Grease the pan, flour it or line the bottom with a parchment circle, then cool the cake for 10 to 15 minutes before turning it out. Even nonstick pans release better with grease.
Why metal sticks
Batter is mostly sugar, starch and egg, and all three glue to a hot surface as they set. Bare steel and aluminum have no release of their own; nonstick coatings help, but wear with use. The metal is also why cakes brown — the trade is worth making.
The three layers of protection
1. Grease — soft butter or shortening brushed into every corner, or an oil spray.
2. Flour — a spoonful tapped round the greased pan and the excess shaken out. Use cocoa for chocolate cakes.
3. Parchment — a circle cut to the bottom of a round pan, or a sling with overhanging sides for a loaf or brownie pan, so you can lift the bake out.
For an easy cake, one or two layers; for a layer cake or anything sticky, all three.
Getting it out
- Cool 10 to 15 minutes on a rack, in the pan.
- Run a thin knife or offset spatula round the edge.
- Rack on top, flip both together, lift the pan off.
- Peel off the parchment while still warm.
If it still sticks
Sugary or fruit-filled batters, an old scratched coating, or a cake that cooled completely in the pan are the usual causes. Warm the pan briefly in a low oven to soften the sugars, then try again.
Pans on this site
GoodCook 9 × 5 in nonstick loaf pan, $5.99; GoodCook MegaGrip 8 × 8 in square, $10.09; Sur La Table PFAS-free loaf pan, $11.70; KitchenAid aluminized steel loaf pan, $14.99; KitchenAid nonstick muffin pan, $21.99. See the baking tins and molds page.
And looking after a nonstick pan
No metal utensils, no scouring pads, no dishwasher unless the maker allows it — a scratched coating is what makes a pan start to stick. See coatings and what kills them. For the silicone alternative, see do I need to grease a silicone baking pan.
Prices quoted in this text were read on 2026-10-18. The live price is at the top of the page.
What readers want to know
Do I need to grease a nonstick cake pan?
Yes, lightly. Nonstick coatings release better with a thin film of butter or oil, and the coating wears with use and scrubbing. For a layer cake, add a parchment circle on the bottom anyway: it guarantees a clean release whatever the pan.
Butter and flour, oil, or cooking spray?
Butter and flour for most cakes — soft butter brushed into every corner, a spoonful of flour tapped round and the excess shaken out. Cocoa instead of flour for chocolate cakes, so no white film. Spray with flour in it is the quick version. Plain spray works but can bake into a sticky film on nonstick pans over time.
How long should a cake cool before I take it out of the pan?
About 10 to 15 minutes, on a rack. Too soon and it tears; too long and the sugars set against the pan. Run a thin knife round the edge, put the rack on top, and turn both over together. Bundt cakes and cheesecakes have their own times — follow the recipe.
Last reviewed 18 October 2026