The baker's friend...

So, you went to take your cake out of the pan, and half of the cake stayed in the pan. Oh no! Try this easy little recipe and your cakes will never stick again. Another secret for a perfect release cake, especially if you're going to let them sit for awhile, is to line the bottom with parchment paper. I never bake a cake or brownies (or anything really) without parchment paper. It also keeps your pans looking new. 

Miracle Pan Release Goo

1/2 cup shortening

1/2 cup oil

1/2 cup flour

Whip, whip, whip and store in airtight container at room temperature. Yields 1-1/2 cups. Brush on your pans with a pastry brush or foam craft brush.

I have always just used equal portions of oil and flour, but have had to stir before using each time. This keeps the ingredients emulsified. If you don't make many cakes, make a smaller amount so it doesn't go rancid. 

 I keep my "goo" in a plastic container with screw top lid and use a foam craft brush that I keep in a ziplock bag between uses.

 Brush evenly over entire surface of pan.

Cut parchment paper just smaller than the pan and lay over "gooed" bottom.

Pans ready for cake batter. 

Overbaking...

Rolls baked on silicone treated parchment liners

Rolls removed when golden brown to butter tops

Many people think that they have to bake items until they are brown, hard, and overdone. It makes me crazy!! First of all, I always bake my cakes at 325 degrees instead of the 350 degrees that it says on the package. This makes for a moister cake. Yes, you have to bake it a few minutes longer, but your cake is done when you insert a toothpick and it just barely comes out clean, and when you can touch it in the center and it will just barely bounce back. Chocolate cakes usually take a few minutes longer than other flavors. DO NOT bake cakes so long that they become dry and hard around the edges. They should be soft and moist. Also, why do some people think they have to bake cookies until they are hard as a rock, and almost burned on the bottom? Cookies should be gently crisp on the outside and soft and chewy on the inside. Mrs. Fields recommends baking most of her cookies at 300 degrees, instead of 350 or 375. Also, you should almost always remove the cookies from the oven after the MINIMUM amount of time listed. If necessary, you can leave them on the pan for a couple of minutes to finished baking, but usually you can just remove them from the pan and put on a cooling rack or directly on a clean counter to cool. The cookies may look barely set when you remove them from the oven. Do not let your cookies get too brown. They should just barely be golden on the bottom. Same with rolls or cinnamon rolls. I usually bake my dinner rolls for 25 minutes instead of the recommended 30 minutes--they should be a nice even golden brown on top and barely brown on the bottom, not dark brown. They will be softer and moister. Also, remember that everyone's oven may be a little different. Before you start using your oven, you should test the temperature so you know how hot it is, and then adjust your baking temperature accordingly. Using silicone treated parchment paper also helps to bake your items more evenly.