Baking is an exciting journey, whether you are doing it as a career or a hobby. Even further, a real sense of accomplishment is experienced when the job is done. The mixing of the ingredients and kneading the dough is one thing and is just a drop in the ocean. The job is done when the cake is out of the pan, not in bits and pieces but as a whole.
Most bakers, especially ignoramuses, have problems with the final stage of getting their cakes out of the pan. And even for the experienced ones, nothing can be more disappointing than when a cake disintegrates when being taken off the pan.
Bakers have tried many different methods to aid them in preserving the cake when getting it off the pan. Of these methods, parchment stands out as the only reliable method that will make a lot of difference and preserve the cake, especially the layered ones, which are equally more delicate. Ever heard of parchment in baking?
Parchment paper is coated with silicone to provide a food-safe, non-stick surface that is equally heat resistant. It is a common article in a baker’s kitchen and has multiple uses, including lining baking pans and layering between stacked baked goods so they won’t stick together. Parchment paper helps to promote and enhance even baking, reduces spreading (great for baking thick cookies), and keeps desserts from sticking to the pan. Experts highly recommend buying pre-cut sheets of 12 inches x 16 inches parchment paper and storing them flat rather than on a roll.
With this background, you are ready to know how to make parchment papers for baking. Here are seven tips that can help you make a perfect lining with parchment paper:
- Cutting the Parchment Paper to Fit
Typically, you must cut the parchment sheets to fit your pan and offer adequate coating. This, however, is subject to the size needed vis a vis the available paper. For instance, If you’re using 12 inches x 16 inches parchment paper sheets to line a half baking sheet, then your parchment is already sized for your pan, and all you need to do is place the sheet onto the pan. The rule is to ensure the sheet befits your pan.
- Press a Crease
Press a crease (a line or mark made by folding or doubling a pliable material, in this respect, the sheet) in parchment at the edges, so it fits snugly into the bottom. This helps to put everything in well and line the pan with parchment before you get your baking business rolling.
- Spraying a Non-stick Cooking Spray
Spray non-stick cooking spray directly onto the bottom and sides of the pan and set the parchment on top. The spray goes before the parchment and not the other way around. This will help the parchment stick to the pan, prevent it from moving as you pour in the batter, and prevent the batter from oozing between the parchment and the pan. Without it, you could be messed up in the process. You can also spray the parchment’s topside with nonstick spray, though no mess would be sustained without doing it, so it is more of an optional move.
- Pencil Tracing
Pencil tracing is helpful in lining a round cake pan with parchment paper. Place a piece of parchment paper underneath your cake pan and use a pencil to trace an outline of the bottom edge of the pan onto the parchment paper. You can then use a clean pair of scissors to cut away the exterior edges that you consider surplus and then fit the outline onto the bottom of the pan.
- Making Square Parchments
Square parchment papers come in identical dimensions, like 8 in. x 8 in. and 9 in. x 9 in. Place a piece of parchment paper underneath your pan, lift the edges to ensure that they reach up either of the sides of the pan, and use scissors to trim off any excess. After cutting it to perfection, you crease the paper along the horizontal and vertical edges to fit nicely and perfectly, and you are good to go.
- Making Rectangular Parchments
Rectangular parchments come in non-identical dimensions, like 12 in. x 16 in. or 9 in. x 13 in. Just like for the square parchments, place the paper underneath the pan and lift the edges to ensure they reach up either of the sides of the pan. Cut accordingly with the scissors and crease them to perfection.
- Clean it Up
This is like proofreading for writers and editors, but cleaning is the word for bakers. You have your parchments befitting different pans and shapes, at which point they perfectly fit your pans. You can go ahead and test it out. You may like what you see or as well see some areas which need minor improvements. If you notice any areas that need to be fixed up, do so now. Clean it up if necessary, and then enjoy your perfect cakes.
Conclusion
Excitements that come with baking your cakes can be short-lived when it comes to removing the cake from the pan. Parchment paper comes as a great aid to ensure your cake comes out of the pan in one piece instead of bits and pieces. The above seven tips will help you make a perfect lining with your parchments.
