That is a really cool suggestion and I for one, really appreciate your time in sharing that. I would love to see a picture of your Bundt pan collection!
Fine, dry bread crumbs are also a good coating and result in a cake that slips right out of the pan. Thanks to Maida Heatter and her 86-Proof Cake for this one. (See Maida Heatter’s Book of Great Chocolate Desserts for the recipe, or check it out on the Tasting Spoons blog.)
I get great results with bundt cakes. My coated pan has some scratches since it’s about 10 years old. I preheat the oven; apply a not too thick layer of room temperature unsalted butter especially in the nooks-using a piece of plastic wrap. If it’s too thick extra flour adheres and then I need to brush it off once it’s out of the pan, and it has a closer resemblance to the cake’s pan. I sprinkle Wondra flour and shake it around the pan; turn it upside down to shake out the excess. Pour the batter in the pan and bake, Once it’s baked I let it cool, on a roasting rack-it allows lots of air circulation all around the pan-since it’s about 5″ off the shelf. After about 10 minutes I run a couple of pieces of uncooked spaghetti slowly around the edges (no new scratches please!) and the center turn it upside down + it comes out with no pieces stuck inside.
I’ll stick with tip #1. I have had horrible results using cooking sprays. They tend to build up a layer of gunk in my pans, and it’s difficult to clean it out of all the nooks and crannies without damaging the pan. Crisco solid shortening applied with a paper towel works best for me, so I’ll stick with that. But a very fun article with some really good advice. Thanks!
On the KA baking circle, now no longer in existence, our favorite way to grease any pan, whether for cakes, breads, or what ever is what we called “pan grease”. It is equal amounts of shortening, oil and flour. example…l cup shortening, l cup oil, and one cup flour. Throw all the ingredients in your KA mixer, and blend well. Transfer to a covered container. This is all I use now, and it has never failed me, including in intricate bundt pans. This does not to be refrigerated. None of the ingredients require refrigeration. Try it…it really works great.
Timing is everything! I decided to try the lemon bliss recipe for our after-church coffee, broke down and bought the elegant party bundt pan, and figured 3 or 4 cakes would do nicely. After carefully following the directions, the first cake is now in the freezer (in pieces) and hopefully can be re-purposed into cake pops at some time in the future. Release is an issue. Cakes 2,3,and 4 all had some resistance but I’m pretty good at piecing things together and the flavor and crumb were wonderful. So, your post made me actually laugh out loud – kind of a day late and a dollar short – but good info for the future because the pan will not have the last laugh! I’m determined to have success. Just by the way, I used your glutenfree flour as a one to one swap out for regular and it was perfection – far superior to other substitutes I’ve used.
Armed with this additional information, we have confidence that you shall triumph over the pan, Deb. Keep us posted! Mollie@KAF
I found that some shortenings (butter flavored) left a coating on my favorite aluminum bundt cake pan even after washing with hot soapy water. I cleaned it with a brillo pad and now only use plain shortening and flour coating and it comes out great every time. I did have a few ugly cakes before I discovered the problem. If you will take the stuck parts of the cake out of the pan and chop them finely and maybe toast them in the oven a bit, then use a glaze to adhere them to entire top of cake, it will make an ugly cake presentable and adds a little crunch to the top.
I was so unhappy to find a gunky film around the upper edge of my beautiful anniversary bundt pan after using pan spray. So I did some research and found Alton Brown’s Kustom Kitchen Lube, which is 2 cups Crisco + 1 1/2 cups AP flour beaten until fluffy with a mixer. Store it in an airtight container on a pantry shelf, not in the fridge. It stays soft and brushes on easily — I use a small nylon bristle pastry brush. And best of all nothing sticks! My husband’s favorite pumpkin cake slides right out of the bundt pan after a 10 minute cool down! I use it for all my baked goods — in bread and muffin and brownie and cake pans. They clean up easily, no gunky residue!
Any advice on cleaning an intricate Nordic Ware pan? I have the castle pan and made two successful cakes. The third one stuck very badly and left the shortening and flour I used to to grease the pan behind; I have been unable to clean it satisfactorily to try making another cake.
Cleaning detailed Bundt pans certainly can feel like a chore, Valerie. Try soaking your pan in hot, soapy water for a few hours before diving in. We like to use a soft bristled tooth brush that’s specifically dedicated to kitchen cleaning to help get into all the nooks and crannies. If there are still some pieces stuck on, consider using soft plastic brush or sponge to release stubborn pieces. Good luck! Kye@KAF
Is there some type of “rule” I can follow when I want to divide a regular Bundt cake recipe into my two smaller 6 cup Bundt pans?
Does the oven temp change with the smaller pans? And how should I adjust the cooking time? Thanks for any help!!!!
