The Best Way to Grease and Flour A Bundt Pan for a Perfect Bake

Published: Jan 8, 2023 · Modified: Feb 15, 2023 by Petra Kupská · Leave a Comment

Do you want to make a stunning cake with a unique shape that will turn heads? Then a bundt pan is the perfect tool you need!

But before you start mixing batter, there's one crucial step: greasing and flouring the pan. Doing so ensures a seamless release and no sticking.

I'll show you my tried-and-tested method of greasing and flouring the bundt pan so that your baking is always a success.

➜ What is a bundt pan?

A bundt cake pan is a type of cake pan with a distinctive ring-shaped design. The shape of the pan allows for cakes to be baked with an intricate pattern on the outside, and it also helps to create a more even baking surface.

➜ What you need

The Best Way to Grease and Flour A Bundt Pan for a Perfect Bake - Cook Like Czechs (2)

A bundt cake pan; clean it first using warm soapy water and make sure to dry the pan thoroughly with a dish towel or paper towels. Pay special attention to any stuck-on residue that may have remained in the pan from the last baking - you need to remove these.
Solid fat; such as vegetable shortening or Crisco if you are based in the US. As a Czech, I often use lard for greasing. Avoid using cooking spray or cooking oil when dusting the cake pan with flour or breadcrumbs, as these won't adhere firmly to the sides and may run down. In addition, I avoid using butter to grease bundt pans because the milk solids can cause the cake to stick.
Flour, or better breadcrumbs; I have found it works best to dust the cake pan with fine breadcrumbs. I make my own breadcrumbs by grinding fully dried, plain French baguettes, Czech veka bread, rohliky rolls, or housky braided rolls. I don't recommend using coarse flour as a semolina, as it creates a hard crust after baking and unnecessarily spoils the impression of an otherwise delicious cake.

➜ Greasing and flouring a bundt cake pan the right way

STEP 1: Grease all the nooks and crannies inside the cake pan with care. Keep working your way around the pan, preferably with your fingers, until the whole surface is covered.

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MY TIP: While I used to grease a pan with a silicone pastry brush, I now find that using my fingers to do so is more efficient.

STEP 2: Sprinkle fine breadcrumbs or plain flour into the greased cake pan. Grasp the mold with both hands and, in a circular motion, fill its inner surface with breadcrumbs. If still necessary, gently shake the pan so that you create a thin, even coating of breadcrumbs on all the spots inside. In particular, the central tube must be completely coated.

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STEP 3: To remove excess breadcrumbs, lightly tap the edge of the pan on the counter.

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STEP 4: And now, you're finished! Your bundt cake pan is ready to be filled with cake batter.

➜ Should I grease a bundt pan with non-stick coating?

Even if a bundt cake pan has a nonstick coating, it is best to grease and flour it to make sure the cake comes out easily. Nonstick cake pans lose adhesion with use and over time, so it is best to prepare the pan before baking as a preventative measure. By greasing and flouring, you can avoid the disappointment of a cake that doesn't turn out and the waste of ingredients.

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➜ How to get a cake out of a bundt pan

Greasing and flouring the bundt pan thoroughly is essential for getting the cake out of the pan after baking, but there is still one more trick to make it easier.

Let the bundt cake cool in the pan for about ten minutes after taking it out of the oven. After that, with cooking gloves on, turn the cake pan over and check if the cake has been properly released.
If not, bring a kitchen towel. Soak it in cold water and wring it out. Next, spread and press the towel evenly across the pan.
If the cake isn't releasing and the towel is warm, you can try again after a while.

⇢ Learn how to tell when my bundt cake is done

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➜ What to do with a stuck bundt cake

If even this trick fails and you end up with a stuck bundt cake, don't give up. Although the cake may not be visually perfect, its taste is still delicious. Slice it into aesthetically pleasing pieces and arrange them on a plate. They'll be gone in a flash!

Another option is to use the cake crumbs as a base for another recipe. If the cake breaks while turning out of the mold, I just put the pieces in a bowl and top them with vanilla cream. Incredible goodness!

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In conclusion, taking the time to grease and flour a bundt pan is a crucial step in the baking process that pays off. Not only will it help your finished cake look better, but it will also make sure that your baked cake comes out of the pan without sticking or crumbling.

