The Baking Product That's Your Secret Weapon To Stress-Free Cakes
Home bakers the world over have suffered tear-jerking defeat when turning out their freshly-baked cakes, only to have their delectable treat fall out in clumps with half of it sticking to the pan. Even after you diligently greased and floured as well as Alton Brown, making sure every nook and cranny was covered (including yourself!), a fickle or too-moist batter can result in unappetizing clumps of flour sticking to your painstakingly-crafted cake. It's time for an altogether different tactic, a product called PME Release-a-Cake Spray.
PME (Precision Machining Engineers) is a London-based company that's been around since 1956. Though typically providing engineering solutions for industrial problems, PME started making cake decorating products after the military, specifically the UK Catering Corp division, requested 2,000 stainless steel royal icing rulers. Now they make thousands of cake decorating products, both edible and non-edible, including their new Release-a-Cake Spray, which also comes in a liquid form.
What's the difference?
Made using vegetable oils, emulsifiers, and propellants, cake release spray is a simple solution to the old shortening (or butter) and flour method of yore. It also differs from other baking sprays, as it doesn't use flour, which can lead to unwanted darkening when baking delicate cakes. The ingredient label also lists food grade carnauba wax, which is said to be harmless to ingest, as it just passes through and doesn't get broken down in our digestive system.
PME's Release-a-Cake spray can be found at cake decorating supply stores, craft stores like Michael's, and ordered online. If it's too expensive or if you're worried about aerosol sprays ruining your appliances, there is a homemade alternative that can be brushed into any cake pan, and it's especially helpful at getting cakes out of more elaborate designs, like bundt pans, in once piece. It's fondly referred to as Cake Goop and it can be made with equal parts shortening, vegetable oil and all purpose flour.