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Bundt cake pans are prized for their beauty, with cooks even collecting the decorative pans just for displaying. Their detailed designs have one major drawback, though — they are hard to grease, making them notorious for sticking.
Even a generous coat of nonstick spray doesn’t guarantee success. Instead, there are two methods you can use to make the most of brilliant Bundt cakes.
The Classic Method: Fat Plus Flour
The secret to getting your Bundt cake out of the pan cleanly every time isn’t to just use a nonstick pan and grease it well (although both of these steps help), but instead you want to create a nonstick layer between the pan and the batter.
That’s where a fat (butter, shortening, or oil) and flour make a dynamic duo. The fat and flour bake into a protective barrier around the cake, almost guaranteeing the cake’s release.
Pro tip: Liquid fat (melted butter or oil) does a better job getting inside nooks and crannies of Bundt pans.
Sugar can also be used in place of the flour for coating. This results in a crisp sugary crust on the finished cake. The sugar method is best for Bundts that won’t be getting a frosting or glaze.
Tip: For even coverage of the flour, cover the Bundt pan with plastic wrap and shake to coat. Then invert the Bundt pan and dump the excess flour onto the plastic wrap before discarding.
The Alternative: Pan Release Paste
If you’ve ever used (and fallen in love with) Baker’s Joy Pan Spray, then this technique is for you. Make a quick paste of equal parts shortening and flour and a few tablespoons of vegetable oil and use this pan-release paste to coat the pan.
This paste is a wonderful tool to have on hand if you plan to bake a lot of cakes (like around the holidays). You can store any unused paste in the pantry for up to a month.
The Best Tool for the Job
You can try spreading on butter or pan release paste with a paper towel or your finger tips, but a pastry brush is really the best tool for the job. The bristles will deposit nonstick coverage into every delicate detail.
How To Properly Grease a Bundt Pan
Makes 1 greased Bundt pan
Nutritional Info
Ingredients
For the classic method:
Unsalted butter, melted and cooled
All-purpose flour or granulated sugar
OR For the pan release paste:
- 1/4 cup
vegetables shortening
- 2 tablespoons
vegetable oil
- 1/4 cup
all-purpose flour
Equipment
- Bundt pan
- Pastry brush
- Measuring cups and spoons
Instructions
For the classic method:
Coat the pan with fat: Using a pastry brush, brush the Bundt pan with melted butter, making sure to get into the details of the pan.
Add the flour: Add about 1/4 cup of flour, sprinkling it evenly in the bottom of the pan.
Cover with plastic wrap: Cover the top of the Bundt pan with plastic wrap, making sure the wrap seals the pan. Shake, shake, shake to coat the pan.
Empty the excess flour: Invert the Bundt pan to remove the plastic wrap. Discard the plastic wrap and excess flour.
For the pan release paste:
Make the paste: In a small bowl, combine the shortening, flour, and oil. You can use a fork to mash these together, or use your fingers to knead them together into a paste.
Coat the pan: Apply the pan release paste with a pastry brush.
Recipe Notes
Storage: Store the unused pan release paste in an airtight container in the pantry for up to 1 month.
