How to Line a Cake Pan with Parchment
Line round, square, loaf and sheet pans with parchment for clean release, when to grease and flour instead, and why tube pans stay bare for chiffon and angel food.
A cake that will not leave its pan undoes all the work that went into it. Parchment lining solves the problem for most cakes: a circle on the base of a round pan, a sling in a loaf pan, a full sheet with folded corners in a jelly roll pan. Grease underneath holds the paper in place, and grease on top helps the cake release from the paper.
Not every cake needs the same treatment. Angel food and chiffon cakes need bare, ungreased pans to climb, and Bundt pans cannot be lined at all. This guide covers the main pan shapes, the right lining for each, and the exceptions worth knowing.
Key points
- For round layers, grease the pan, add a parchment circle cut to fit the base, then grease the paper.
- Loaf and square pans release best with a parchment sling that overhangs two sides as handles.
- Long, slow bakes such as fruitcake and dense cheesecakes benefit from a tall parchment collar on the sides.
- Leave angel food and chiffon pans completely ungreased; grease and flour Bundt pans thoroughly instead of lining.
Why line a pan at all
Batter bakes onto bare metal, especially where sugar caramelizes at the base. Grease alone helps, but cakes with high sugar, fruit, or sticky toppings can still tear when turned out. Parchment creates a barrier that peels away cleanly, leaving a smooth base and intact edges.
Lining also makes cleanup faster and protects the base from overbrowning a little. Use plain baking parchment, not wax paper, which can smoke and melt at oven temperatures.
Round cake pans
Set the pan on a sheet of parchment and trace around the base with a pencil. Cut just inside the line so the circle fits flat without curling up the sides. Turn the circle over so the pencil mark faces down.
Grease the pan lightly with soft butter or spray, place the circle on the base and smooth it flat. Grease the top of the paper and the pan sides. For chocolate cakes, dust the sides with cocoa instead of flour so no white film shows.
- Cut a stack of circles at once by folding parchment into a cone and trimming to the pan's radius.
- Many bakers leave the sides greased but unlined for layer cakes; the cake shrinks away slightly as it cools.
- Run a thin knife around the edge before turning out if the cake clings.
Square, rectangular and loaf pans
Cut a strip of parchment as wide as the pan base and long enough to run up two sides with a few centimeters of overhang. Grease the pan, press the strip in, and grease the paper. The overhang becomes handles to lift the cake or bars out.
For a fully lined square pan, add a second strip crosswise. Loaf cakes and bars especially benefit, since their tall sides make them hard to turn out. Clip the overhang to the pan rim with binder clips if the paper keeps lifting.
Sheet pans and Swiss roll pans
Cut a piece of parchment about 5 cm (2 in) larger than the pan on every side. Set the pan on it and make a diagonal cut from each corner of the paper in toward the pan corners. Press the paper into the greased pan; the cut corners overlap neatly instead of bunching.
Grease the top of the paper too for sponges that will be rolled. The smooth, lined base helps a Swiss roll peel away without cracking. For bars, the overhang again makes lifting easy.
Collars for tall and long-baked cakes
For cakes that bake a long time or rise above the pan, add a strip of parchment around the inside walls, standing 3 to 5 cm (1 to 2 in) above the rim. A fruitcake baked at low heat for hours stays moist at the edges this way, and a tall cotton cheesecake rises against it without spilling.
Some bakers line a springform for cheesecake with a parchment base and a collar for clean, straight sides. A crumpled sheet pressed into the pan, as for Basque cheesecake, gives a rustic, ruffled edge and makes lifting the cake out simple.
When not to line
Angel food and chiffon cakes rely on clinging to the pan walls as they rise and while they cool upside down. Grease or parchment lets them slide and collapse. Use a clean, dry tube pan with no grease at all, and release the cake with a thin knife once completely cool.
Bundt pans have detailed shapes that paper cannot follow. Brush every crevice with soft butter or shortening, then dust with flour and tap out the excess, or use a baking spray that contains flour. Turn the cake out after about 10 minutes of cooling, while the sugars are still soft.
Common questions
- Can I use foil instead of parchment?
- Foil works for slings under bars, especially when greased, but cakes stick to it more than to parchment. Use it as a backup, not a first choice.
- Do I still need to grease if I use parchment?
- Grease under the paper keeps it from sliding, and grease on top helps the cake release. Some recipes skip the top layer; follow the recipe if it says so.
- Is a silicone pan easier?
- Silicone releases well and needs no lining, but it browns less and wobbles when full. Set it on a baking sheet before filling.
About this page
Written and reviewed by the BakedAI editorial team. Last reviewed . This is general educational guidance, not professional or medical advice.