Now go grab your ingredients and a nice-shaped bundt pan, and start creating something delicious! A well-greased and floured pan is sure to make all of your baking endeavors much easier.

Bundt cake recipes:

Yeast bundt cake with poppyseed filling
Easy walnut bundt cake

FAQs

The Best Way to Grease and Flour A Bundt Pan for a Perfect Bake - Cook Like Czechs? ›

As a Czech, I often use lard for greasing. Avoid using cooking spray or cooking oil when dusting the cake pan with flour or breadcrumbs, as these won't adhere firmly to the sides and may run down. In addition, I avoid using butter to grease bundt pans because the milk solids can cause the cake to stick.

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When preparing a cake pan it is best to grease and flour? ›

Regular cake pans are a little different in that you grease and flour most all of them. Greasing helps to release the cake from the pan, and flouring gives the batter something to hold on to so that it will rise higher.

How to grease a bundt pan without crisco? ›

Cooking spray is SO easy! Whenever I bake a cake, if I don't grease and flour my pans, I use the nonstick spray with flour in it (and I try to say that in my recipes). This especially works when you're greasing a bundt pan because it's not flat. I also use cooking spray for pancakes and skillet recipes!

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Do you put butter or flour in a bundt pan? ›

The Classic Method: Fat Plus Flour

The fat and flour bake into a protective barrier around the cake, almost guaranteeing the cake's release. Pro tip: Liquid fat (melted butter or oil) does a better job getting inside nooks and crannies of Bundt pans. Sugar can also be used in place of the flour for coating.

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Is it better to grease a pan with butter or oil? ›

Chefs love to make savory dishes with butter, but at home, you may want to stick to oil when preparing your pan for sautéeing and cooking. Butter can easily brown and even burn if you're cooking at high heat, which may be the case when searing a piece of meat, sautéeing vegetables, or cooking down leafy greens.

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What is the best product to grease a baking pan with? ›

Canola oil-based sprays are his preference, though olive oil sprays can also be used (but can impart a flavor to your baked good, which might not be ideal). "I don't like using hydrogenated fats, such as Crisco, for greasing pans because they turn to oil too quickly and compromise the batter," he adds.

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What is the best baked on grease remover for pans? ›

Fortunately, cleaning burnt grease from the bottom of pans can be done by applying baking soda, vinegar, salt, and ketchup together with some heavy-duty commercial cleaners such as oven cleaner and Bar Keeper's Friend.

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How do you grease a pan so the cake comes out? ›

With clean hands rub butter inside the pan, making sure to smear it across the entirety of the pan's interior. Use a spoonful of flour and dust inside the pan. Or put the full spoonful in and shake and tap the cake tin until you can see a light coat of flour covers the whole inside.

Is it better to grease a cake pan with butter or shortening? ›

Vegetable oil or shortening is your best bet at ensuring your baked goods don't stick to the pan; however, they do little to flavor your recipe. If you use butter, the key is to use it sparingly, preferably along with a nonstick pan.

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How to properly grease and flour a bundt pan? ›

common methods are using spray, softened butter. softened butter and a dusting of flour . or a cake goop mixture of butter flour and oil. after baking a bundt cake in each prepared pan. I let them cool for a few minutes and tipped each of them out.

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Can you use Pam to grease a bundt pan? ›

And, well, I grease my Bundt pans with Pam Original. I find it fast and effective, and have never experienced any sort of residue or buildup over time,* but I'm also (like many pastry chefs) rather meticulous when it comes to cleaning my gear.

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Do you need to oil and flour a silicone bundt pan? ›

Most silicone requires a coating of grease and flour to ensure clean unmolding. My preference is Baker's Joy spray because it has no residual smell or taste and the cakes unmold perfectly. When it comes to coating small cavities of silicone molds, the spray also coats the top of the molds and bakes onto it.

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Is it better to grease a cake pan with butter or oil? ›

The verdict: Use butter if you want to. If you have extreme concerns about your cake sticking, use shortening (which is pure fat with no water), cooking spray, or baking spray. Coconut oil or bacon fat will also work, as will clarified butter which has the milk solids removed.