It can generally go without saying that there are many, many different kinds of cakes out there that people can choose to make based on the occasion or what they are in the mood for.
Some people might want to make a simple yellow cake if they want to make something basic and something that is pretty effortless. Other times, people might put in hours of work to make a Baumkuchen simply because they want to say that they succeeded.
With that being said, all different kinds of cakes are going to have different requirements for the baking method. Some cakes, such as cheesecakes, need to have specific pans.
Other cakes need to have specific ingredients, such as pound cakes needing more of certain ingredients than many other common cakes.
When it comes to more complex cakes or cakes that are a little bit more than the basic yellow or chocolate cake that you can get at the cheapest area of your local grocery store, you are going to encounter more potential problems.
It could be that you are not using enough of the right ingredient or it could be that you are skipping extra steps that you didn’t even know that you had to do.
One of the most common cakes that have this issue is the Bundt cake. These cakes, well known for their style and appearance, are relatively popular cakes, especially at events.
However, beginner bakers sometimes struggle with making this particular kind of cake as the topping of the cake has a tendency to stick to the Bundt pan.
When you are planning to make a Bundt cake, the most important thing that you will need to keep in mind is to make sure that it is not sticking to the pan.
If it ends up sticking to the pan, the taste may still be the same but you will end up missing a portion of your cake’s outer layer, which can drastically affect the appearance. It can be even more devastating when you were planning on frosting the cake.
To make sure that the Bundt cake you are baking doesn’t stick to the pan, there are a couple things that you can do. Of course, giving the cake some time to sit so that it doesn’t end up sticking to the pan the moment that you take it out of the oven is going to be important but there are a few other tips to remember as well.
Working with the Bundt Pan
More often than not, it is going to be the pan you are working with that causes the cake to stick to the pan.
The best way that you can test this out is to use a non-stick Bundt cake pan rather than one that is scratched or worn down. If less of the cake is sticking to the non-stick pan, then this is a good sign.
If some of the cake is still sticking, this shouldn’t completely discourage you yet. Even having the right pan, you are going to be stuck with a broken Bundt cake if you do not use the right techniques to get the cake out of the pan.
In order to reduce the chances that the cake sticks to your non-stick pan, you are also going to want to grease the pan up as thoroughly as you can.
If the pan has a considerable amount of ridges on it compared to other Bundt pans, you may want to consider using a pastry brush to get into all the nooks and crannies that the pan has to offer so that you can have as little cake sticking to the pan as possible.
There are two things to keep in mind when you are greasing your Bundt cake pan. For one, you will want to remember to grease up the center tube as well as this is a common place for cakes to stick. The entirety of the inside of the pan should be greased.
You will also want to make sure that you grease it very shortly before you put the batter in. While most recipes will tell you to grease the pan before you begin making the batter, doing this can leave enough time for the grease spray to run down the edges of the pan and into the center, making it more or less useless for making the whole pan non-stick.
By putting the grease on shortly before you put the batter in, you can make sure that as much of your pan has been greased up before the cake goes into the oven.
If you still worry that your cake will stick to the pan even after using a non-stick pan and applying grease right before you put the batter in, there is one last thing you can do to keep yourself feeling comfortable that your cake will come out whole.
You can use either granulated sugar or nut flour to coat the greased pan to help make sure that the cake slides right out. Using standard wheat flour is not recommended here as the cake may still stick with this flour.
Nut flour is simply finely ground nuts, which provide some degree of flavor, and sugar (while sticky at first) will melt into a sweet liquid that will not only help the cake slide out but also add some flavor to your cake.
Flour, on the other hand, will not only not work well but it will add a dry, flavorless coating to the cake and nobody really wants this to happen.
Working with the Cake
In addition to leaving it on the stove for a little bit after it has come out of the oven, you can also try to loosen the sides of the cake as well.
If you are careful enough, this can help pry the edges loose so that even less can stick to the pan. You will want to be careful when doing this so as not to accidentally cut the cake before it is ready to be served, though.
Don’t forget to do this around the center tube of the Bundt cake as well if you want it to remain looking good by the time that you are ready to take it out of the pan. Before you know it, you will have a whole and pristine Bundt cake to display.
Sarah is the founder of Baking Kneads, LLC, a blog sharing guides, tips, and recipes for those learning how to bake. Growing up as the daughter of a baker, she spent much of her childhood learning the basics in a local bakery.