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.
I have used this many times before and always had good results!
If you are tired of buying expensive oil sprays in the aerosol cans, and then getting it all over your surfaces and beyond the edges of your pans…not to mention breathing the mist in !!…then this is tailor made just for you !!!
Does this also work for dense breads in loaf pans?
Yes I use it in my cast iron bread pans.
For the shortening… Can i use a vegetable. Shortening?
Sure
Can you use coconut oil for the shortening and use olive oil for the the oil? Thank you!
Can you use coconut oil
Me, too! I live in Ecuador and can’t get decent shortening here.
I see a number of questions that I’d like to know the answer but I don’t see a response. Please advise.
You are Awesome Lady!! I absolutely Love GOOP!! It is wonderful Thank you so much for posting the recipe!!
Can I use this in my frying pan so my meat does not stick?
Can cake goop be used with other desserts baked in pans?
Yes
I made the Goop and used it to make a Pound Cake. After it was done I cooled it for 10 minutes on a cooling rack and tried to release it from the pan, it was stuck. I made and used the Goop exactly as instructed.
Hi Doris –
Here is what I wrote in the post. Step #2
Tips for Using Homemade Pan Release
1. 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.
2. 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.
3. Be generous with the goop.
4. 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.
5. You can easily halve (1/2) or even quarter (1/4) this recipe. I used the above recipe for about 5 months.
Not leaving cake, etc , in the pan to cool, makes sense, as the GOOP ingredients, as they cool, will harden and not be soft or pliable, thus allowing the cake, etc, to stick. Not allowing the cake, etc, to first cool, goes against what has been done for probably a hundred years or more!!!
Thanks! For this recipe! Will for sure be making this!!
Same thing happened to me with a different goop recipe recently! I thought perhaps I’d used too much, but I did let it cool in the pan around 10-20 minutes. That could be the reason my cakes stuck. I was so disappointed so I threw the goop out. Thanks to this post I think I’ll give it another go following your instructions!
I made this used on my Zuchinni bread and let it cool for about 1 hr when it was still hot but could handle and some spots were stuck I don’t know if I should add more a thicker layer when I make Zuchinni bread because the raisins