Butter will give a good release to breads, sweet breads, and butter cakes. I use unsalted. Use room temperature butter that is still firm (not squishy) and apply generously with a pastry brush. It will not slide down into the crevices. I learned another trick for butter cakes. Once the cake is cool enough to touch, use your fingers to push the middle of each petal towards the middle. This instead of using a knife. Then take the pan in two oven mitts and give a few sharp shakes sideways before placing a rack on top to turn out.

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