Depanning a Bundt Cake

 When I first started baking bundt cakes I'd have a hard time getting the cake out of the pan without breaking or losing a chunk. It got to the point when Andy would see me get out the bundt pan and he'd say "here comes the sailor pan" because by the end I'd be swearing like a sailor.

I've refined this method over years, and I now consistently get pretty reliable results removing the cake from the pan, with no swearing.

First, use a paper towel and shortening to get a heavy coating on every surface and in every crevice of the pan. Oil spray will NOT work. Then, put a dusting of unseasoned bread crumbs on the shortening. Don't worry that the breadcrumbs will show on the cake- they will not. If you don't have breadcrumbs, a dusting of flour will work.

After the cake is done, take it out and place it on a cooling rack. Use a narrow plastic tool (plastic so it doesn't scratch your pan) to work down the sides and center tube of the pan and loosen the cake from the pan while it's still hot. I use a plastic orange peeler. A narrow rubber spatula could also work. Allow the cake to cool between 10-15 min- you want it to still be warm, but not so hot that it breaks apart when you take it out of the pan. Place a rack on the cake, and then using hot pads, flip the cake and rack over. You should hear the cake drop out of the pan. If it does not, don't jiggle it too much- you could break the cake. Instead, loosen the edges with your plastic tool again, and let it cool a couple more minutes before trying again.

The coating of breadcrumbs on shortening

Success!