How to Properly Line a Round Cake Pan with Parchment Paper

Parchment paper has saved the day more times than we can count. Not to be confused with waxed paper, this multi-use paper is moisture-resistant and commonly used while cooking with heat. If you walk into any Southern home, you'll probably find multiple rolls of parchment paper in the pantry that help when baking cakes, cookies, and pies. If we had to share one piece of advice it would be to always, always use parchment paper when baking sweet treats or roasting vegetables in the oven. Not only will it save you an unnecessary headache, but it will also be one less pan to clean. To conserve this valued paper while also having it fit perfectly in a round cake pan, we developed an important tip that all bakers (amateurs included!) should know.

The Right Fold

Start by taking a pre-cut sheet of parchment paper that you'll be using for your cake pan and fold it in half. Then, fold it in half again so it closely resembles the shape of a rectangle. Take one corner and fold it into a triangle and keep folding it until it's a long, skinny triangle that closely resembles the shape of a paper airplane.

The Right Placement

Measure the radius of your cake pan, which is the distance from the center of the cake pan to the outer edge. Take the point of the "airplane" parchment paper, and place it in the middle of your cake pan. With a pair of scissors, trim off any excess paper at the edge of the cake pan. Unfold the parchment paper and you will see a perfect circle that fits seamlessly inside your cake pan.

This easy trick will give you the proper fit for your round cake pan and also save you some cleaning. The best part? Our tip is not limited to just lining round cake pans. In fact, if you find yourself cooking with a pot without a lid, place the parchment cut-out on top of the mixture within the pot to contain the heat. Instant cover! Next time you bake an indulgent cake, whip out this easy ideas to make the baking process a whole lot easier.