How to Grease a Bundt Pan

We’ve all been there. You’ve baked a sweet little Bundt cake, it’s done cooling and you’re ready for the big flip. Oven mitts on and serving platter ready, you take a deep breath, flip the pan…and only half of the cake comes out.

Now, I firmly believe that most imperfections can be fixed with a bit of buttercream frosting. But why hide perfectly good curves if you’ve got ’em? When properly prepared, bare Bundt cake can be downright gorgeous. A bakery favorite, this confection owes its beauty to its uniquely fluted baking dish-but without a healthy coat of grease, Bundt pans tend to hang on to their contents, marring the cake’s iconic shape. For flawless Bundt cakes every time, our Test Kitchen uses this fail-safe method:

What You’ll Need:

• Vegetable shortening
• Paper towels
• Flour
• Spoon

Step 1: Get greasing

Fold a sheet of paper towel and dip it into the shortening. You’ll need plenty, so go ahead and scoop out a big gob of the stuff. Then, as though washing the pan with a soapy sponge, spread the shortening around, making sure to coat all of its nooks and crannies.

Step 2: Sprinkle with flour

Take a spoonful of flour and lightly dust the greased pan. I find holding the spoon steady in one hand and gently tapping my wrist with the other helps prevent dumping the contents of the spoon all at once. If you’re worried about the flour clumping, sift it into the pan using a fine-mesh sieve. Next, pick up the pan, gently tapping and rotating it to create a thin, even coating of flour across the pan’s interior.

Test Kitchen Tip: For chocolate cakes, dust with cocoa instead of flour to preserve the rich color of the cake.

Step 3: Shake it off

Time to shake out any excess flour. Head over to the sink, turn the pan upside down and gently tap it against the edge of the counter or faucet. (Doing this at the sink makes for easier cleanup later.)

Voila! You have a pan that’s well-prepared for whatever batter you bring to it.

Looking for some cake inspiration? Try our top-rated Bundt pan recipes.

1 / 23

California Lemon Pound Cake

Citrus trees grow abundantly in California, and I'm always looking for new recipes which use the fruit from the orange and lemon trees in my yard. This is one of my favorites! My mother passed this recipe down to me. —Richard Killeaney, Spring Valley, California

Get Recipe

William Tell's Never-Miss Apple Cake

I bake my family-favorite fall cake to usher in this abundant season. It looks so luscious that eating one piece is nearly impossible. —Jamie Jones, Madison, Georgia

Get Recipe

Caramel-Pecan Monkey Bread

The kids will get a kick out of pulling off gooey pieces of this delectable monkey bread. It's hard to resist the caramel-coated treat. —Taste of Home Test Kitchen

Get Recipe

Buttermilk Pound Cake

Now that I've retired from teaching, I have more time to bake. This buttermilk cake is the one I make most often. It is a truly Southern recipe, and one I think can't be topped—once people taste it, they won't go back to their other recipes with buttermilk. —Gracie Hanchey, De Ridder, Louisiana

Get Recipe

Pear Bundt Cake

Next time you make cake from a mix, try my easy and delicious recipe. The pears and syrup add sweet flavor and prevent the cake from drying out. And since there's no oil added to the batter, this tender fall-perfect cake is surprisingly low in fat. —Veronica Ross, Columbia Heights, Minnesota

Get Recipe

Patriotic Gelatin Salad

Almost as spectacular as the fireworks, this lovely salad makes quite a "bang" at our July Fourth meal. It's exciting to serve, and our guests loved the cool fruity and creamy layers. This salad really added to my patriotic theme. —Sue Gronholz, Beaver Dam, Wisconsin

Get Recipe

Surprise Carrot Cake

A cousin gave me this carrot cake recipe. It's a wonderful potluck pleaser with its "surprise" cream cheese center. My husband and our two young children love it, too! —Lisa Bowen, Little Britian, Ontario

