How to Remove a Cake From the Pan. You have baked a delicious cake and want to display it before cutting and serving it. Before you can decorate it you need to remove it from the pan. If you don't remove the cake properly it can fall apart and ruin the appearance. Although still edible, you won't be able to decorate, display and serve your cake to others. Read on to learn how to remove a cake from the pan.

Prepare the pan before baking. Place the pan onto a sheet of parchment paper and trace with a pencil. Cut out the shape and place it into the bottom of the pan. Apply baking shortening evenly onto the paper and along the sides of the pan.

Set pan on a wire cooling rack after baking. Allow to cool according to the recipe. Different types of cakes require different cooling times.

Run a knife between the side of the pan and the cake. Move slowly and go around the entire cake breaking any contact the cake has to the pan.

Shake pan gently up and down to loosen cake from bottom of pan.

Place a wire cooling rack on top of the pan. Flip the cake and pan over and let the cake slide out onto the rack. Remove the pan, peel off the parchment paper and allow the cake to finish cooling.