Preparing and Greasing Cake Pans

Cake pans are coated with fat, flour or both to give a smooth golden surface to the cake. To make the cake easy to unmold and to protect the batter from oven heat, the pan is usually lined with wax paper or baking parchment. For some cakes, notably those made with egg whites, the pan is not greased as the batter is supposed to cling. Non-stick pans are particularly helpful for moist batters and do not need greasing unless a coating is needed, or a protective paper lining is used.

Greasing a pan helps loosen a cake so it is easy to unmold after baking. The fat used for greasing should be the same as that used in the batter. Melt or soften the fat and, using a pastry brush, apply a thin, even coating, taking care to brush the corners and rim.