Bar Keepers Friend Cookware and Cleanser Polish (Ensure that you get the Cookware Polish, as it has a non-bleach formula that is recommended for cookware.) Bakeware can take a beating in the kitchen. After continual use, it will build up a patina from the grease and butter. Most professional bakers do not mind this buildup as it actually increases the performance of the pan. Baked goods will come out of it even easier. Some home bakers do not like the look of a well-seasoned pan and want to restore its beauty. It can be achieved with a little effort.

The general rule of thumb when baking is “the bigger the pan, the lower the temperature”. You bake a 9” round chocolate cake for about 30-35 minutes at 350° F (175° C). However, if you were putting the same recipe in a 14” pan, you would need to lower the temperature to 325° F (162° C) for 50-55 minutes. Also, if you put that same recipe in a standard cupcake pan, you would bump the temperature up to 375° F (190° C) and bake for 15-20 minutes. For larger pans, you may need to use a heating rod (HCR-425). MUFFINS & CUPCAKES: If you are not using paper muffin cups, we recommend greasing and flouring like a cake pan. Sohla El-Waylly, who developed the carrot cake recipe, uses Fat Daddio’s pans exclusively—and not just in the Test Kitchen. She says, “My husband and I baked our wedding cake in them. It was five tiers, and each tier had eight cake layers and was about a foot tall. It was too much cake. But those pans are fantastic!” If Fat Daddio’s are good enough for Sohla to entrust with FORTY LAYERS of her own wedding cake, they are certainly good enough for the two birthday cakes I bake a year. (If you’re curious like I was: It was s'mores flavored. “I regret that,” says Sohla, “but I did not have the sophisticated palate I have now.”) There are many variables to baking time. Your ingredients, altitude, pan size and oven performance all effect baking results. There is not a ‘one-size-fits-all’ answer. However, there are several indicators that your cake is done:

Can I put my pan in the dishwasher?

Gently rub the powder into a paste, and allow to sit for 1-2 minutes. Stubborn stains may take up to 5 minutes. PIES, TARTS & QUICHES: Most crust recipes have high butter and fat content that will provide a natural release. Unless your recipe specifically calls for a grease-release preparation, these items generally do not require any pan prep. BREADS: For first-time use, we recommend using butter, coconut oil, canola oil, lard or shortening. If needed, dust with flour for sweet breads and cornmeal for yeast breads. After the first few uses, the baking surface will build a patina that will eliminate or minimize the need for pan prep.

Are you using a standard electric, gas or convection oven? The oven type and the age of your oven play a large part in your temperature determination. The Fat Daddio’s Test Kitchen uses an industrial convection oven that bakes much faster than smaller electric or gas ovens. Time and temperature requirements will vary between ovens.

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ANGEL FOOD: Do not grease your pan for stiffly-beaten egg white recipes, simply line the bottom with parchment paper. This allows the cake to cling to the sides of the pan and rise properly.