Terry, generally speaking, the baking temp (usually 350° for a Bundt cake) can stay the same, but the baking time will typically be reduced to roughly 34-45 minutes, depending on the cake. We’d recommend checking it first around 30 minutes, and every 5 minutes after that until a cake tester comes out clean. Mollie@KAF
If you use the nut flours please be sure that none of your diners have nut allergies. That recommendation looks very scary to our allergic family.
An excellent point, Kathy! Thanks for reminding everyone to be conscientious about food allergies when baking for others. Barb@KAF
Years ago, I found a recipe for something called baker’s paste when I searching for something to keep my cream cheese pound cake from sticking to my bundt pan. It is a mixture of equal parts flour, shortening and vegetable oil beaten until smooth. I use a pastry brush to paint it on the pan before pouring the batter in. Leftover paste gets stored in the fridge. My cakes slide right out of the pan.
I have always melted butter and added flour and coated my bundt cake pans and they come out just great!!!! But I will try some of the ideas that I have read!!
I get salad from my local fast food place for lunch, the always enclose a plastic knife and fork of good quality but I never use the knives…for salad. I save them and use them to cut brownies or bars from my nonstick pans, and they work perfectly for bundt release help.
Excellent article…I collect bakeware especially Bundt pans…The only tip I add is I NEVER use metal utensils to aid the release of my cakes…I don’t want scratches inside my pans. If gently pulling back the cake from the edge with my fingers is not sufficient, I use thin, disposable, plastic knifes (non-serrated) that I gently insert between cake and pan.
I’ve had very good results using a nylon spreader for helping release the cake from the pan. It hasn’t scratched any of my pans including my Zojirushi bread machine pan! Easy to clean too. I found it on Amazon. I hope this can help someone else… Thank you KAF for your helpful hints!
Thanks for this suggestion, Karen! We also carry a set of Nylon Spreaders that come in a long and short size. Barb@KAF
Thank you KAF. I didn’t realize you carried the nylon spreaders. I should have checked with you first. Karen
I have a lot of the Nordic bundt pans and love using them to bake my bundts. I started baking the Lemon Bliss cake two years ago, my customers love it!! I have one who requested his be made with fresh blueberries added. As he said; “It was sensational!”
I have a tip to help with cleaning pans like the diamond cut and others with lots of crevices to clean. I invested in a toilet bowl brush I purchased at the local Dollar Tree store. It’s soft bristles get into all the crevices and help get all the leftover residue out of the pan. Great tool to use. I don’t like to stick my pans in the dishwasher.
I have used chopsticks to loosen cakes from a Bundt pan with great success. The wood does not scratch and you can make the chopsticks even thinner with some sandpaper and a little elbow grease.
What about Bakers Joy? It’s for cake pans and has the grease and flour in a spray can. Do you like it?
Haven’t used it, Lisa. But if it works for you — “stick” with it! 🙂 PJH
Lisa, I ADORE Baker’s Joy! Even the fancier designs (I have a Bundt in the shape of a fully-open rose and greasing the standard way was a NIGHTMARE – as was the resulting mess of sticking cake everywhere!) will come right out cleanly with Baker’s Joy and a silicone basting brush to get all those tiny petals perfectly greased!
Excellent article, I am often asked these questions at my job. I have found that clarifying butter and chilling to set the butter also works. My favorite bundt cake is a ginger cake from a murder mystery book. It has both ground ginger and candied ginger in a sour cream batter with a turbinado sugar coating. No need to put any topping on this cake because the sugar creates a crunchy sweet coating.
what mystery book Amy? I would love to try it, I love anything ginger…
We hope Amy shares her ginger Bundt cake recipe with you, K.R. In case she’s not able to respond, we wanted to pass along our recipe for a Gingerbread Bundt Cake, which is similar to what Amy describes. You can check it out here, and feel free to add some candied ginger for extra spice and crunch if you like. Happy baking! Kye@KAF
Thanks for all these great tips! I’ve been using butter, and the gunk on my finished cake is ugly. Hey, where can I buy the pan featured in your lovely diagrams?? What’s it called exactly? Thanks!
Tina, so glad we could help de-gunk your cakes! And that would be the party bundt pan – heavy duty, nonstick, and a classic shape. Enjoy — PJH
Eureka. My son’s annual birthday cake is a decadent Hershey bar cake recipe my mom started making in the Sixties. My aging bundt pan – and, at this point, who am I to call anything aged as my baby is now 33 – released less and less of the baked cake in recent years requiring ganache glue. This blog could not have come at a better time: I melted a quarter cup of Crisco after the cake batter was finished, brushed it into every crevice of the bundt, then coated the greased pan with sugar. After I took the cake from the oven, I followed the suggestion to let it cool in the pan for five minutes after I — as someone had recommended — poked around the inner and outer edges with a wooden skewer then inverted it for an additional five minutes. The result: A thing of beauty readying for 33 candles. Thanks again, KAF friends, for your wise counsel.
