You can use a paper towel or a pastry brush and coat the pan with butter or shortening. Add flour (about 1⁄4 cup) and gently tap and rotate the flour around the sides to make sure the surface is completely coated. My second favorite way to grease a cake pan is what I learned in a cake decorating class I took several years ago. It combines the grease and flour together and you can make as much as you want. I store it for about 6 months at room temperature. This is how it’s done: Homemade Pan Release: Take an even amount of flour, vegetable oil, and shortening and blend it together until it becomes a smooth paste. Apply this mixture evenly over the inside of the pan with a brush or papertowel.