Cody Casey
Tube pans are used to bake angel food cakes and other sponge cakes. They have a removable bottom and a centre tube that gives the cake a ring shape. This shape helps the heat reach the centre of the cake and allows it to cook faster. The tube also helps the cake to be released from the pan after baking. To invert a tube pan, you need to first let the cake cool in the pan for 10 minutes. Then, for angel food cakes, turn the pan upside down onto its feet or on top of a bottle with the neck through the centre tube. This prevents the airy cake from falling and settling as it cools. For traditional cakes, leave the cake in the pan for another 10 minutes before turning it onto a serving plate to finish cooling.
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What You'll Learn
Why invert a tube pan?
Tube pans are round baking pans with a hollow tube in the centre. The tube helps conduct heat, which bakes large, deep cakes faster and helps the cake release more easily from the pan after baking. Tube pans are most often used to bake angel food cakes, which are light and fluffy cakes that use whipped egg whites.
Angel food cakes need to be inverted after they are removed from the oven to prevent the airy cake from settling as it cools. To do this, the tube pan is turned upside down onto its feet or on top of a bottle with the neck through the centre tube. This will prevent the cake from falling as it cools.
For traditional cakes, the cake is left in the pan for 10 minutes before being turned onto a serving plate to finish cooling. However, angel food cakes are more delicate and need to be inverted to prevent them from falling.
Additionally, the centre insert of the tube pan should be left inside for angel food cakes, as this helps the cake cook evenly. The tube pan should also be prepared differently for angel food cakes. Instead of using cooking spray, the inside of the pan should be dusted with flour or sprayed with Baker's Joy, which already contains flour.
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Preventing leaks
Grease Thoroughly
Greasing your tube pan adequately is essential to prevent leaks. Use butter or cooking spray to grease all surfaces of the pan, including the centre tube and edges. This creates a barrier between the batter and the pan, reducing the chances of the batter sticking and leaking.
Use Parchment Paper or Wax Paper
Line your tube pan with parchment paper or wax paper to add an extra layer of protection. Cut a circle out of parchment paper that is slightly smaller than the base of the pan. Place the paper in the pan, ensuring it fits snugly, and then cut out a centre circle corresponding to the tube. Alternatively, some bakers suggest using a paper gasket, dampening it slightly to help it form a tighter seal.
Wrap with Aluminium Foil
To further safeguard against leaks, wrap the exterior of the tube pan with aluminium foil. Ensure the foil reaches at least 3 inches up all sides of the pan. This extra layer will help contain any potential leaks and keep your oven clean.
Fill to the Right Level
Overfilling your tube pan can lead to overflow and leaks. Measure your batter accurately and fill the pan to the indicated level. For thin batters, consider adding a small amount of flour or cornstarch to thicken it, as thicker batters hold their shape better and are less likely to leak.
Use a Leak-Proof Pan
Invest in a tube pan specifically designed to be leak-proof. These pans often feature a silicone or rubber seal around the centre tube, providing an extra defence against leaks.
By following these steps and adapting them to your specific needs, you can significantly reduce the chances of your tube pan leaking and confidently create beautiful and delicious cakes.
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Cooling methods
To prevent your cake from getting stuck in the tube pan, it is important to cool it before removing it from the pan. However, do not let it cool for longer than 10-15 minutes as it will set in the pan.
One way to cool the cake is to place the pan upside down on a wire rack. This will result in vertical parallel lines appearing across the face of the cake. Most people cover these lines with icing or other toppings. Alternatively, you can cut off the domed top with a bread knife and present the side that was the bottom as the top surface. Some people also ice the cake upside down, so the dome is hidden and you have a nice clean corner at the top.
Another method is to place the pan upside down on a plate or cooling rack and then place a bowl of ice cubes on top of the inverted pan. After a few minutes, the whole cake should come out.
If your cake is stuck, you can try a more forceful approach by using a flexible spatula or butter knife to separate the cake from the pan. First, invert a large plate on top of the cake pan and hold it firmly in place. Then, flip the pan so that the plate is on the bottom. Tap and gently shake the pan to release the cake. Alternatively, invert the cake on the plate and leave it upside down for 10-15 minutes before removing the pan.
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Removing the cake
Tube pans are often used to bake angel food cakes, resulting in a ring-shaped cake. The tube conducts heat, helping large, deep cakes bake faster and release more easily from the pan. The pans have a removable bottom that attaches to the centre tube.
To remove the cake, first, let the cake cool in the pan for 10 minutes. For traditional cakes, leave the cake in the pan for another 10 minutes before turning it onto a serving plate to finish cooling. For angel food cakes, follow the next steps to cool and remove the cake.
Turn the pan upside down onto its feet or on top of a bottle with the neck through the centre tube. This will prevent the angel food cake from falling as it cools. If your pan doesn't have feet, you can invert it onto a wire rack or another object that will allow airflow as it cools.
Once the cake is completely cooled, turn the pan right side up. Use a knife to loosen the cake from around the edges of the pan and the centre tube. Turn the tube pan over a serving plate. The cake should fall out with the bottom insert still stuck to the top of the cake. Run the knife between the bottom tube pan insert and the top of the cake to loosen it.
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Preventing the cake from falling
To prevent your cake from falling when inverting a tube pan, you must first ensure that your cake is fully baked. An underdone cake is more likely to stick to the pan. The edges of a fully baked cake will start to come away from the sides of the pan.
Next, you need to prepare your pan. Even if you're working with non-stick bakeware, thoroughly grease and flour your tube pan. This serves as insurance against sticking. For an even more foolproof method, line the bottom of your greased pan with parchment paper, and then grease that as well. However, if you're baking an angel food cake, sponge cake, or chiffon cake, you shouldn’t grease the pan. These cake batters, which contain egg white foam, rise better when they can cling to and climb up the ungreased walls of a cake pan.
Once your pan is prepared, you can invert your cake onto a plate or cooling rack. Do not let the cake cool for longer than 10-15 minutes before inverting, as it will set in the pan. If your cake is particularly stubborn, you can try a few different methods to loosen it from the pan:
- Wrap the inverted pan in a kitchen towel soaked in hot water. The heat will help loosen the cake, causing it to fall out.
- Place a bowl of ice cubes on top of the inverted pan. The chill will help solidify the bottom of the cake, making it easier to remove.
- Run a butter knife or offset spatula around the rim of the cake to loosen it from the sides of the pan.
- If all else fails, you can freeze the cake in the pan for at least 6 hours or up to 24 hours. The frozen cake will be less likely to fall apart when you pry it out of the pan.
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Frequently asked questions
Inverting a tube pan helps promote airflow as the cake cools and prevents the airy cake from settling as it cools.
Let the cake cool in the pan for 10 minutes. For traditional cakes, leave the cake in the pan for another 10 minutes before turning it onto a serving plate to finish cooling.
For angel food cakes, turn the tube pan upside down onto its feet or on top of a bottle with the neck through the centre tube. This will prevent the angel food cake from falling as it cools.
If your tube pan doesn't have feet, you can invert it onto a wire rack or on top of a bottle.
If your cake falls out of the pan, it may be underbaked. Try checking for doneness by inserting a skewer or thin knife into the cake, away from the walls. If it comes out cleanly, your cake is done.