You’re welcome, Jean. So happy we could help your son have a happy 33rd (and his mom, too, of course!) I’m impressed you’ve made that same cake, what, 33 years in a row? That’s awesome. I’ve actually made pineapple upside down cake for my husband’s birthday every year of our marriage (40), so I’m with you as far as cake traditions go. Thanks for sharing here — PJH
You have some great tips listed in your article. Here are a few more that I have found to be helpful.
I have tried nonstick spray with little success. Then once I read to use only shortening. I use shortening such as Crisco, applying it to the pan (not melted). I use a small sandwich bag or kitchen gloves to apply a thin layer to the surface. Then I lightly flour the pan. For dark cakes, I sometimes use cocoa in place of flour.
A home economist friend told me that I could grease and flour the pan, insert it into a large ziploc bag and refrigerate it until needed. Usually the next day. I use this when I am doing my mini bundts as greasing/ flouring is a task that I like to do ahead of time. Never sticks.
Also, this is another bundt tip. When baking in a dark or teflon coated pan, decrease oven temperature by 25 degrees. You will need to bake a little longer but it won’t stick/burn as if you had baked at the temperature recommended in the recipe. I check it at the lowest recommended time and adjust from there.
For mini bundts, usually it takes about a half hour for cakes to be done.
For testing, I use a bamboo skewer on regular sized bundt cakes. Works like a charm.
Kris, thank you SO much for taking the time to add your tips here. I’d never heard of refrigerating the pan before adding the batter, but it makes total sense, doesn’t it? Makes that barrier even more impermeable. PJH
Periodically I have had a problem with bundt and other cakes sticking to pans…no matter what I used in the past. Then I read your article a couple weeks ago and tried it upon making the Lemon Bliss Cake (wonderful by the way). Since I was using a very old, worn West Bend pan that my mother had to make the cake, I opted for the melted shortening and sugar method. OMG! The cake fell out onto the cooling rack as soon as I inverted it. It did the same thing this week when I made It. I AM SOLD on this method. I won’t go back to anything else. Comes out so beautiful too! So, I did an experiment with my chocolate cake in 9″ cake pans. They too came out beautifully. I was wondering why or if there was some reason this method isn’t used or suggested for regular layer cakes???
Kim, I always say go with whatever works for you, but this method does develop a lightly crusty outside to your cake, which may not be desirable in a tender layer cake. Barb@KAF
I have never had a bundt cake stick, nor any other cake for that matter. I have an all-purpose coating mix I make that works just well for bundt cakes, too. I mix 1/2 cup vegetable oil, 1/2 cup of shortening, and 1/2 cup flour. I use a mixer on it for about two -three minutes, so there are no lumps and it is very creamy. Keep in refrigerator when not in use.
I use this by dabbing a pastry brush into the cold mixture, and then brushing it onto the pan – every nook of the bundt pan, including the center. I store the rest in the refrigerator, and I use it for all my cakes, sweet breads, or muffins.Nothing ever sticks.
Also, never use metal on your bundt pan. Buy a pkg. of plastic knives or spoons or use tiny rubber spatulas if you must loosen it. Never use a scratcher to wash it, either. Soak in warm soapy water for about 15 minutes, and they wipe clean with a dish rag. No need to scrub.Scrubbing takes away the finish. And never put it in the dish washer. The soap is very corrosive.
I love the design of your Bundt Pan. Where can I get one.
Judy, this is Nordic Ware’s Party Bundt pan, which is available through our online catalog. It’s a beauty, isn’t it? Barb@KAF
Nordic ware representatives tell customers to let the cake rest EXACTLY 10 minutes before turning it out of the pan. This works every time with design type cake pans even tiny bundts or the flower/train/castle type pans.
Good article! I might try switching from flour to sugar because of the “gunk” factor. But my cakes almost always come out easily. I think the most important tip is to “thoroughly” grease the pan with vegetable oil. I use a brush and do not rush…pretend I’m painting! Thanks.
Also, I use a slim silicone spatula to loosen. One of my favorite tools!
I have good luck with Baker’s Joy – in fact, just did a Kentucky Butter Cake for the umpteenth time and it always comes out beautifully with either my old (over 40 years) or newer bundt pans.
I am a convert to the sugar dusting method. I usually have trouble getting my regular layer cakes to come out easily. I used crisco and dusted it with sugar, waited 5 minutes after coming out of the oven, turned it over to sit and both layers released with perfection. Thank you for the tip!
I know this blog is about properly coating your Bundt pan, but was wondering if
you would be able to answer a question pertaining to the actual cake? I always see a flat bottom after cake is released from the pan in pictures. When I release my cakes, the sides are never touching the cake plate. The sides are usually about 1″ from the cake plate. Is there a trick so that the entire cake bottom rests on the cake plate?
Katy, if the cake is curved on the bottom, I simply take a long serrated knife and slice the bottom flat, so it rests evenly on the plate. Some recipes are simply a bit too large for the pans we bake them in, and this is a good solution. PJH
The cake I made last night does that but I don’t mind. It looks like it’s floating above the plate-magic!
