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This is the "Cook's Choice, Better Baker Edible Bowl Maker" which I received as a gift.

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Now the idea appears clever enough, but everything I try to do with it either comes out too hard to be enjoyable (not 'Good Eats') or it comes out like this: (the finished product won't come out in one usable piece.

enter image description here

I've greased/floured the bowls, I've allowed the product to cool thoroughly...

What techniques or recipe adjustments will help me get a usable cake out of the mold? (note: I would also like to be able to use this for breads, but I'll settle for getting a usable cake out of the mold for now...)

[Follow-up]: With thanks to all who contributed..

So I found some Pam Baking spray (yea, right next to the stuff I always get, just hadn't noticed it before...) and tried releasing the cakes before they were fully cooled: Add a shot of rum, some pecans and caramel...mmmm.

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    Have you tried non stick cake spray? – ElendilTheTall Mar 20 '13 at 20:17
  • You might try breads first. In my experience they have more crust and more structure overall so they are easier to get out of containers in one piece. – Sobachatina Mar 20 '13 at 20:27
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    @ElendilTheTall, just to clarify I have tried Non-stick spray; Is there a "non-stick cake spray" that is particularly effective for cakes? – Cos Callis Mar 20 '13 at 20:33
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    @CosCallis there are baking non-stick sprays which contain flour... Common US brands include Baker's Joy. – derobert Mar 20 '13 at 20:36
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    I would go with the bread suggestion, plus other pastries. Gluten is what holds doughs together, so if anything has a chance to get out of these whole, it is high-gluten. Cakes are supposed to be tender, they don't have much internal cohesion if they are good. There you face a trade-off: the better the cake, the harder to get it out. For sweet creations, try shells out of danish pastry or millefeuille. They will all release much easier than cakes. Another option to explore would be to find the same pan but with silicone molds within the sheet, it would work with cakes then. – rumtscho♦ Mar 21 '13 at 19:02
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Search for recipes for 'cake release', which is typically a mixture of equal parts solid shortening, flour and oil. You can then paint it on with a pastry brush.

You also don't always want items to cool fully before removing from the pan; you might need to warm the pan back up some for the item to release.

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While it is not traditional, I have had excellent success with cakes, breads, and muffins by liberally spraying with spray oil. I use my store brand's grapeseed oil, but any will do. I use the kind without additional flour.

An additional advantage is it is very easy to do individual cups or molds with the spray.

I usually do my spraying over the sink to save mess on any overspray. A tip I have read is to do it over the open door of your dishwasher for the same reason.

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  • I like to grease with butter - same basic idea, my theory is that butter has more flavour and doesn't bead very easily. It does burn, but the dish is rarely in the oven long enough for that... – Aaronut Mar 21 '13 at 23:45
  • So true, I used to do that. I use the spray oil for laziness. – SAJ14SAJ Mar 21 '13 at 23:55
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Your pans look like they're "non-stick". Did the pans come with any directions on whether they need to be greased (probably different instructions for cakes and breads) or "seasoned" first?

  1. Follow the manufacturer's instructions regarding greasing or prepping the pan
  2. I would do is what is recommended on many US cake product packaging: cool the pan for 10 minutes
  3. Use a pointy knife to carefully ease any sticky parts of the cake from the pan. It's not a cutting motion (you don't want to scratch the pan), but rather a gently finessed motion around the inner edge of the individual cups
  4. When you can gently wiggle the top of the cup (the part that is sticking up from the pan, GENTLY try to lift the cake. If you feel resistance, repeat the knife routine
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  • To release around the edges, I like either a really narrow blade (I use a boning knife) or a plastic knife so I don't scratch the surface for non-stick pans. Once you've gone around, you can sometimes use the knife to press inward at various points to get it to release from the bottom ... but I don't know how well it'll work with this mold. – Joe Mar 22 '13 at 13:28
  • @Joe, thanks for the input but I have already tried this approach. The clinging appears to be happening on the bottom and along the center post. – Cos Callis Mar 22 '13 at 14:35
  • @CosCallis : try a solid fat (or blend, like cake release), bake it, let it cool some, then take a torch to warm up the post in the middle, and see if that'll get it to release. (once the fat cools, it stick again, so we need it liquid when it's time to release) – Joe Mar 22 '13 at 15:31
  • @CosCallis, Joe's point about the fat being still more liquid than cooled in order to release from the pan is a good one. – Kristina Lopez Mar 22 '13 at 16:12

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