I first learnt about this stuff years ago. As a teenager, I was a bit obsessed with wedding cakes (I have no idea why) and borrowed all the books in the library to do with cake decorating. I’d flick through the pages for hours looking at the pretty cakes and how to make the little sugar flowers. I can’t remember where I first came across the idea of ‘Pan Coat’ but I feel like it’s one of the few baking secrets I have.
This stuff is amazing! No more problems of cakes getting stuck in the tin. Cakes just fall out of their tins and it’s so easy to apply and also easy to make. This stuff keeps pretty much forever and I’ve read that you can keep it in the pantry, although I like to keep mine in the fridge, just to be safe. If the shortening goes rancid, it will smell bad so it should be pretty easy to tell when it’s past its best.
This is great for fancy shaped novelty tins that have a lot of corners, like the tin I used for my White Chocolate Christmas Cake. You simply paint the Pan Coat onto the inside of the tin with a pastry brush. No need to flour afterwards, or line your tin with baking paper.
The original recipe uses 1 cup of each ingredient, but I like the consistency best using the amounts below. If it separates a bit over time, just give it another good mix.
Pan Coat
makes about 2 cups
250g (1 1/4 cups) Crisco/Frymasta Blended Oil/Trex*
185g (1 1/4 cups) plain flour (you can substitute with rice flour for gluten free baking)
1 cup vegetable oil
Make sure your Crisco (or substitute) is nice and soft, like softened butter. Thoroughly mix all the ingredients together with a fork until smooth. Store in a sealed container in the pantry or fridge.
To apply, use a pastry brush to give an even coating to the entire tin, making sure you get it into all the corners.
*If you’re in the US, you’ll find Crisco
*In the UK, you’ll find Trex
*In Australia you can use Frymasta Blended Vegetable Oil. It is found in the fridge section of the supermarket, next to the butter. It’s in a gold wrapper with red writing. Copha can be substituted, but you will need to melt the Copha first.
Janelle @ Emmaline Bags says
You gave your secret away! Thank you for sharing it, will have to use that soon!
Bruise Mouse says
Thanks for sharing such a fabulous tip.
Roslyn@Sew Delicious says
Good to know! Does it work with egg? I like to make mini frittatas in the muffin pan and sometimes they stick badly.
Tonya Wollschleger says
@roslyn…this would not work for stove top cooking and traditional frittata is started on the stove-top in a skillett. This product is for baking baked goods that require you “grease and flour” your pan. It is essentially is combining the two steps into one while providing a thick, even layer. Often times you will have the grease thicker in some spots than others with the two step method and the thinner areas will stick. An even application will also brown evenly. When using a “grease and flour” the oil browns the flour. If you used this for cooking on the stove-top, the oils would melt then reach a higher heat cooking point and then start burning the flour that is mixed in creating a roux which is not what you want ever in a frittata. But if your frittata’s do not require to be started on the stove-top and everything is done in the oven, sort of like a crustless quiche, then it should work.
thingsforboys says
Wow! Such a thorough response. Thanks Tonya! Makes sense that it only works for oven recipes.
Memoria James says
Wish I could find Crisco or a suitable substitute in Italy :(. Thanks for the tip, though!
thingsforboys says
Hi Memoria – check out this post from firenzemom which provides a substitute available in Italy. Hope that helps!
Larreen says
Does it have to be vegetable oil? Or can you use canola oil?
abby says
Canola oil would be fine.
Teri says
My husband is about to try it out on a birthday cake he’s making for my birthday 😀. It’ll be a bundt cake so I like the idea of being able to use a brush in those tight corners! Thank you!!!