Lining a pan with parchment

Lining a pan means fitting a sheet of paper into the bottom so the batter never touches bare metal. A lab manual for cake making lines the bottom of a loaf pan with waxed paper and then lightly greases the paper.

A baking textbook says that cake pans should be greased and lined on the bottom, and it mentions parchment when turning out sheet cakes. Standard cakes then cool in their pans for 15 to 20 minutes, or until warm to the touch, and removing a cake sooner can make it crack.

Trace the pan on the paper, cut just inside the line, and press it flat. With the lining in place the cake releases cleanly, and bars can be lifted out whole for neat cutting.