Yes, we do grease and flour the sides.

Have also done the parchment paper on the bottom for certain recipes (greasing and flouring the parchment too).

I always grease the bottoms but rarely do the sides, and never grease the sides or center tube with chiffon cakes.

For certain cakes like ones that will be removed from the pan for a layer cake, I often use greased wax paper but not for any that will remain in the baking pan to be served.

I never grease, but I put parchment paper on the bottom. I buy the already cut circles.

I let the cakes cool in the pan for a few minutes, run a paring knife around the outside, flip it over onto a cooling rack, give it a good whack on the bottom of the pan and then the cake slides out. I've never had one stick.

Well every one of my cakes sticks and I do grease liberally. Guess I should try a different method, like chi's!

I was taught many year ago to grease and flour both the bottom and sides of cake pans. I also would cut a circle of wax paper to fit the bottom of the cake pan. In those days we didn't know about parchment paper.
Mary

Yeah if I forget the parchment paper, results can be disastrous! The pre-cut circles are a godsend if you bake a lot. I've found letting it cool too long in the pan can also make it harder to remove. I have the most luck waiting about 5 minutes, flipping the cake (with pot holders!), and removing the parchment from the bottom and letting it cool on a rack.

To clarify, when I flip my cake, I put the cooling rack (upside down) on top of the pan and flip it all together onto the counter, so the cake doesn't try to fully release from the pan until I can give it a good whack to release anything that might have stuck a bit. Otherwise parts of it can fall victim to gravity if some parts try to release while others stay put when being turned over.

I've done all the above and they all work; but I had a home economics teacher who said only grease the bottom because a "monkey couldn't climb a greased pole".

I also spray pans with Bakers & Chefs Cooking Spray (and that's the only brand of nonstick spray I'll use in a pan because it doesn't darken when heated) and then may or may not flour the pan, depending on the cake.

You can dust the pan with cocoa, instead of flour, when making a chocolate cake so you don't end up with white flour in the corners. I've also made a cake that called for dusting the pan with granulated sugar.

-Grainlady

I do all that, and still "Otherwise parts of it can fall victim to gravity if some parts try to release while others stay put when being turned over."

Oh well! I can keep trying. I think I might cool for 10 minutes, so I may try cutting the time.

Grease and flour here as well. Cool for a few minutes and then off to the rack they go. Never had a cake stick. I don't use parchment on the bottom either.

Rob, it might be your pans. If they are too thin, the cake might stick. But try cooling for only 5 minutes and see what happens.

I'm not sure the thickness. I'll have to check. Thanks for the pointer!

Rob, have you tried the pan release goo most of us decorators use? There's no recipe, really. It's basically, equal parts flour, shortening, and just a squirt of a neutral oil to make the mixture easier to brush onto a pan.

Btw, for me, greasing a pan, depends on the type of cake I'm baking. It's not a one-size-fits-all.

Pans for angel food, chiffon, and sponge-type cakes, should never be greased, or the batter will not have anything to 'hold on to,' and cakes will not rise to their full volume.

However, most other cakes get the lube treatment (If Jessica were reading this, she'd go blind).
And when I do grease a pan, I only grease the bottoms, lightly. Then, I line the bottom with a round of parchment, leaving the sides alone.

Once the cake is out of the oven, I run a thin, metal spatula around the sides of the pan to loosen, and let the cake cool in its pan for 5 to 10 minutes. Then, I put a piece of parchment on top of cake to cover, flip the pan over onto a cooling rack, remove pan and allow cake to cool completely.

The parchment on the wire rack is there to keep cake from sticking to it, plus it makes it easier to transfer to your serving platter later.
Some bakeries use food-grade plastic wrap (instead of parchment) for this purpose, wrapping the cakes (while still hot) to retain moisture.

Assuming I'm going to store a cake for more than a few days, I'll wait until cake has completely cooled, before wrapping it in plastic wrap. Then, I'll add a layer of foil, before storing it in the fridge or freezer.

If you're planning on icing the cake the same day it was baked, ignore the previous rant.

Sol

LOL, Sol, you're right. Jessica would have gone blind over that remark. She might have already. (grin)

I also use the "baker's grease", I got the recipe here, and I prepare both the sides and bottom of the cake pans, and I use a round of parchment paper too. Because Sol told me to, I use the parchment paper on the rack trick when turning cakes out, and it works like a charm.

I never grease the pan while making angel food or sponge cake, because Grandma told me not to, so I'm glad Sol agrees, I'd be horribly conflicted!

I do let my cakes set a few minutes, but I don't pay much attention to how long, when I think about it I turn them out. I haven't had much sticking, except for when I tried using that blasted silicone stuff. Horrible invention, those silicone cake pans, didn't work worth a darn.

Annie

I follow what the recipe says as to greasing. A greased pan means grease sides and bottom. I use parchment and double wax paper to ease cleanup. If a recipe says to grease bottom only, that's what I do. Simple mind. Lots of helpful hints here.

For me, a few pans tend to stick and others never do.

I do use that recipe sol! I think dee is right on, it's probably cheap bakeware. I can't even remember where or when I got them, so probably not anything worthwhile.

:)