Cake Stuck in the Pan?
Hi All,
Marissa here from Yes to Dessert. I hope you all had a wonderful holiday season. And, If you haven’t heard it enough, Happy New Year!
It happens to the best of us… You bake a cake, but when it’s time to take it out of the pan, its stuck. No need to fret. Now that you’ve found yourself in a sticky situation (pun intended), here are some tips on how you can navigate this baking challenge.
Take a step back, literally. We all look for that easy release when its time to flip the cake pan over, but panicking can lead us to become more aggressive with the cake than normal, which can lead to cracks and breakage. Take a moment to take a deep breath and to relax before proceeding.
Use a knife. Take a non perforated knife and gentle rotate it around the sides of the pan.
Use a spatula. If loosining the cake from the sides of the pan does not work, you may gently use a spatula to go underneath the bottom of the cake, separating the bottom from the pan.
Flip it again. By this point, you’ve probably already done the obvious, which is to flip the cake over. But if you haven’t, or believe the cake has loosened after using a knife and/or spatula, flip it again. Tapping the bottom of the pan may also prove useful.
Extreme temperatures. Exposing your cake (in the pan) can cause the pan to condense or expand, which may make it easier for the cake to be released. I recommend placing the cake in the freezer for about an hour to see if that helps. While it could be useful, by placing your baked cake back in the freezer, you run the risk of over baking it.
Consider alternatives. I know you had your heart set on baking a perfect cake, but if all else fails, you make have to go a different route. No I don’t suggest you scrap you bake good and try again, but that you repurpose your baked cake into something as equally delicious.
Some suggestions of what you can do with a cake stuck in the pan is as follows:
Serve the cake in the pan. Yup you read that right. If its an informal gathering with family and friends, and , or, you don’t have time to repurpose the dessert, you may add icing (if desired) and serve as is. This is especially true if the cake was baked in a traditional pan.
Make a trifle. You make cut the cake into pieces, add to a large cake dish layered with home made buttercream. You may add additional toppings to include texture and depth. Some toppings I recommend are toasted nuts, cookie crumbles, and fresh fruits .
Cake pops. Cake pops are a crowd favorite, and you already have one of the key ingredients - cake.
There you have it… I hope these tips helps I recently found myself in this situation. While I took precautions to avoid this scenario, it happened and I had to pivot. I’m learning to adjust while baking, and in life (if I’m being honest). I hope you all found these tips to be helpful.
Please let me know if you hacve any additional tips.
All the best,
Marissa