Love these tips, thanks! I have definitely had my share of Bundt cake disasters. The worst is my Christmas-tree pan, I had so many tries where the tops of the trees broke off!! Now I use solid shortening with a silicone brush and dust with flour, but I will absolutely try some of the other dusting ideas here.
One thing I always do before turning out the cake — and this is a holdover from my days baking tiered and stacked wedding cakes, is to slice off the top of the cake using a serrated bread knife (it is long enough) even with the top of the pan. This gives a very flat bottom in case the cake rose unevenly, and allows me to sample the cake too.
Good tip, Sharon — I love how you don’t let any of those trimmings go to waste, either. 🙂 PJH
I tried the lemon bliss cake in a silicone, greased Bundt pan – cake was delicious – in pieces – pan in the trash! I’ll try again using sugar and spray.
Donna, so sorry! I’m glad you could still enjoy the cake, even if it ended up in pieces… PJH
This is, I’m certain, how cake pops came into being. An act of desperation created a new craze.
I have found success using crushed graham crackers, as you would use for a Cheesecake base, or finely ground breadcrumbs, as recommended by Maida Heatter. And as suggested, grease and coat just before pouring the batter, and let the cake rest just a few minutes before inverting it.
I think I must be the only person in the world who worries about scratching her nonstick cookware. (I cringe when cooking-show hosts put metal on nonstick anything.) Maybe my cookware is older and not as tough, but nothing is worse than trying to remove a cake from a pan that has scratches, which always cause the cake to stick.
To keep the scratches from happening, I usually use a plastic item, either a plastic knife or spatula (I have one that came with a cake-decorating set).
Made a chocolate bundt on Saturday, used cooking spray and didn’t spray until just ready to add the batter to the pan. Let it cool 5 minutes in the pan and then turned out to a rack. Perfect! I am pretty sure my recipe was a KAF.
Very helpful article.
Made a dark chocolate cake and used melted butter with a little cocoa to make a paste. Then used a pastry brush to coat the pan and center. Works every time.
I have a mixture of equal parts flour/oil/shortening I keep in a small mason jar. I brush it on with a pastry brush.
It works wonderfully on my bundt pan, as well as when I use pint mason jars to bake individual pound cakes.
I have luck with using a non-stick oil spray and then dusting with finely ground plain breadcrumbs. This works with chocolate and yellow cakes.
Well, I just happened to make a Bundt cake last night . I sprayed my pan with-dare I say it-Baker’s Joy and it came out perfectly. Hardly a crumb in the pan. Normally I don’t use aerosol products but when it comes to baking I make an exception.
I use GOOP equal amounts of flour, vegetable oil and shortening. Paint the pan with the GOOP using a brush and it has always worked out perfectly for me. If your making a chocolate cake substitute cocoa for the flour and there will be no white residue!
I feel like crying 😢. Have a lovely new no stick bundt pan and followed carefully all the tips here and ended up with cake all over the counter. 😭 smells good though….just not what i had in mind.
Wish I could include a picture. We could cry together.
Life is imperfect, Kathryn; so sorry you needed proof of that while de-panning your beautiful Bundt. 🙁 Write down what you did with this particular recipe, as far as baking time and cooling technique before attempting to take it out of the pan; then try something different next time. Best of luck — PJH
Would coconut oil spray work? Has anyone tried it?
We haven’t tried it, but since it’s a pure fat it seems like it should work. Anyone out there have any experience greasing a pan with coconut oil? PJH
I use Wilton’s cake release. I get it at Michael’s. I cover the pan thoroughly using a pastry brush and haven’t had a problem since I started using it.
Thank you to all of my friends at King Arthur Flour. I can always count on you for the finest ingredients, pans, equipment and advice in making wonderful breads, rolls, cookies, cakes, and candies for my family and friends. HappyValentines Day to all of you.
And a happy belated Valentine’s Day to you as well, Annette! Thanks so much for your kind words. PJH
I have never made a bundt cake but recently bought a pan and wanted to try one. I have Baker’s Joy non stick baking spray with flour that I usually use. Would I be able to use this or stick with the options you listed?
We didn’t try Baker’s Joy, but I’d suggest you use it and see how it works. Don’t skimp; be sure to get into all the crevices of your pan. If it works, you’re good to go for the future. If not, then you can use one of our suggested methods for greasing. Good luck — PJH
I have used the Baker’s Joy spray with flour in my Bundt pan twice now, and it released beautifully.
I had never used Baker’s Joy before either so I tried it, I made the Chocolate Fudge Bundt cake yesterday. It came out perfect! I am HORRIBLE at baking, I’ve been known to burn pre-made cookies. The cake was so moist and it came out of the pan without any problems. Love this recipe!
