Quite a few months ago I had a post on my facebook page about running out of Bakers Spray. Lots of smart and seasoned bakers chimed in, and almost half of them suggested this weird thing called GOOP or Homemade Pan Release. I use this on all my bundt cakes, such as my award-winning Cream Cheese Pound Cake and Chocolate Pound Cake.
What is Homemade Pan Release?
Or GOOP as grandmas call it. It’s cheap. It’s easy. It works. The recipe is beyond simple. Take equal parts of flour, vegetable oil, and shortening. (Full detailed recipe in the recipe card below.)
Blend them together. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 9 months.
How to Use Homemade Pan Release
To use your ‘goop’, simply grab a pastry brush and spread a generous amount around your cake pan. I re-loaded my brush about 3-4 times for one 8 in cake pan. One thing that I am conscious of is the sides, I do not go all the way up the sides. Try to only put the goop up as high as the batter would be. (about an inch)
If I use it all the way up the sides it tends to coat the cake around the edges as it bakes. Not a problem per say, just a preference on my part. 🙂
Tips for Using Homemade Pan Release
- I whisk my ingredients by hand, but you can certainly use a mixer. If you use a mixer the ingredients will still be creamy but will be slightly fluffier right away.
- I do not allow the cakes to cool to room temperature in the pan, I try to remove them from the oven and then invert them to a cooling rack. In my experience, when the cakes were allowed to completely cool to room temperature in the pan they did not release as well.
- Be generous with the goop.
- Store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator. When I left mine on the counter for an extended period of time it seemed to separate faster. If you find the mixture separated at all, simply re-mix.
- You can easily halve (1/2) or even quarter (1/4) this recipe. I used the above recipe for about 5 months.
I have used this with success on all types of cake batter, thick and thin. However, some people suggest using more ‘goop’ with chocolate cakes and runny batter.
Can I Make This Gluten-Free? Or Use Other Oils?
I haven’t tested those, but lots of folks in the comments have. Folks have said that YES!, it will work with gluten-free flour.
LYNNETTE S. says: “I love love love this! We have a home with celiac disease and I used gluten free flour with xanthan gum, butter flavored Crisco and sesame seed oil. I’ve found nirvana! I’ll try it with different GF flour with different binders, but the sesame seed oil and butter flavored Crisco sealed the deal for me.”
Homemade Pan Release {Baking Spray}
Ingredients
- 1 cup (125 g) all-purpose flour
- 1 cup (205 g) shortening
- 1 cup (218 g) oil
Instructions
- Place all ingredients in medium bowl and whisk well by hand. The mixture will be smooth and creamy.
- Place in a sealable jar or container.
- This pan release can be stored at room temperature for 3 months, or in the fridge for 6 months.
To Use
- Dip a pastry brush into the mixture and generously spread over the bottom and sides of the cake pan.
Did you make this recipe?
Thank you for making my recipe! You took pictures, right? Well go ahead and post them on Instagram! Be sure to mention me @iambaker and use the hashtag #YouAreBaker.
It’s been asked a couple of different ways but not answered.
What do YOU mean by ‘shortening’???
Lard? Solid Crisco (as averse to Crisco oil), solid coconut oil, butter????
I use Crisco. Shortening, by definition, is solid.
I love this. I grew up in a bakery family. My dad made this to use on the bakery pans but we called it schmear because you would schmear it all over the pans!
I put the goop on Nordic Ware train cakelet pans with success on one pan and total failure on the other. I couldn’t get the cakes out at all! Where did I go wrong? I used a boxed cake mix. Is it the mix? Please help!
I work with iambaker and am happy to help out with questions!
Hi, Christine! Sorry that happened to you. Be very generous with the goop, making sure to cover every last inch of your pan. Also, be sure to remove the cake before it cools completely.
May I use coconut oil in place of Crisco? What vegetable oil do you recommend. This goop is just what I need.
Hi, Phyllis! I work with iambaker and am happy to help with questions. We have not tried using coconut oil in place of Crisco, but some readers have used it with success. As for oil, it needs to be any tasteless oil. I hope this helps. Have a great day!
Hi, I am making the Chocolate cream cheese Bunt cake
What is shortening, I am from Australia and this is not a term we use. Is it butter, margarine?
Hi, Penny! I work with iambaker and am happy to help with questions. Shortening is lard, or you could use butter or margarine in place of the shortening. If you use butter or margarine, for every 1 cup shortening, replace it with 1 cup butter or margarine plus and extra 2 tablespoons. I hope this helps, and have a great day!
Was wondering about how much GOOP this recipe yields. Any idea, ballpark figure of 1 cup or 2 cups or something along that line? I’m thinking of doing several gifts and I’m just wondering how many batches I may need to do. Thanks
I can not find your universal recipes for cake mixes,cookies,etc.They are kinda like bisquick and can be stored and pull out to make the basic items quickly. They then can be stored in the pantry,,
Amazing – do not waste your money on commercial cake release sprays anymore!
Made up with 50g flour/50ml rapeseed oil/50g flora buttery (can’t get Crisco in the UK). Mix is quite yellow but planned to use with vanilla sponge so I thought it would be fine.
Used for the first time with nordicware brilliance Bundt pan with perfect cake release. No more greasing and flouring ever again for me!
I’m so impressed with the results and my beautiful cake, wish I could upload a photo.
Can you skip the butterpaper or parchment paper?
Can i use it for making lava cake?
Love from Pakistan
Does this work when baking bread?