Get Recipe

Chocolate Zucchini Cake with Custard Sauce

The minute I can get my hands on zucchini, I start making this light and luscious cake. For years it was an often-ordered dessert at my sister's deli. —Peggy Linton, Cobourg, Ontario

Get Recipe

Buttery Bubble Bread

Homemade bread can be time-consuming, difficult and tricky to make. But this fun-to-eat monkey bread, baked in a fluted tube pan, is easy and almost foolproof. If I'm serving it for breakfast, I add some cinnamon and drizzle it with icing. —Pat Stevens, Granbury, Texas

Get Recipe

Rum-Glazed Pumpkin Cake

For years, my co-workers were taste testers as I worked on a recipe for pumpkin cake. This version wins, hands down. —Gilda Smith, Santee, California

Get Recipe

Almond Apricot Coffee Cake

The nutty aroma and delicate fruit flavor make this cake special enough to serve to company. Strawberry or raspberry preserves can be used as a tasty variation. —Sharon Mensing, Greenfield, Iowa

Get Recipe

Chocolate Almond Cake

Fluffy white homemade frosting tops this rich chocolate almond cake. Sliced toasted almonds on top add a little crunch. —Sherri Gentry, Dallas, Oregon

Get Recipe

Molded Cranberry-Orange Salad

I take this dish to potlucks during the holidays. People always ooh and aah. Feel free to sub whipped cream for the celery curl garnish. —Carol Mead, Los Alamos, New Mexico

Get Recipe

Choco-Scotch Marble Cake

This recipe was given to me many years ago by a friend. Teaming chocolate with butterscotch for a marble cake makes it more flavorful and colorful than the usual chocolate-vanilla combination. This rich family favorite is very moist and keeps well. -Pam Giammattei, Valatie, New York

Get Recipe

Veggie Pull-Apart Bread

A bread machine hurries along the dough-making process, but chopped vegetables, bacon and cheese make the buttery wreath unforgettable. —Christi Ross, Guthrie, Texas

Get Recipe

Black Raspberry Bubble Ring

I first made this pretty bread years ago for a 4-H project. It helped me win Grand Champion for my county and took me to the Ohio State Fair. It takes some time to make, but I pull out this recipe any time I want a breakfast or dessert that will really impress. —Kila Frank, Reedsville, Ohio

Get Recipe

Spinach Dip Pull-Aparts

Even picky eaters who don't like to eat spinach will dig into these tasty little bites. — Kelly Williams, Forked River, New Jersey

Get Recipe

Upside-Down Apple Cake

Baked in a bundt pan and drizzled with icing, this breakfast cake will be a highlight of your holiday menu. I adapted the recipe from one of my grandmother's. —Shaunda Wenger, Nibley, Utah

Get Recipe

Pizza Monkey Bread

I cannot throw a party without making this recipe. It's fast and easy, and my kids love it. —Courtney Wilson, Fresno, California

Get Recipe

Chocolate-Cherry Brownie Cake

My grandmother taught me the tricks to making this cake, and I've added my own special touches. The melted chocolate keeps the icing from being too dry and gives it a texture similar to chocolate ice cream. I have more requests for the icing than I do anything else! —Susan Hayes, Massapequa, New York

Get Recipe

Easy Orange Rolls

Life on a dairy farm is busy, so I need breakfast recipes that are simple yet delicious. My teenager daughter has been helping in the kitchen for years. In fact, this was probably one of the first recipes she made herself. —Peggy Kraemer, Thief River, Minnesota

Get Recipe

Onion-Garlic Bubble Bread

I've relied on this bread recipe often over the years. Frozen dough hurries along the golden pull-apart loaf. It's wonderful with Italian dishes, especially spaghetti and lasagna. —Charlene Bzdok, Little Falls, Minnesota

Get Recipe

Decadent Fudge Cake

Everyone loves the rich flavor in this decadent cake made with four types of chocolate. —Anna Hogge, Yorktown, Virginia

Get Recipe