using a torch to free a caramelized cake

Question

i plan to make an apple tarte tatin.  the chef says to use a torch for the tiered metal bundt pan he uses.  i bought the pan he used.  maybe using the flame from the stove would have sufficed if not for the caramelization that may b embedded in the crevices of the pan.  i don't own a butane torch and it would b easier not to buy one.  i do have a portable hair dryer if that gets hot enough.  hoping someone has experience w this.  Tx

AntoniaJames · Answer

Great advice, all of it, Nancy, and thank you (!!) for the link. I occasionally go to a hardware / tractor supply store to buy canning jars and lids (plentiful inventory but no price advantage), but I had not thought about the other items. ;o)

Nancy · Answer

See blog.cheapism.com which advises on about a dozen kitchen tools/supplies which are cheaper at a hardware store than at dedicated kitchen shops. And just as good. Have bought a few and they're right. Torch at hardware store est. USD $15 there compared to USD $25 to 160 at consumer kitchen store.
Guess you'll find comparable price spread near you.
Restaurant supply store may be in-between on prices, or still high-priced if it has professional equipment with extra features or capacity.

alan · Answer

this is very helpful.  but i'm following a chef i admire -- bruno albouz -- who puts the cake in the fridge and only takes it out to turn out.  he then uses a torch.  so i guess i should just get a torch.  Tx

702551 · Answer

Assuming your bundt pan is watertight, another option to consider would be fashioning some sort of hot water bath for the baking pan to soften up the caramel.

I wouldn't leave it in the bath very long. You really want as much of the caramel on the cake as possible, not as a huge puddle on the serving plate.

Best of luck.

Lori T. · Answer

Yes, I have experience trying to free a tarte tatin from pans.  I have used a hair dryer set on high, aimed at the pan bottom.  If you pan can take the heat, and from your description I believe it would - you can also try setting in directly on an electric burn ring to heat up as well.  You need a pot holder or tongs so you can rotate the pan as it heats to prevent hot spots, too.  I actually like this method most, because it provides more even heating over the bottom of the pan.  The best way is to avoid the situation completely if at all possible.  I generally try to set the pan on something like a cast iron trivet, which doesn't let the pan cool "quite" as quickly or completely before it gets turned out.

using a torch to free a caramelized cake

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