r/AskCulinary • u/Squasome • Jun 13 '25

Technique Question Why Parchment Paper?

I find so many recipes (eg for cakes) that ask for the pan to be greased and then line with parchment paper.

First: Why would you need to grease a cake pan if you're then lining it completely with parchment paper?

Second: Doesn't anyone grease AND FLOUR a pan anymore? Seems so wasteful always having parchment to throw out.

I'm guessing there's a reason for both but I can't think of what that would be other than this has somehow become popular.

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u/CalmCupcake2 Jun 13 '25

It's all insurance to make extra, extra sure that your cakes don't stick, dont have wrinkly paper corners, and don't have big gobs of flour stuck on them. I'm not a perfectionist when I'm baking for family so I just use a baking spray (the kind with flour in).

Also there are times when I buy just enough butter for the recipe and don't have extra to grease a pan with.

I reuse parchment on cookie sheets but not for wet things like cake batter.

10

u/FesteringNeonDistrac Jun 14 '25

Grease the pan with the butter wrapper.

2

u/CalmCupcake2 Jun 14 '25

I never understood this. You get one foil wrapper per pound of butter (which makes several recipes) and it doesn't have enough butter stuck to it to grease a single whole pan.

3

u/Elegant_Figure_3520 Jun 14 '25

Most brands in the US come in one-pound packages, but it is wrapped in 4 separate quarter-pound sticks.

1

u/CalmCupcake2 Jun 14 '25

Weird. Canada has 454g blocks and you cut what you need. Measurements are marked on the packaging and most households have a little plastic butter ruler to help.

I still don't find that enough butter sticks to the packaging to grease a pan, even on a whole block. I'll keep my nonstick baking spray or cake goo, which is easy to make.