I always thought butter then flour was the accepted way to grease a tin, but I read somewhere on here that it could make your cakes tough on the edges. I wish I could remember where I read it (the search function errors when I use it).

If I'm remembering correctly, the post I read said use some kind of oil spray on the edges, and nothing else except for a ring of baking paper on the bottom.

At the moment I am buttering the whole tin, then putting baking paper on the sides and the bottom. Doing the sides is a pain (on a round tin), so I'd be happy to drop it if it worked! The only thing that bothers me is that my tin is aluminium, and I wonder if it leeches into the cake.

How do you do yours?

I use the homemade cake release or the Chefs and Bakers spray sold at Sam's Club. If it is a large cake 12" or up I line the bottom but never the sides.

I make the cake release that is on this site. It is awesome!

I use Bakers Joy spray from Walmart. Works like a charm and no need to line the pans either!

Homemade pan grease cake release. One part flour, one part vegetable oil, one part shortening all mixed together. Works like a charm. Cake pops right out and looks perfect, no ragged edges or anything. I won't ever go back to the butter and flour method.

Yep, homemade pan grease plus a waxed paper circle in the bottom.

I will definitely have to try the homemade pan grease. I recently tried the Pam for baking cakes and really like it though!

I've been using the Bakers Joy spray and my cakes are coming out of the pan great!

Homemade pan grease all the way!

Homeade pan grease and a wax paper circle in the bottom. Just like Leah.

Homeade Pan Grease'
1 cup flour
1 cup oil
1 cup shortening
Blend with hand mixer until thoroughly blended and keep at room temperature in an airtight container.

I use a pastry brush to 'paint' it on the inside of my pans.

This is much cheaper than Bakers Joy and works just as well.

now I know what cake release is!! I feel like a dummy, you'd think the name would give it away Perhaps because I've seen so many new products in the past two months (when I started getting interested in cakes), that it's just slipped past me.

Thanks for the recipe guys, I'll give it a go!

Does anyone know how long it will keep?

I use a light coating of PAM spray throughout the pan and line the bottom with wax paper.

I only line the side (with parchment) if I want the sides to rise above the edges of the pan. I find that if I spray the pan before lining, the spray helps the paper stick to the pan while I'm filling with batter.

Has never failed me yet...

homemade pan release and parchment paper on the bottom. Love it.

When I have used Pam like products in the past they leave a weird burnt grease like substance on the pan where there was no food while it was cooking. Over the long run it really messed up the pans. Plus I don't love the idea of that being on the food.

quick little spray of cooking spray, like pam.

Light spray with Pam and line bottom with parchment circle

Homemade pan grease with waxed paper in the bottom.

I spray with Baker's Joy and if its a chocolate cake I also add parchment to the bottom.

Great advice! I've always greased my pans thoroughly with Crisco and added 2 tbs of flour to coat. I've never had any problems with this method, but I can see why using the parchment circles would be additional insurance that my cake won't stick. I'd hate to have a big cake to make, only to have to re-do it because the top of the cake chooses to sticks to the pan on that day.