Greasing Dark Pans: A Quick Guide

Greasing a dark pan is an important step in the baking process. While non-stick pans are now commonplace, greasing a pan is still necessary in many cases to prevent baked goods from sticking. Dark pans can also cause the edges of your bakes to cook faster and become darker, so it's important to adjust the temperature when using a dark pan. To grease a dark pan, you can use butter, shortening, cooking spray, or parchment paper. You can also use flour to create a non-stick surface, but this may leave a residue on the finished product. Greasing a pan is simple: coat the inside of the pan generously with your chosen grease, ensuring an even coating with no chunks of fat.

How to Grease a Dark Pan

Using butter or shortening

Greasing a dark pan with butter or shortening is a simple process, but it requires attention to detail to ensure your baked goods don't stick. Here's a step-by-step guide:

Step 1: Prepare Your Pan

Before you begin greasing, ensure your pan is clean and dry. Wash it with warm soapy water and scrub off any residue or food particles. Rinse it thoroughly and dry it with a clean towel. This step is crucial as it prevents food from sticking and promotes even heat distribution.

Step 2: Choose Your Grease

You can use either butter or vegetable shortening for this process. If you opt for butter, it's best to use unsalted butter with a higher fat content, as it has a lower water content and won't burn easily. However, if you prefer a richer flavour, salted butter can add a savoury touch to your dish.

Step 3: Soften the Butter or Shortening

For optimal results, let your butter or shortening soften at room temperature before greasing the pan. This ensures easy spreading and a smooth consistency. If you're in a hurry, you can also melt the butter to achieve a smoother application.

Step 4: Apply the Grease

Now, it's time to grease your pan. You can use a pastry brush, a folded paper towel, or your fingers to apply the grease. Start from the centre of the pan and work your way towards the edges, making sure to coat the entire surface, including the sides and corners, evenly. This step is crucial to prevent any food from getting stuck in your pan.

Step 5: Add Flour (Optional)

If you're making a cake, this additional step can help ensure your cake doesn't stick. Sprinkle a tablespoon or two of all-purpose flour into your greased pan. Gently shake, tap, and tilt the pan until all of the greased surfaces are covered in a light dusting of flour. Invert the pan over the sink and gently tap out any excess flour.

Step 6: Final Touches

If you're making a layer cake, you can cut a piece of parchment paper to fit the bottom of the pan. Place the parchment paper in the pan after greasing and flouring, then grease and flour it as well. This extra step guarantees that your cake will come out of the pan with ease.

Using non-stick cooking spray

When using non-stick cooking spray, it is important to follow these steps:

• Ensure your pan is clean and dry before using the spray.
• Hold the spray can about 6 to 8 inches away from the pan and spray in a back-and-forth motion to ensure even coverage.
• Coat the entire surface of the pan, including the corners and sides, with a thin layer of the spray. Avoid spraying too much in one area, as this can cause pooling.
• After spraying, use a paper towel or clean kitchen towel to gently wipe the interior of the pan. This will help distribute the spray evenly and prevent any excess buildup.

It is worth noting that while non-stick cooking sprays are convenient, they may not be suitable for all types of pans. Some non-stick pans, for example, are not recommended to be used with cooking sprays as they can damage the non-stick coating over time. Always check the manufacturer's instructions for your specific pan to ensure you are using the correct greasing method.

Additionally, some bakers prefer to avoid cooking sprays as they may affect the appearance of the cake's crust, making it thicker and darker. If you are baking a delicate cake, you may want to consider using other greasing methods, such as butter or shortening, to achieve the desired crust colour and texture.

Using foil or parchment

Using Foil:

• Press a sheet of foil into the pan, forming it to the bottom edges and wrapping any excess over the sides to secure it in place.
• Spray the foil with nonstick cooking spray. This step is crucial because, unlike parchment paper, foil needs to be greased to ensure your baked goods don't stick.

Using Parchment Paper:

• Crumple the parchment paper into a ball and then flatten it out. This step helps prevent the paper from rolling back up when you're lining your pan.
• Place the flattened parchment paper into the pan, leaving a bit of overhang so that you can easily lift the entire sheet out later.
• Parchment paper is non-stick, so you generally don't need to spray it with nonstick spray unless your recipe specifically calls for it.

Adjusting the temperature

When using a dark pan, it is important to adjust the temperature and timing to avoid over-browning or undercooking your baked goods. Dark pans absorb and spread heat more efficiently than lighter-coloured pans, which can cause cakes to brown too quickly on the sides and set around the top edges before the cake has finished baking.

Decrease the baking temperature:

Lower the oven temperature by 25 degrees Fahrenheit. Dark metal pans absorb the oven's radiant heat quicker than lighter pans, so decreasing the temperature will help to prevent over-browning and ensure that the interior cooks properly.

Check for doneness earlier:

Start checking for doneness 10 to 15 minutes before the recipe instructs. This will help you avoid overbaking. For cakes, cupcakes and breads, insert a cake tester or wooden skewer near the centre of the cake. If it comes out clean, your bake is done. For cheesecakes, the centre should be slightly wobbly, while the outer 2 to 3 inches should be firm.

Use a water bath:

If you're making a cheesecake, you can take the dark pan out of the equation by baking it in a water bath, also known as a bain-marie. Wrap the outside of the pan in a double layer of foil to prevent water from leaking in. Place the wrapped pan in a roasting pan with hot water reaching halfway up the sides of the cheesecake pan. This will help the cheesecake bake evenly.

Use a silicone baking mat:

When baking with a dark pan, a silicone baking mat can help distribute the heat more evenly. This can be especially useful when baking cakes and cookies, which are best baked in lighter pans.

Wrap the pan in aluminium foil:

If you only have dark pans, you can wrap the outside of the pan in aluminium foil to help absorb some of the heat from the oven and prevent over-browning.

By following these temperature adjustment tips, you can ensure that your baked goods turn out perfectly, even when using a dark pan.

Using oil or fat

Once you've chosen your fat, it's time to apply it to the pan. You can use your fingers, a soft pastry brush, or a folded paper towel to coat the inside of the pan. Make sure the coating is even and uniform, with no chunks of fat or thick lumps. If you're using butter, simply run it around the pan, bottom, and sides using the stick. If you're using shortening or a tub of butter, a paper towel can help wipe it all over the pan.

If you're using oil, be careful not to apply it too early, as it may drip down the sides of the pan and pool at the bottom. It's best to grease the pan just a few minutes before adding your batter, especially if your kitchen is warm. If you need to, you can pop the greased, empty pan in the fridge while you prepare the rest of your ingredients.

After greasing, you may want to add a layer of flour. This step is often unnecessary, but it can be helpful for certain cakes, like sponge cakes or angel food cakes, that rely on whipped egg whites for leavening. The flour helps the batter cling to the sides of the pan so it doesn't collapse, and the grease allows it to release after baking. To flour the pan, simply sprinkle a tablespoon or so of all-purpose flour into the pan and gently shake, tap, and tilt the pan until all the greased surfaces are covered. Invert the pan over the sink and tap out any excess flour.

Frequently asked questions