greasing and flouring

[frogprincess]

a cake pan...why?

[chefpeon]

a cake pan...why?

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Because with some types of cakes, sometimes, greasin' just ain't enough. The layer of flour absorbs a little of the sticky moisture from the cake and makes it a bit easier to release.

I make my own "baker's grease" so that I don't have to go through the greasing and flouring

ritual. I mix equal parts flour, shortening and oil in a mixing bowl and whip for a few minutes.

Just spread it in your cake pan as you would butter, and you don't have to worry about tapping

any flour in.

[Wendy DeBord]

I spray all my pans, then line them with parchement paper.

[boulak]

Because with some types of cakes, sometimes, greasin' just ain't enough. The layer of flour absorbs a little of the sticky moisture from the cake and makes it a bit easier to release.

I make my own "baker's grease" so that I don't have to go through the greasing and flouring

ritual. I mix equal parts flour, shortening and oil in a mixing bowl and whip for a few minutes.

Just spread it in your cake pan as you would butter, and you don't have to worry about tapping

any flour in.

←

Another formula for the "baker's grease" that I learned a long time ago is 3parts shortening, 2 parts flour, 1 part oil incorporated slowly after the flour and shortening have been beaten with a paddle attachment. I am looking forward to comparing yours as it is a little easier to mix. The 3-2-1 works beautifully, but in the interest of convenience........

[GG Mora]

I do neither. I simply cut a round (or square) of parchment to fit the bottom of the pan. Then when I want to release the cake, I run a thin knife down and around the edge. I haven't noticed much difference in the "rise" of the cake doing it this way. I believe it was a tip from Alice Medrich.

[andiesenji]

I buy cake pan liners which are already sized for the various regular size round pans. However I do grease and "flour" the sides of the pan.

I do not use flour for chocolate cakes, I use cocoa powder. I don't know the source of this idea but I have been doing it for many years and find it works very well.

I have a very thin and narrow "tomato" knife - the very cheap ones found at Wal-Mart or in grocery stores in a blister pack, with a blade slightly more than 1/4 inch wide and very thin.

It is the best thing I have every found for going around the edge of a cake. They come with a sligthly serrated edge, however I take the edge down with a hone so it won't scratch the cake pan.

Since they only cost about four dollars, it isn't a big deal. It is much thinner than even my thinnest narrow icing spatula.

[bleachboy]

What about Baker's Joy? That's what I always use, pretty much.

[KarenS]

I never spray the sides of the pan (and only spray enough on the bottom that the parchment sticks). I want the sides clean and dry so that they rise (and hold on) to their fullest.

[Renee K]

I make my own "baker's grease" so that I don't have to go through the greasing and flouring

ritual. I mix equal parts flour, shortening and oil in a mixing bowl and whip for a few minutes.

Just spread it in your cake pan as you would butter, and you don't have to worry about tapping

any flour in.

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Hi Chefpeon,

I followed a link from the Baking101 thread to your "recipe" for baker's grease. I'm completely intrigued and plan to try it out.

May I ask, "equal parts flour, shortening and oil"... is this equal parts by weight or volume?

Thank you.

[beccaboo]

I make "baker's grease" too, and use equal amounts by volume of shortening, oil, and flour, with sometimes a little extra flour added at the end if it seems too runny. I also add a little bit of lecithin, which I read somewhere makes it so you can spread the grease out thinner and have it still be effective.

[chefpeon]

Hi Chefpeon,

I followed a link from the Baking101 thread to your "recipe" for baker's grease. I'm completely intrigued and plan to try it out.

May I ask, "equal parts flour, shortening and oil"... is this equal parts by weight or volume?

Thank you.

Actually, by weight or volume, either one works. I've done both. Some places I have worked used no scales (can ya believe?) so I resorted to measuring by volume, and it worked just the same.

I swear by the stuff.

All the other methods mentioned by others in this thread, like lining the bottoms of the pans with parchment, or spraying the sides, or not spraying the sides, all work equally well. Mostly, it's what one considers easier and more convenient for them. Not to mention cost-effective.

I like using "baker's grease" because:

A) it always works

B) it's cheap and easy to make

C) it's a cinch to spread around easily in your pans

D) you avoid spending extra money on parchment papers. (I'm very cost-conscious and have determined it's not worth the extra cost to buy pre-cut parchment rounds, and too time consuming to cut out rounds out of parchment sheet pan liners).

[chromedome]

And when you're in a hurry, you can just slap it into several dozen pans with a big ol' paint brush. As long as you're diligent in the corners, you can do the pans a whole lot faster that way (not as quick as spraying, but quick nonetheless).

[chefpeon]

And when you're in a hurry, you can just slap it into several dozen pans with a big ol' paint brush.  As long as you're diligent in the corners, you can do the pans a whole lot faster that way (not as quick as spraying, but quick nonetheless).

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Right you are, Chromey!

A pastry brush is a must for square, rectangle, and most especially, those fancy bundt pans that have those fancy indentations in them!

[echarlto]

Hard to go wrong with a couple of sprays of PAM with flour and a circle of parchment, IMHO.

[Renee K]

Thanks chefpeon and beccaboo!

I'm off to make some for myself now.

[chefpeon]

Hard to go wrong with a couple of sprays of PAM with flour and a circle of parchment, IMHO.

Right you are. None of the above ways that people choose to lube their pans is "wrong".

It's all a matter of preference.