There is something warm and magical about homemade cakes, won’t you agree? Whether it is the comforting aroma that fills up our house or slicing into a cake made with love, homemade cakes have a special place in our hearts. Everywhere across the world, cakes are used to celebrate major occasions – from birthdays to anniversaries. From classic vanilla cake to delectable chocolate cake, there are ample recipes out there to bake at home. However, to ensure that your cake turns out flawless, you should focus not just on the recipe but also on the preparation. One of the most overlooked steps is greasing the cake pan properly before transferring the batter to it. You might be surprised to know but this step can actually make or break your cake (literally!). Why, you ask?! Here’s why and how a well-greased cake pan can make all the difference in your baking game.
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Why You Should Grease The Cake Pan Properly
Greasing the cake pan is an important step in baking that you should never skip. When you grease a pan, you make its surface non-sticky which allows your cake to remove easily once baked. This prevents the cake from sticking to the sides, which could make it break apart or leave half of it behind when you try to take it out. Now imagine spending hours concocting the perfect cake batter just to see it fall apart while removing it.
But that’s not it! Removing the cake from the pan is not the only reason why you should grease your pan properly. Greasing also makes sure that the edges of your cake are evenly cooked, giving you the perfect golden-brown finish. Mostly, people skip this step and their cake turns out to be rough and dry on the edges. But with the proper greasing, you will get perfectly moist cakes every time!
Photo Credit: iStock
What’s The Correct Way To Grease The Cake Pan?
Greasing a cake pan might seem simple, but doing it correctly can make all the difference in your cake. Here’s how you can grease the cake pan correctly:
1. Choose the right kind of grease – whether it’s butter, oil or cooking spray – as per your recipe.
2. Use a parchment paper or a clean oil brush to evenly spread a small amount of butter or oil across the bottom or sides of the pan.
3. Cover all the areas, even the sides, which are often overlooked.
4. Once you grease the pan, lightly dust the greased pan with flour, removing excess of it, especially for the cakes that are high in sugar.
5. If you are baking chocolate cake, use cocoa powder instead of white flour to dust the cake pan.
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Which One Is Better For Greasing Cake Pans: Butter Or Oil?
Both butter and oil have their advantages when it comes to greasing cake pans. Butter has a rich flavour. Plus, it can amp up the taste of the cake and also provide a thicker layer of protection to prevent it from sticking to the edges. On the other hand, oil is more convenient as it covers the pan evenly and reduces the chance of missing any spots. Also, unlike butter, it doesn’t add any extra flavour to the cakes, which makes it perfect for bakery items that don’t require butter’s taste.
