what's the best way to keep cake from sticking to the cake pan?

Butter or margarine burns away quickly in a hot oven and then the cake sticks before it finishes baking - even with flour added. Sprays dont work too well either. The BEST solution I've found is Crisco Vegetable Shortening thickly coated in the pan and I mean THICK. No flour needed, even if the recipe says to. Pour in batter and when its finished, let cool in pan for no more than 10 minutes (!), then release cake. Do this same technique when coating bread pans as well for non-stickability (is that a word?).

I always coat with butter or margarine and then dust it with flour. The absolutely sure-fire way is to cut out wax paper or parchment paper to fit and put that in the bottom of the pan. You can also lightly grease the pan before putting the paper in the pan.

I concur with the other responses. You may also use margerine or shortening make sure to coat everywhere inside the pan. Dust with flour. Cake should come out without a problem.

I do the same way.I use butter or spary cooking oil.Then dust with flour can be avoided to stick to the bottom on pan.

Combine the lemon juice, buttermilk and vanilla extract in a small bowl. Add the dry ingredients alternately with the liquid ingredients to the butter mixture, beginning and ending with the dry ingredients. Remove the bowl from the mixer and use a spatula to give a couple of last folds from the bottom of the bowl. Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan and tap lightly on the counter top. Sprinkle the 1 tablespoon of sugar onto the split and opened vanilla pod; scrape out the seeds using a small knife. Add half of the vanilla seed/sugar to the butter mixture; reserve the remainder. Stir in the lemon zest. Beat in the eggs, 1 at a time. Sift the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt onto a piece of wax paper.