How to Prevent Bundt Cake from Sticking

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1. Use a simple, good quality nonstick bundt pan and take proper care of it.

How do you know if the pan is high quality? Well, online reviews are the quickest and easiest way to tell. Also, keep to pans with simple designs. The more intricate, the more likely sticking will occur. This bundt pan is a great option, as is the one shown below in the photo!

But what’s just as important is how well you take care of your pan. For example, I had a bundt pan that never got sticky. Until recently. I realized it had been thrown in the dishwasher a few times, and someone had used an abrasive sponge to clean it.

Dishwashers, abrasive sponges and detergents, and any metal utensils will all damage the nonstick coating of your bundt pan. Over time, this can degrade the integrity of this coating, leading to sticky messes. The best way to care for your pan is to gently hand wash it, dry it completely, and avoid any metal utensils.

2. Use the right type of grease.

I generally prefer to avoid using aerosol nonstick cooking sprays on nonstick bakeware. Over time, they can also degrade the nonstick coating. Sometimes, this is unavoidable to ensure a cake that won’t stick. Just know you’ll eventually need to replace the pan if you start to notice wear or damage to the nonstick coating.

I also avoid using butter to grease bundt pans, because the milk solids can bind the cake to the pan, acting like glue. If you’ve used butter and it’s not caused any problems for you, then keep using it.

What I find works really well is melted vegetable shortening. This is basically the only time I use shortening, funnily enough. Alternatively, I have successfully used baker’s nonstick cooking spray, specifically Baker’s Joy. Again, it may degrade that nonstick coating over time if used often so you’ll eventually need to replace the pan if you bake bundt cakes often.

Try Cake Goop.

This mixture is something Great British Baking Show winner Edd Kimber swears by! Measure equal parts (by volume) shortening, flour and vegetable oil. This will create a paste. Use a silicone pastry brush to brush the Goop inside the bundt cake pan, getting into all the nooks and crannies, not forgetting the center tube.

3. Grease every nook and cranny *just before* baking.

The type of grease you use is important, but it can be useless if you don’t get it into every nook and cranny of the inside of the pan. Use a silicone pastry brush to generously apply the grease to all the crevices of the pan, being careful to get every square centimeter, including that middle column. Do this just before you pour the cake batter into the pan. If you do this too soon, the grease will slide down the pan and accumulate liquid at the bottom.

4. Do you flour a bundt pan?

If you’ve greased and floured your bundt pans with success, keep doing it. I personally find this can either create more sticking, or ruin the look of the bundt pan. If you want an extra barrier to prevent sticking, nut flour (like almond flour) can actually work really well!

If you’re baking a chocolate cake, try sprinkling the pan with cocoa powder.

5. Loosen the edges after baking.

Use a small, flexible silicone or plastic utensil to loosen the edges of the cake before attempting to remove it from the pan. Plastic or silicone will help prevent scratching the nonstick surface or cutting the cake. My favorite Kuhn Rikon plastic offset spatula has been discontinued, unfortunately, but something similar to the smallest spatula in this set that can easily glide in small nooks and crannies to help to release the cake should work just fine!

6. Get upside down. Let the bundt cake cool before removing from the pan.

No, not the scary alternate reality from Stranger Things. Let the cake rest for 5 minutes once you remove it from the oven. Then, flip the cake onto a cooling rack upside down and let it rest for about 5 minutes before you remove the pan. A little trick here is to use a grid cooling rack, not one that has big gaps. That can cause the cake to settle into the gaps and makes it harder to transfer to a platter.

The best way to get a stuck bundt cake out of the pan:

If your cake doesn’t look like it’ll release, here’s a trick.

If you have a steamer, apply steam to the exterior of the pan to help loosen the cake. If you don’t, place a kitchen towel in your sink and pour boiling water over it until it’s soaked and steaming. Remove your cake from the oven and place on top of the towel and let it sit and steam for about 10 minutes.

If your cake really doesn’t look like it’ll release, try freezing it until hard, then invert it.

How to repurpose a stuck bundt cake:

If you can’t seem to remove the bundt cake in one piece, it’s time to pivot! Making a trifle, cake pops, or even slicing the intact part and grilling it up to serve with fresh fruit are fun options.

I hope you found these tips for how to get cake out of the bundt pan helpful. If you have a tip to add, please leave a comment below!

Bundt Cake Recipes to Try:

• Lemon Bundt Cake
• Strawberry Bundt Cake
• Butterscotch Bundt Cake
• Peppermint Mocha Bundt Cake
• Chocolate Bundt Cake

More Science of Baking Articles:

• How to Prevent Cakes & Cupcakes From Sinking
• Everything You Need to Know About Sugar in Baking
• How to Measure Flour
• How to Cream Butter & Sugar