I like to think I am a person of reasonable intelligence...

[nordstrom]

...but give me a loaf tin and a piece of baking parchment and I am well and truly beaten!

I am about to lob said loaf tin at the fucking window in a rage

So, if anybody has the answer so that my banana loaf might be saved, I would be most grateful!

Are you having trouble lining it? I just butter the tin and stick a rectangle of paper on the bottom. Works fine for me.

oh - you just line it on the bottom & not the sides? this has been a struggle for me for years

For future reference, you can cheat and buy liners that are perfectly shaped to fit the average loaf tin
For now, I’d just slap a load of butter round the sides of the tin and a piece of greaseproof paper in the bottom like marvellous suggested

Probably not helpful for this time, but buy ready made liners. I get mine from Pound Land because I hate lining tins. But you can probably get them from most supermarkets, Wilko etc.

I now only make cakes if they fit in a loaf tin or a 7 inch round tin, because that's what liners I have.

If you screw up the baking paper into a tight ball and then flatten it out it behaves itself a bit better

Cross posted with Valhalla

It makes your cakes look really professional too and is good for a drizzle loaf because the liner catches the drizzle and stops it leaking all over the place.

Aha! I'd never thought to only line the bottom. I've just shoved it in with the sides all crumpled (again).

See, I'm sure I saw some clever trick where you cut some impressive origami style cuts in the corners and it magically fits the ends and sides. Geometry was never my strong point...

I will have a look out for those liners, thanks.

Rectangle of baking paper, put tin on it then cut from the corners of the paper to the corners of the tin then put paper in and the corners overlap, sorted

Buy the liners - Lakeland’s are very good.

wilkinsons etc do cheap liners, although have known them to collapse when i have poured in the mixture

@BarbaraofSeville I’ve re-branded loads of my cakes into “loafs” just so I can make them look a bit neater if I’ve only got loaf-shaped liners
Victoria Sponge Loaf Cake anyone??

The liners are fab. I get them in Lakeland. Apparently, you can reuse them, but they’re not that expensive. Making a loaf cake is really quick and easy for me now.

Yup. Loaf liners are the way

i just grease it all and line the long sides and bottom with one sheet - hang the edges out the top to help lift the cake out after

I've got a silicone loaf tin

You don't have to line or grease them, but I still put a little bit of butter on just in case.

Two long rectangular sheets, lay one sheet from top to bottom, then the second from side to side. Leave enough to grab and it will help when lifting your bake away from the tin.

I found loaf tin liners alongside the new loaf tin I was buying for a dd. Brilliant little hardware shop - how I wish we had one near us. He has everything - and knows where to find it.

I do one piece that goes down a long side, across the bottom, and back up the other side. Dont bother with lining the short end.

@Coolcoolcoolcoolcool those silicone ones are a game changer
I picked up a unicorn shaped one the other week and it blew my mind

If you want to feel like you "won", turn the loaf tin upside down. Drape paper over it, cut roughly to size, then press down over all the tin edges to make fold lines. Fold or trim off spare paper on side edges. Lift off, turn tin back over, put paper inside.
Next time, buy liners. Or just buy cake.

That sounds fabulous IntoValhalla

Or just buy cake. you can't argue with that logic

Oh yes you can, bought cake is almost always shit.

Ooh, I'm coveting some silicone now! I like the idea of no more rust too as no bastard in my house seems to be able to dry things properly before putting away.

Bought cake is always the last resort.

It’s a bit like dress making sometimes. Easiest way is to cut the rough shape of the whole tin and crumple the paper, and press it into the pre buttered tin. Or just line the bottom.