Are number-shaped cake tins a pain to line?

[franch]

I'm thinking of hiring a '6'-shaped one for DD1's birthday cake. Are they fiddly to line with greaseproof paper, or is there a trick? I have some of that spray stuff, but have never tried it so am hesitant to trust it.

Can you get a silicone one?

Dunno! I think the ones my local place hires out are oldfashioned metal

Can you grease it instead?

If the recipe has butter in, use oil and vice versa.

Don't line it, just grease..

Thanks for the tips all, that's great. Do you mean the spray works well, RR?

if you are worried do a practice run first?

I cheat and make large oblong cakes in swiss roll tins, sandwich with jam then cut to shape - saves on tin hire

Yes MrsB - thought I'd at least allow for the 1st attempt to be a practice run!

I definitely don't have the manual dexterity to cut a '6' out of an oblong ...

oh, not freehand!
print the numeral as big as you can get on a sheet of A4 (arial bold works well), cut out, stick to cake with dabs of jam, cut round with sharp knife

et voila

Wow. VERY impressed. How big are your tins, MrsB?

Still think I'd make a hash of it tho!

they are 8x12" 'swiss roll' tins, so more or less A4 - we usually use them for biscuits / oven chips etc but each one can take (iirc) a 3-egg cake mix

advantage is there are lots of bits left after cutting out

Grease and flour, or if you have electric oven the cake tin shop advised me to line the tin with clingfilm. But dangerous to do this if have a gas oven.

My Mum used to line them, but it was like a work of art that she'd worked out over years. Just grease it. Make sure to soak it asap after the cake has come out of it though, as they're buggers to wash!

MrsB - swiss roll tins are very shallow tho aren't they?

Thanks maygirl and cakeywakey. Still haven't decided what to do! I do have a ring-shaped tin and various loaf tins so could probably put 2 cakes together to make a 6, as a third option ...

yes, each cake comes out about an inch thick - hence making two and stacking them

much easier to eat than a slice of taller cake as well

Ok ... am considering doing it your way MrsB ...

What recipe do you use? I find something not-too-fluffy like a madeira cake best for cutting into shapes. The recipe from the Australian kids cakes book is good too. I'll need a chocolate one, and something simple to sandwich it with (chocolate buttercream?). Would be interested to know what you do.

I am utterly unimaginative and do a plain Victoria sponge mix because a) dd likes it and b) I know exactly how much a 3 (4 5 6 etc) egg mix makes.

If I did a choc version (unlikely as dd's bday is August so her party is usually pastel dresses a-go-go ) I might sandwich with chocolate spread or even black cherry jam as doing cake and icing and sweetie decorations and buttercream filling is too much hassle a bit rich.

Brush with oil & sprinkle with flour inside,honestly your cake will never stick doing that.

I used this stuff to line this baby last year, and it worked like magic!!

Pics on profile

My local cake shop told me to melt some lard or other white fat and brush it all over the inside of the tin. Leave it to go cold and then pour the cake mixture in.

It's worked everytime for me. (The mermaid cake on my profile was doen this way)

Great tips thanks all!

Not read the whole thread but wilton cake release is the best thing since sliced bread!

squirt a small amount in tin use brush to brush around tin in all nooks and crannies, not only does the cake not stick you don't get any crumbs virtually no mess

They sell it on amazon or lakeland a bloody good investment!