Using wilton bundt cake tins...

[jox]

I have two of those fancy-as-all-get-out Wilton cake tins (set DH back about $70 each) eg Dimensions "Cascade" but can't seem to get the cakes right.

I have used them about three times and each time there has been a problem with the cake sticking and also the thinner parts of the cake turning into a biscuit like dry texture. I have only ever used the recipe that came on the packaging and recipes off the Wilton website and I follow it to the letter (even reducing temp for fan forced). I also use a spray oil to grease to get into all the nooks.

They are just so beautiful so I do want to use them.. Has anyone got one of these tins and has had success???? Any good and reliable recipes to share. I would be happy with a butter cake recipe that works in this cast aluminium allegedly "NON STICK" tin. Anything has to be better than what I am producing - the biscuit tips aren't good on a cake!

Thanks in advance if you can help

[foodnfoto]

I use these pans quite a bit for certain jobs and spray pan release has not performed as well as I had hoped. I find that these spray products, like Pam, tend to create that crisp, biscuity texture that you dislike.

The only way I've found to keep cakes from sticking to these pans is to grease with shortening, then dust with flour. The dusting step is especially useful as you can tell from the flour which parts of the pan you missed with the shortening. It's important to get a thin, even layer of shortening without clumps as, again, these create that hard, biscuit texture (I guess it's kind of like frying the batter that comes in contact with the extra shortening.) I use my fingers to rub it into the small crevices.

If you are making a chocolate cake, you can dust with cocoa instead of flour and that works just as well and doesn't leave white splotches on the cake.

Good luck!

[stir it up]

have you tried Baklene on them, or another professional cake release product? have you used a pastry brush in whatever copious greasing method to make sure every surface is coated. They sure do seem to need a quantity of release material. try foodnfoto's advice also.

I've never used the wilton, but I have some NordicWare ones.

The outdentations are vulnerable to cooking more, just basic physics.

I was wondering if you should consider trying those pan wraps we use for around large wedding cake tins, on the bottom (to cover the outdentations), or even a baine marie. I am thinking you will need to try to slow down and even out the cooking, anything that helps those outdentation parts of the pan to overcook. Would wrapping foil on the bottom shiny side out help, or with an insulator in between.

btw, they're $29 on the Wilton website, hope you didn't overpay. LOL they talk about their great non-stick surface...

[stir it up]

BTW they also sell similar pans in silicone, I'm not crazy about baking in silicone like that, but maybe they would completely solve your release problems, something to think about for future purchases.

[foodnfoto]

Silicone pans are highly overrated!
I shoot a lot of these for Bed Bath and Beyond catalogues and I always have to grease and flour them for cakes to come out without sticking! Bah!
What is the gdfn point?!?!??!?!?!?!

[stir it up]

I don't know about the ones from there, but I occasionally will use silicone baking molds from Guery in France (I think called BakeFlex), and they've been perfectly non-stick for me.

I used to make low calorie madeleines with no fat at all, and some other similar fat free items, and even those released.

Though I hear you foodnfoto and don't like them in general as I said, so you can nix my suggestion then jox.

they wouldn't solve the overbaking in the outcroppings anyway.

[jox]

Thanks for the replies...foodnfoto & stir it up ...
I will try a baine marie and greasing and flouring the pan.
The price was in Australian dollars.Still a bit on the pricey side

[pgr555]

I had asked a while ago about silicone pans and got no response... I was given a bunch of silicon pans as a gift from Germany. I have ried them several times and found they nothing came out as my usual fantastic stuff

Any tips? Lower temp? grease, or don't? What am I doing wrong? Or are they just not what they are suppose to be?