I make - cake release spread

It all started when I tried to figure out how to reliably create a muffin dome. The biggest factor, at least for me, is to bake the muffin dough directly into a muffin tin, with no paper case. Yes, I can hear you, baking directly in a muffin tin, how do you get muffins out intact?

First thing first, all non-stick muffin tins only work magically for the first few times in my hand. After the new tin honeymoon period passes, creating a nonstick surface on a nonstick pan is necessary for my peace of mind. There are a number of nonstick baking sprays you can buy and they work well. After that, there is an ancient way of preparing a nonstick surface with oil and flour. You first apply a thin layer of oil all around the inside of a cake tin. Then you light dust flour all over. It works as well, for all kinds of tins, including muffin ones. Then there is something called cake release, a thick paste which you brush it all over a cake tin and bake the dough directly in. That's it. I was intrigued by its ease of use and effect, and almost made a purchase. While I was googling for the product to buy, posts kept coming up mentioning a homemade version. I was hooked.

All posts about the homemade cake release uses the same recipe, mix equal parts (in volume) of flour, vegetable oil and solid shortening. Store in a nice glass jar. That's it. Three ingredients, less than any commercial version, and everyone who makes and uses it raves about it. I was bought.

So here is my cake release with 1/4 cup of all-purpose/plain flour, 1/4 cup of canola oil and 1/4 cup of solid coconut oil. And tonight I tried my cake release the first time. I brushed it all over the muffin tin and baked my muffin dough directly in. After cooling the muffins in the tin for 10 minutes, I tipped the tin side way and the muffins just. fell. out. I felt my bake tin honeymoon started all over again!