Pan Preparation

Appears in
Professional Baking
Professional Baking

By Wayne Gisslen

Published 2008

  • About
Prepare pans before mixing cake batters so cakes can be baked without delay as soon as they are mixed.
  • For high-fat cakes, layer pans must be greased, preferably with a commercial pan-greasing preparation. If this is not available, dust the greased pans with flour and tap out the excess.
  • For sheet cakes, line the pans with greased parchment. For thin layers, such as Swiss rolls, it is necessary to use level pans without dents or warps. Silicone mats are especially good to use for lining pans for thin layers.
  • For angel food cakes and chiffon cakes, do not grease the pan. The batter must be able to cling to the sides so it doesn’t sink back into the pan after rising.
  • For sponge cake layers with little or no fat, grease the bottoms but not the sides of the pans.