This magical Homemade Cake Release paste is the perfect addition to your kitchen basics. Every baker loves a secret in their kitchen, and this simple recipe is used by professionals everywhere!
Whether you’re baking cakes or making brownies, we love using this homemade cake release in place of baking spray.
Why This Recipe is Best
You’ve made the perfect cake. It’s soft, it’s moist, it’s perfectly browned, it has a nice bounce to it…but it sticks to the sides of the pan and falls apart when you try to take it out.
How do you get cakes to release perfectly from the pan every time?
There are several methods for a good release. However, I have a favorite no-fail homemade cake release recipe that I use for every single recipe that turns out a beautiful cake every single time. Some of the methods you may have used in the past include:
- Non-stick pan – A non-stick pan definitely helps a cake release, but even a high quality non-stick pan won’t perfectly release a cake every single time without fail.
- Baking spray – Ever since Pam was invented baking sprays have been helping cooks and bakers to have good release, and less mess. But if you miss even a tiny spot then your cake will not release properly. And it’s easy to get the spray on parts of your kitchen you didn’t intend to, such as the back of your stove, or on canisters sitting on the counter.
- Butter or oil – Buttering or oiling the sides of pans is a method that has been around ever since modern baking began. It can definitely work, but for some reason it is not fool-proof.
What is Homemade Cake Release
It’s a paste made from equal parts flour, oil, and Crisco (shortening).
Mix up the Homemade Pan Release in a bowl. Make sure to completely incorporate all the ingredients.
- FLOUR. You will use all-purpose flour for this homemade cake release recipe.
- OIL. For the oil I like to use any light flavored oil that you have on hand would work. Vegetable oil is what I usually choose to work with.
- SHORTENING. Although you can buy generic shortening and other brands, I prefer Crisco brand. It is a consistent good quality. I use it in enough baked goods that I tend to always have it on hand.
Crisco comes in pre-measured sticks similar to butter sticks that are easy to use as well as the familiar canisters.
I usually use the Butter flavored Crisco to add a little buttery flavor to the baked goods, and because then I can use the rest of the tub in my homemade chocolate chip cookies!
How to Make Homemade Pan Release
You can mix up the paste by hand, using a whisk, or you can use an electric mixer to get the job done.
An electric mixer will make the Homemade Pan Release a little fluffier because more air will be incorporated in, but either method of mixing will work.
How to Store Cake Release {GOOP}
After mixing place your Homemade Pan Release in an airtight container. A mason jar is the perfect container for this, but any airtight container would work.
Keep Homemade Pan Release in the refrigerator. If you leave it on the counter too long and the ingredients begin to separate just mix it back together and place back in the fridge.
How long will Homemade Pan Release keep?
- As long as you keep it in the fridge, Homemade Pan Release will stay good for up to 6 months.
How do I use Homemade Pan Release?
- Coat your pan with Homemade Pan Release up to the point that you are planning on filling it. You can use a pastry brush, or if you don’t have a pastry brush you can use your fingers or a paper towel. Evenly apply the paste, making sure coat every surface your batter will be touching.
- I use several dips in the paste for one cake pan.
Can I use Pan Release on more than cakes?
- Absolutely! Use Pan Release on muffin tins, bread pans, and for any other recipe that calls for baking spray, greased pans, or similar.
More Baking Basics
- How to Measure Flour
- How to Make Cinnamon Sugar
- How to Measure Sugar
- How to Soften Butter
- Homemade Whipped Cream
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Cake Release
Ingredients
- 1 cup Crisco shortening
- 1 cup vegetable oil
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
Instructions
- Thoroughly mix together shortening, oil and flour.
- Store in airtight container in fridge
- Use in cake pans, muffin tins, and loaf pans for perfect release of baked goods.
Notes
- As long as you keep it in the fridge, Homemade Pan Release will stay good for up to 6 months.
- Coat your pan with Homemade Pan Release up to the point that you are planning on filling it. You can use a pastry brush, or if you don’t have a pastry brush you can use your fingers or a paper towel. Evenly apply the paste, making sure coat every surface your batter will be touching.
- I use several dips in the paste for one cake pan.
Nutrition
The perfect method of releasing cakes from their pans completely without fail every single time.
Can this be frozen ?
Does it have to be vegetable oil? I generally use canola oil.
What uk equivalent could I use in place of Crisco?
Trex. You can get it at Morrisons. I use it all the time
will it leave a residue after baking
Nope!
Does it need to be refrigerated?
Do you brush the cake release into the pan?
Yep! Or use a paper towel.
My mom use to make this and it was so good. She was a good cook.
Can gluten free flour be used
Yes it can. I recommend using cup 4 cup gluten free flour by King Arthur baking.
Do you still have to flour your baking pan if you use this cake release formula, or can that step be skipped since there is already flour in the cake release?????
That step can be skipped!
have used this for years and NO it does not need refrigerated
all products you use are shelf sturdy so therefore this product is shelf sturdy also mine has sit in my cupboard on a shelf for over 40 years use it all time for baking pans or casseroles of any type
Can I used a stick of butter in place of Crisco?
How can I make my own cake flour?
Can I use all purpose flour instead of cake flour?
This cake release uses all-purpose flour.
Hello
I was wanting to know if you can use a lard instead of crisco we have no crisco in Italy thanks
Any type of shortening will work!
Can I melt the shortening to mix it easier?
I used this recipe and the cake released at the top before baking was complete causing the cake to sink in the center. It also stuck towards the bottom leaving chunks of cake sticking to the pan. It is a quality pan so I’m not sure what happened! Any ideas? I completely covered the surface! Thank you-sincerely Pam
Can you use coconut oil instead of shortening?
Not really. You need a fat that’s solid at room temperature, and that means either lard or a hydrogenated oil. Coconut oil would be solid straight out of the fridge, but it’s semi-liquid at room temperature, and in the oven the pan release mixture would quickly slide down the sides of the pan.
This is a real service to every home baker. Currently we are entirely too dependent on aerosol dispensers which is not as desirable as always having a good product on hand in the refrigerator. Thanks for this recipe!
Love it, it will be the only I will ever use. Thank you.
Can I use margarine instead of Crisco ? I’m not sure I can find Crisco in Indonesia
Can I use margarine instead of Crisco? I am not sure I can find it in greek super-markets.
You could, but only if it’s a very hard margarine that’s solid at room temperature. If it’s sold in blocks or sticks, it should be okay. If it’s sold in a tub, it’s likely too soft to use for this purpose. However, the Greek brand “Nea Fytini” sells a “Vegetable Cooking Fat” in a tub; it contains hydrogenated palm oil and appears to be an ideal substitution for shortening.
Does this mixture stay soft or does it harden in the refrigerator?
It stays soft!
Best stuff ever, thanks for sharing.
I agree! Would have loved to use butter flavored Crisco, but unfortunately only had the regular on hand so just made a small batch. As soon as I’m out of quarantine & able to go to the store I’ll stock up on the butter flavor for next time.
Xmas baking beckons!
Thanks Aimee!!!