Forget Butter: Grease Cake Pans With This 3-Ingredient Mix For The Best Results

As someone who has been baking for years, I can confidently tell you that there is nothing more embarrassing than realizing you forgot to grease your baking pan after it's too late. I don't know what's worse: Realizing it when you have added the batter to the tin, only to frantically scoop it into the bowl it came from so you can re-grease the pan, or once the cake is baked, and you're trying to carefully wedge it out without losing half of the crumb in the process. 

Unfortunately, the only way to remedy this issue is to remember to grease your pan next time. Most people use melted butter or Crisco, but I am a big fan of cake goop. No, this isn't Gwyneth Paltrow getting into desserts; it refers to a three-ingredient mixture often added to cake pans to prevent its contents from sticking. Cake goop is a combination of flour, oil, and shortening (like Crisco). You can whisk them together by hand (or use a stand mixer or electric beater, if you prefer) so there is no dry flour remaining. Then, grab a pastry brush or a piece of folded paper towel and trace the inside of your pan, paying special attention to the corners and ridges.

While butter, oil, and shortening can all be used for greasing cake pans, the flour in the goop gives you an added layer of protection that fat alone cannot offer. Since it's mixed in well with the fat, it also won't give you a dusty layer like if you shook it around after greasing the pan.

I like to tell people that, with cakes, you can never grease your pan too much. In fact, I like to apply cake goop with my hands, especially if I'm working with a pan with a ton of ridges and edges (like the pesky Bundt) because it ensures that there is grease in every nook and cranny (including around the center hole). Other methods to prevent your cake from sticking to the pan include using parchment. While you can use parchment and cake goop in tandem, I find that for most cases, you can get away with using one or the other (or perhaps parchment and a quick spritz of cooking spray). 

One myth that I've heard more often than I should is that if you are using a non-stick pan, you don't need to grease it. This is definitely not true, as putting non-stick cookware in the dishwasher can cause it to lose its non-stick properties, and if any part of the surface is scratched, you're likely to get some stickage. This is one instance where it's better to be safe than sorry, and since cake goop doesn't leave a residue, there are few reasons not to do it.