Easy Lifting: Using Aluminum Foil Liners in Cake Pans

Emma Christensen
Emma Christensen
Emma is a former editor for The Kitchn and a graduate of the Cambridge School for Culinary Arts. She is the author of True Brews and Brew Better Beer. Check out her website for more cooking stories
published Sep 15, 2008
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Ever have trouble getting cakes, brownies, and bar cookies out of those square cake pans without having it crumble into a horrid mess? Here’s a quick tip we picked up from the folks over at

Cook’s Illustrated

Tear off two sheets of aluminum foil long enough to line the sides and bottom of the pan with a little extra to hang over the lip. Fold each sheet so that they’re the same width as the bottom of the pan.

Lay one sheet on the bottom of the pan and cross it in the opposite direction with the second sheet. Spray the pan with non-stick cooking spray and fill with the batter as normal.

Once your cake or brownies have baked and cooled, you can lift them from the pan by the foil flaps, peel it back, and cut into squares without any fuss.

This method works best when baking in square pans. If you bake in a rectangular pan, it helps to have a second pair of hands to support the bottom as you transfer it to the cutting board.

Related: Measuring: Dip and Sweep

(Image: Emma Christensen for the Kitchn)

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Tips & Techniques
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