This morning I tried making your recipe for Chai-Spiced Pound Cake using an almost-new Swirl Bundt Pan using all of these tips (dusting with granulated sugar) and following the recipe to a T. Unfortunately, the bottom of the cake came out while the top stayed stubbornly in the pan 🙁 I was so hoping that these tips would free me from my fear of making bundt cakes. The crumbs taste delicious, though…
Oh no! We’re so sorry to hear this, Alicia. We know that feeling when Bundt pans stick to the bottom of the pan, despite your best efforts. It sounds like we might be able to assist you best if you give one of our friendly bakers on the hotline a call at 855-371-BAKE(2253). We hope to help! Kye@KAF
I had eggs and lemons to use up, so I made two recipes of lemon bliss bundt cake, baking each in well greased (vegetable shortening) and floured bundt pans, plus a tiny round pan so that I could taste a sample. One bundt pan was heavy aluminum and the other was a cheap light weight ” seen better days” non-stick bundt pan. Both cakes released perfectly. I made the granulated sugar & lemon juice glaze, heated it in the microwave, stirred, and it remained grainy, so I repeated it, but it stayed grainy, so I put it on the cake anyway! For the second cake I used 10x sugar. The unglazed sample cake was simply wonderful! The other two are in the freezer for a special occasion.
Success! Thanks for sharing, Sandra. Sounds like “money in the bank,” two cakes in the freezer for that next special occasion. PJH
Thanks for the tips and tricks. I have a cast aluminum Westinghouse Bundt pan that was passed down that I gave up using due to sticking. I tried the recommendation of painting on shortening, dusting with sugar and chilling. Nope. My Lemon Bliss cake tasted wonderful but stuck like glue. I then decided to season the pan in a hot oven with shortening and ended up with tacky buildup on the pan. I scrubbed that out and then tried seasoning in the oven with lard that I bought to make tortillas. I tried it out yesterday while attempting the Lemon Poppy Seed Bundt. I wiped down the pan with lard again, dusted this time with powdered sugar. And winner, winner chicken dinner, it released perfectly! Unfortunately, the cake itself failed as it never rose or browned. I baked using the oven’s “cake” setting for the first time and I suspect the temperature was inaccurate. It still goes in the win column since I was able to salvage Granny’s Bundt pan! Thanks for maintaining such a great site. It is my first stop when looking for inspiration for my next bake.
Sherri, kudos to you for going the extra mile(s) to save your “heirloom” bundt pan! Neat idea, dusting with confectioners’ sugar;’ I’ve never tried that, but it makes sense given its cornstarch. Now, next time perhaps your cake will rise and it’ll be winner winner chicken dinner for sure! 🙂 PJH
I also have a mini silicone scraper from Scentsy (meltable wax) that I had when I sold it. You can buy them from a Scentsy rep and they work great! Gonna try the lightened sugar version as both hubby and I are diabetics! Thanks for all the extra tips guys!
I didn’t see this above, but I have had success with bundt cakes by using spray canola oil. The real trick is to wet a towel before you take the cake out and put the pan on the wet towel as soon as you take it out. I don’t know why this works, maybe someone else knows.
That’s interesting, Diane. I wonder why a wet towel helps? Maybe it’s insulating the pan just a bit from cooling too precipitously, and that makes the cake easier to release? Ah, the mysteries of baking science… Thanks for sharing here — PJH
Wilton cake release and a wadded paper towel
It worked! Thank you! I’ve had this Rose Bundt pan my father in law game me shortly after our wedding and I have never been able to get a full cake out of it! After reading this article I took out the pan and thought I’d use it (or attempt to again) for my father in laws Birthday cake. I used the vegetable oil with a silicone brush and then used granulated sugar to dust. Came out pretty good! Or at least in one complete cake! Wish I could post a pic here. Oh well, thanks for the great tips!
So glad to hear that, Yvonne! And happy to hear your father-in-law got a successful birthday cake out of your experiment with vegetable oil and sugar. Cheers! PJH
I use a plastic knife or the handle of a plastic spoon to loosen the cake. A knife scratches the finish of the pan.
Good suggestioin, Frances — thank you! PJH
Do you have any recommendations for mini-bundt pans? I have had good results with a standard sized bundt, but the tray of six mini ones continues to be challenging. I use spray coconut oil (Trader Joes) to start, spread around with a silicone brush, and have tried it on its own, with flour dusting, and with sugar dusting, and none of them work that well. I used half of your lemon bundt recipe which filled 5 of the 6 minis. The cake was delicious, but a lot of coaxing with a plastic spoon was required to get them out – stuck tight!
Annabelle, the same techniques should work on mini Bundts as regular-sized Bundts, so I’m flummoxed. Have you tried turning the cakes out very soon after taking them out of the oven, like not waiting 5 minutes? The minis will cool more quickly, so if you haven’t already, try turning them out — carefully! — while they’re still quite hot, and see how that works. Good luck — PJH
After cooling my bunt cake for hours it is very sticky why is that and it’s every time thank you.
