I'm fairly new to baking cakes and have always used a spray (like Pam) but it doesn't always give a great result. After reading many posts here, I've seen so many other options! What works best for you in releasing cakes from the pan?

- (Wilton or similar) Cake Release

- Flour, Crisco & oil mixture

- Parchment

- Wax paper

- Pam-type spray

I use Crisco followed by a dusting of flour. I heard so much about the flour, Crisco, oil mixture that I made some and tried it; brushing it on with a pastry brush. My cake stuck to the pan and broke into pieces. Maybe it was just a fluke, but I went back to my old method which has never let me down.
 

I LOVE WILTON CAKE RELEASE. IVE NEVER A TO WORRY ABOUT A CAKE STICKING WITH IT.

I use PAM for baking.  It works well for me.  I also use the bake even strips (the ones you soak in water and then wrap around the pans).  I've found with this combo, I let me cakes bake with the strips on the pans for 20-25mins or so and then take the bake even strips off to let it finish baking and they almost always come out ok.  When I make my actual cakes, I usually take a paper towel to the cake and rub it over the cake to absorb any oil.

I've always done it the old-fashioned way: greasing the pan with real butter, then flouring it (around my house, we've always kept a large shaker [the kind with a handle] full of flour, for flouring pans, or preparing to roll out dough, or flouring meat before cooking).

Homemade pan grease.  Been using it for over a decade.  equal parts flour, veg shortening and veg oil, whipped until fluffy.  Paint it on with a pastry brush.

Wax paper  only at bottom, but along the edge of a pan nothing.

It always works.

http://www.squidoo.com/dragon-birthday-cake

Good luck

I was told by my Wilton instructor to use the cake release. Then she told me Baker's Joy worked as well. It is a oil spray with flour in it. Never had a problem with cake sticking. You can get it in your local grocery store next to the Pam spray.

I used Wilton Cake Release for many years, and it worked very well.  The problem was that the squirt bottle was always getting clogged, and it was moderately expensive.  From a discussion on CC I learned about the homemade cake release which works very well.  Mix 1 cup shortening with 1 cup vegetable oil until well blended.  mix in 1 cup flour until well blended.  That's it.  I store it in the refrigerator in a large squirt bottle I got at cash and carry.  It is still a liquid when cold. I just squirt it in and spread around with a small piece of paper towel, or the inside of a wrapper from a cube of butter it seems  is often at hand.   Seems to last forever, but I don't know for sure because it goes quickly.  It can be made in any amount, just use the 1:1:1 ratio.  I also always use parchment on the bottoms of the pans.

You know I've been using Wilton cake release for past two years...but I think I'm gonna switch to what Leah and Yortma said. My only question would be do you have to use parchment in the bottom or can you use this 1:1:1 ratio on the bottom? If you do use parchment on the bottom does it need to be circular like the bottom? Or do you use squares..I can see my cake sticking where the square doesn't cover the bottom.
 

AA round of parchment.

I love Wilton's Bake Easy spray. I just spray my pans with it and have never had to worry about my cakes.

I spray (pam type) then cover the bottom with wax paper, spray again and then dust with flour. it may be over kill but it works for me

I also make my own cake release...store it in a Tupperware container and just get out a pastry brush when I'm ready to use it.   

knock off pam (pam leaves an after taste to me) flour and depending on the pan, parchment paper

Parchment is available in precut rounds in a variety of sizes which is very handy.  For any other shapes, I just set the pan on the roll out parchment and trace the outline.  Cut out a little inside the lines, to fit the inside of the pan.  If the paper doesn't completely cover the bottom of the pan, it is probably all right, but I hate to take a chance with all the time effort and expense put into each cake.

AI use parchment paper on round and square pans. For bundt pans I use three things in this order: Crisco, Pam and then flour and this works great for me.

AShows what I know didn't even know precut shape parchment existed! Ha where do you buy it I've never seen it. My cake store is about two hours away is it only online?

I use crisco and then flour it

I have purchased   basic 8" and 9" rounds at Sur La Table.  My local specialty cake store (Spun Sugar Berkeley, CA)  has parchment rounds from 6" on up,  Definitely on  line if you don't have a local supplier.  

I purchased 'Bake-Easy' non-stick spray (Wilton) at Michael's Crafts today. Has anyone used that? It was next to the liquid cake release and thought maybe the spray would work easier. Will re-post after I use it with a review.

I also got parchment rounds online and will use those as well. If my cake sticks to the pan, it will be operator error for sure! :)

Thanks Yortma!

I use Wilton's spray Cake Release all the time, it works great.  I have also used the grocery store brand of cake release, and it works equally as well.

I use Wilton's spray Cake Release all the time, it works great.  I have also used the grocery store brand of cake release, and it works equally as well.