Tips for a clean Bundt pan release

Q: Do you have any tried-and-true ways to get a Bundt cake to cleanly release from the pan and preserve its great shape? There won’t be any frosting to hide the missing pieces.

A: Go with the belt-and-suspenders approach: Choose a good-quality nonstick Bundt pan, and then butter and flour it, just in case. Use a pastry brush to coat the interior with a layer of room-temperature butter, flour the interior and tap out the excess.

Also important: Make sure that the cake is fully baked, and use a recipe that you know. I always have success with the classic sour cream Bundt cake.

Q: A suggestion for those who do not like to use store-bought ladyfingers for tiramisu: Use a recipe for madeleines and make two thin layer cakes out of the batter. (Each cake should be about 1/3-inch thick once baked.) It is also possible to substitute a sponge cake, but the idea is that you want it to be thinner than a regular cake to be true to the texture of tiramisu.

A: Turning madeleine batter into layers is always a good idea. The batter is very easy to work with, and you’re right: You want the texture of sponge cake and a low profile.

Q: I want to make a red, white and blue dessert but need something that can be made 24 hours in advance and doesn’t need to be heated.

A: Icebox cakes make good make-ahead desserts. Blueberry and lemon-cream and raspberry whipped cream icebox cakes could be adapted to look patriotic: Think berries!

This story was originally published June 28, 2016 at 2:34 PM with the headline "Tips for a clean Bundt pan release."