A cake ring, which is often mistaken for a spring-form cake pan, is a piece of baking equipment used by experienced bakers who wish to create a round baked good. Unlike a spring-form cake pan, a cake ring does not have a bottom-rather, the sides of the product are the only thing holding the baked goods in place during baking. Baking with a cake ring is quite different from a traditional cake pan, and therefore requires unique guidance. While using a cake ring can be tricky for the inexperienced, it is not impossible. This article can provide you with some tips guaranteed to make baking with a cake ring a snap!
Plan ahead
As with any baking project, planning ahead is perhaps one of the most important first steps for achieving success. Determine what exactly you will be baking in the cake ring, and what the final product will look like. Choosing a cake ring that is of the right size is essential to ensuring success. Making sure that you have enough time to complete the baking project without rushing is also important in the creation of your final product.
Grease the cake ring
Like other baked goods, cakes have the tendency to stick to the items in which they are baked. For a beautiful cake with no obvious flaws, it is essential that the cake ring you are using to bake your masterpiece is greased before the cake batter is placed within it. Good, old-fashioned butter is perhaps one of the best products used for greasing a cake ring, though Pam for Baking has also been found to be effective. No matter what material you use to grease the cake ring, make sure that all surfaces have been thoroughly coated. Depending on the product that you are making, sprinkling the greased pan with a small amount of all-purpose flour may also be advantageous.
Use a cookie sheet
Since cake rings have no bottom, they must be placed on another product before the batter is poured in. For best results, consider placing your cake ring on a cookie sheet before baking. Make sure that the cookie sheet has been covered with a piece of waxed paper, and that it is large enough to comfortably house the cake ring. A cookie sheet that is too small for the cake ring can spell disaster, as it is likely that the batter will spill out from underneath the ring. Place the ring firmly in the center of the baking sheet, making absolutely certain that all sides of the ring are resting on the sheet. Once the ring is in place, you can pour the batter into the ring.
Allow the cake to cool before removing the cake ring
Make sure that your final product has completely cooled before attempting to remove it from the cake ring. Depending on the item that you have made, it may be helpful to run a butter knife along the edge of the pan. This is especially true for items that may have caramelized on the top, as they are especially likely to stick to even the most well-greased pan.