Elda, if the cakes are left to cool for too much time in the pan, it can trap the moisture and make the outside sticky or soggy. Try taking it out of the pan sooner, and that should help. Bryanna@KAF
What’s with the heavy aluminum bundt pans? My experience wasn’t good. The batter touching the pan began cooking faster, so the outside and around the hole in the center rose beautifully but left a “trough” in between. I cooked at 325 degrees. I bought the pan used…it may have come with special instructions. Was able to salvage the cake but it wasn’t pretty. Looking forward to trying the lemon Bliss.
We’re surprised to hear about the results on your initial bake, as heavy aluminum Bundt pans tend to conduct heat evenly, producing perfectly baked cakes. The strange rising action of your cake may have been a result of the recipe you used or the way the batter was mixed together (perhaps over-creamed). We think you’ll have better luck with the Lemon Bliss Cake, but if you’d like to troubleshoot further, consider giving our Baker’s Hotline a call at 855-371-BAKE(2253) so we can help you further. Kye@KAF
I did a bit of cut, paste, then cut again to get the tips printed. PLEASE, PLEASE have IT work on an easy way to print the tips. They are so helpful but need to be handily available to read as preparation proceeds
Thanks for sharing your thoughts with us, Annie. We’re glad to hear you’ve eager to have this information readily available. We’ve shared your feedback with the right team to consider going forward. Kye@KAF
Huge thanks to PJ Hamel for her post on Bundt cakes. I had become so frustrated trying to get them out of the pan in one piece that I gave up. Your blog inspired me to order a new pan and start over again. Then I read Lisa B’s post on 1/22/17 after I received the new pan. I went out & bought a silicone brush, made some of her Pro pan-release and used a very old recipe that my M-I-L called ” Frizell Cake.” It is a pound cake type baked in a 10″ tube pan, which has finely chopped nuts covering the bottom of the pan. When baked and turned upside down, the nuts are on top. I decided to try her old recipe in the new pan. I contacted the Bakers Hot Line to inquire about chopping walnuts to make a nut flour for coating the pan, without turning the nuts into paste. Laura very kindly told me to pulse them in a food processor with a small quantity of flour. I used Lisa B.’s formula for Pro pan-release, Laura’s recommendation for making walnut flour and the rest of PJ”s recommendations for filling, baking and releasing the cake from the pan. It all worked, beautifully!!! It’s the first time I have ever made and turned out a gorgeous looking and tasting cake from a Bundt pan, and I’ve been baking, mostly from scratch for over 50 years. Thank you, thank you, thank you you are all my heroes!
P.S. On my post of thanks for a successful Bundt cake experience: Some years ago I bought a cake/cookie decorating kit from KAF which contained a small, off-set spatula with what looks like a thin, flexible plastic or silicone coated blade. I used that to loosen the edges of the cake as soon as it came out of the oven. The little spatula worked like a charm. Thanks KAF.
Sometimes it takes a village, doesn’t it? Congrats!! Mollie@KAF
I have experienced the same sticking problem (frustrating) and resorted to an old trick to get it to release. I filled my kitchen sink with VERY hot water about 1/3 third up the sides of the bundt pan and set the cake pan in it. Placed a clean kitchen towel over the top of the cake and let it set for about 5 minutes. Took it out of the water and turned it over on a cooling rack. The cake slid right out!
I have a question about tip #10. I made the lemon bundt and it stuck to my cathedral bundt after brushing with melted shortening. When it came out, I used a plastic knife to help separate it from the pan. I jiggled it upside down on the rack to encourage it out, nothing helped.
So I followed tip #10, put cake back in the still warm oven. My question is what do i do when i take it out of the oven this time. I am supposed to immediately try to turn out the cake or should I go through the cooling procedure again before attempting to turn out the cake. I ended up trying to turn it out right after taking it out of the warm oven and things did not go well for me. However, the cake was delicious and was quite a hit.
Sharon, sorry for the confusion. Once you reheat the cake briefly, take it out of the oven and try tipping it out of the pan immediately. Since it’s already been through its requisite cooling period — and the brief reheating doesn’t increase its fragility, but rather simply “unsticks” the crust from the pan — there’s no need to wait. I’m sorry none of the tips worked for you! Bummer. I hope you try the cake again sometime, though — as you say, it’s quite scrumptious. PJH
I recently acquired a beautiful, complex-patterned bundt pan (oak leaves and acorns), and as I’ve never used one before, was thinking of prepping it with a layer of oil or melted shortening and coarse turbinado sugar. I like the idea of using the toasted nut meal, and may do that instead, or for another try. (Fifty-plus years of baking all manner of things, and about to try my first bundt cake. 🙂 )
You know those little green stopper stick things that Starbucks puts in hole of the cup lid to keep the drink hot? I have a stash of them and I use them all the time for loosening muffins and cakes from pans. They’re thin and plastic and have a rounded edge at the bottom of the stick part, plus they’re flexible so perfect for that task. Just make sure you let your baked goods cool a little bit. I haven’t had one melt on me yet, but I’ve never tried using one on something right-out-of-the-oven-hot.
That’s brilliant, and a great way to get the most out of something disposable. I’ll have to get myself a couple of mochas soon! ~MJ
Is it possible that the bundt cake needs to sit for 30+ minutes before turning it out?
Hi Lydia,
If the recipe calls for cooling completely in the pan, it may bake quite a bit of time, yes. It’ll vary from recipe to recipe. ~MJ
My bunt cake comes out of pan ok but sides stick. Not chunks just looks like a checkerboard. Any suggestit?
Joyce, it seems to us that all of the tips in this article could still apply to the problem you’re describing. If you work your way through them and are still having trouble, feel free to give our Baker’s Hotline a call at 855-371-BAKE to troubleshoot further. Mollie@KAF
Whoever thought of putting the finished cake back in the oven for a few minutes to help it release from the pan deserves a medal! Saved my cake. It’s so reassuring to know where to turn when I have a baking question – thanks so much, KAF!
I don’t use aluminum or non-stick coating for bake ware. Is it possible to find a bundt pan that is cast iron or stainless steel? If so is it possible to have the cake not stick with these materials?
We don’t tend to use Bundt pans made from the materials you mentioned, Alisha, but they certainly exist. You can try doing a quick online search to check them out; they’re quite rare and their price tends to reflect that! A word of caution if you try to bake with them: these pans tend to hold heat differently than light-colored, non-stick Bundt pans. They might over-bake the edges of the cake before the center is fully cooked, so watch your bake time and temperature closely. You’d likely need to do some experimenting to figure out what adjustments give you the best results. We hope you find what you’re looking for! Kye@KAF
A problem I have when baking a light colored bundt cake is that it gets too brown from baking. I want it to look lighter in color. Is there a certain type of pan that helps with this problem?
You’re welcome to try experimenting with different materials and finishes on Bundt pans–gold pans might help give you the results you’re looking for. You can also try placing your Bundt pans on a baking sheet before putting it in the oven. Be sure to test for doneness with a tooth pick or cake tester, as the cake might need a few extra minutes in the oven. Despite this additional time, the cake’s exterior should remain a light golden color. Happy Bundt baking! Kye@KAF
I have an old angel food cake pan that does not have a removable bottom. All of the recipes say with a removable bottom. I have never had a cake not come out of my one piece pan. For awhile I avoided recipes that said removable. My husband made me a wooden funnel with a round base to use to turn the angel and chiffon cakes upside down. I tried not turning one upside down and it was awful, a huge mess. Why do all of the recipes say removable bottoms?
Cathern, a removeable bottom can make it easier to remove your cake from the pan. You can even use a thin knife to separate the bottom of the cake from the base of the pan, if necessary. This can be trickier if done in a pan without a removeable bottom. That being said, it sounds like you haven’t had any trouble thus far in your baking, so feel free to carry on as you have been. There’s no need to fix what’s not broken. Enjoy! Kye@KAF
I have a single piece angel food tube pan and over the years have solved the problem of getting cakes out of it. I take a 9″ parchment paper round and fold it in half and then half again. I cut out the tip of the cone where the four quarters come together, then make little cuts into the circle remaining. I end up with a donut shaped round of parchment I slide down over the tube and into the bottom of the pan. After the cake is baked I use a sharp thin knife to loosen the sides and around the tube. The parchment on the bottom makes sure the bottom does not stick. Works very well for both angel food and pound cakes.
Bake-Kleen is the answer. I get it at Smart & Final. and, after letting the cake cool for a few minutes, I shake it pretty vigorously back and forth a few times, then unmold it onto a rack. Works every time.
I use Baker’s Joy with very consistent results.
I started baking using Pam with Flour, but had the residue build-up issue. Switching to Baker’s Joy seemed to solve that.
Can I use a cinnamon brown sugar mix (left over cinnamon roll filling) instead of sugar to help the bundt cake release from the bundt pan? I’m thinking of using it with your Brown Sugar Sour Cream Pound Cake. Thanks…
Sounds yummy to us, Bobby. The cinnamon may darken the top of the cake in spots, but that’s not necessarily a problem, especially if you’re considering topping the cake in any way. Happy baking! Mollie@KAF
Just made coffe cake in Bunte pan using your suggestions! It’s in the oven now. Fingers crossed.
I make a lot of Bundt cakes mostly lemon and I always sprayed with Pam and then dust with sugar makes an great crisp coating on the outside and everybody loves it. I have three sizes of pans the 10 cup, 6 cup, 2 cup and I do the same for all of them but they are dark nonstick. I never have a problem with any of them sticking
The tips here are great, just great, for prepping a more elaborate pan (I have three such pans right now), and for releasing the cake. My question is for the other side – how do you all CLEAN some of the more elaborate pans? I have both the Bavarian and the honeycomb Nordic pans. All those nooks and crannies are not fun to clean, and make me hesitant to use the pans. Please advise.
Cleaning Bundt pans can sometimes seem to be a bit of a burden, Sharon. We’ve found that soaking the pans in hot soapy water for at least an hour (or as much as overnight) usually does the trick of loosening any stubborn residue quite well. You might want to designate a soft-bristled tooth brush to your kitchen to help get into all the nooks and crannies or more elaborate pans, or you could look into acquiring something like the Ultimate Bundt Cake Cleaning Tool, a Bundt brush that they swear makes cleaning pans a breeze. Kye@KAF
Sorry if this double posts, but my first one seems to be stuck in the system.
The tips here are great, just great!, for prepping a more elaborate pan (I have three such pans right now), and for releasing the cake. My question is for the other side – how do you all CLEAN some of the more elaborate pans? I have both the Bavarian and the honeycomb Nordic pans. All those nooks and crannies are not fun to clean, and make me hesitant to use the pans. Please advise.
Sharon, the trick is to find the right brush. Lysol has a nice dish brush ( I think they call it a grout brush) that is good for nooks and crannies. Another type of brush worth trying is a stencil brush; the bristles are short and stiff enough to get into all those little crevices. Susan
Thanks, Susan. I will need to look for a brush this weekend!
Awesome bundt cake recipe. Cake flavours were fantastic! The cake decorations were so beautiful! Thanks
I have mini bundt cake pan (like a muffin pan) and tried to make brownie bites. This is what the pan is actually for. Does the same technique apply to brownies too because mine completely stuck to the pan! I will say that I did use a butter spray. Can I use the nut flour or sugar with brownies?
Hi John,
That’s a tough call; brownies are known for sticking to pans, even those that are non-stick. You’re going to have to do a bit of trial by fire here to find what works well. Try melting vegetable shortening and brushing all the nooks and crannies of the pan using a pastry brush and then dusting the insides with nut flour. This creates a slight barrier between the brownie (or cake) and then pan. We hope that helps! Kye@KAF
OK King Arthur I just made your lemon bliss cake because you sent me a postcard with the recipe on it. And then in your recipe you tell me to preheat the oven and grease the pan before I even make the cake batter. And it didn’t say anything about coating the pan. Well now I’ve learned the hard way.
Fellow Bundt Baker, we understand your frustration. It can be disappointing when cakes don’t turn out easily as you hoped they would. The reason why the Lemon Bliss Cake recipe only calls for greasing the pan is because we’ve found that’s typically sufficient for an easy release, especially if you use a high-quality non-stick spray like Ever Bake Pan Spray. We apologize to hear you ended up in a sticky situation, even after greasing your pan. We put together additional in-depth tips in this blog to help those bakers who have come across trouble in the past; we hope that you give some of these tips a try to see if you’re able to coax your cake our easily next time. We’ve shared your suggestion to include an additional note on the Lemon Bliss post card about finding this article before you start baking — that’s a fabulous idea, and we appreciate you reaching out to us. Kye@KAF
Hi,
I am about to take the plunge and buy my first Bundt pan. I’m glad I found this article.
After reading a lot of the comments, I thought I’d share this tip. I have found that, for me, the best way to tell if a baked good is done is to watch for the edges to just barely, barely start to pull away from the pan. They’re never overdone (or underdone), and they consistently come out of the pan cleanly after whatever the recipe recommends as resting time before turning onto the rack. I’m hoping this technique will work with my Bundt when I get it!
I am SO glad to have these tips! I’ve been looking for a list of ideas like this — THANKS.
I have a hobby of buying Nordicware bundt pans from thrift shops. They are in perfect condition — I always think it’s because the baker used it once, and the cake stuck, so gave up. I like to take bundt cakes to potlucks — I have the cathedral for church and the castle for birthdays and the sports stadium for The Game! And more! So much fun!
Keep the bundt recipes coming!
The recipe I used today (Butter Pecan) called for spraying the Bundt pan with butter spray then coating with sugar. After cooking and letting it cool for about 6 minutes, I inverted it onto a platter and two big cracks appeared! This cake is for a benefit — to be auctioned off! HOW can I get the cake to stay together so that the cracks don’t show? I’ve looked at all the suggestions for “cracked cakes” but haven’t seen any way to hide these cracks, as there is NO frosting (the sugared outside is slightly hard). I’m considering using plastic wrap tightly around the cake but not sure about that. Any suggestions?
It can be such a disappointment when that happens, Mary, especially when it feels like the stakes are high! If you’re still looking for suggestions, we’d encourage you to give our free Baker’s Hotline a call, and we’d be happy to brainstorm with you directly. If we missed the window, we hope whatever you did worked out as well as possible. We’re sure it will still taste delicious. Mollie@KAF
I always use Crisco to lightly grease my pan and then sprinkle with flour, shake it around, and bang it upside down in the sink to remove extra flour. I let the cake cool 5 -10 minutes, run a table knife down the sides and around the center. It always drops out on cooling rack in perfect condition’