Used Metal Knife on Aluminum Cake Pan, is it Ruined?
I'm learning to make cakes from scratch and bought two of these 4-inch round pans to make a small layered cake.
After letting my layers cool, I turned one layer out and the cake fell from the pan after a few good raps on the bottom. The other layer was being a bit stubborn so i used a butter knife to separate the cake from the edge of the pan.
After I did that, I noticed some small shiny bits of metal on the outside of the second layer. I have two questions:
- Is this a normal consequence of using aluminum cake pans or did I get a really low quality pan (it was the cheapest one at my local kitchen store)?
- If this is a normal consequence of using aluminum cake pans, have I ruined this pan by scratching it or can I use it again as long as I don't use a metal knife to release the cake?
Best Answer
Steel (as used in knives) will always scratch aluminium, which is really quite a soft metal. Glass and even some plastics can mark it quite noticeably as can storing aluminium pans stacked together. In other words it happens. Don't worry about it. The pan doesn't look as nice but it's not ruined. The main reason to avoid scratching it is to avoid getting fragments in the food.
I have a set of miniature pudding basins made of aluminium and if things don't just fall out, the only tool I can find that helps is a butter knife (they're too curved for any of my silicone tools or plastic pallette knife to get in nicely). But an old, smooth, worn one, and that doesn't scrape material off (though it does leave a mark.)
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Can you use scratched aluminum pan?
Yes, it is safe. It makes no difference if aluminum is scratched. There is no danger. When nonstick is scratched, some more of the nonstick can flake off and get into the food and be dangerous.What is the GREY residue on aluminum?
You might notice that the aluminum pan is developing black or dark gray marks on it. These marks are a natural byproduct of the aluminum oxidation process. You can do some things to prevent oxidation from forming and you can remove it, but it inevitably will occur on non-anodized aluminum pans.Is discolored aluminum cookware safe?
Cooking in uncoated aluminum will cause the metal to leach into food\u2014how much depends on the food and how long it spends in the pan. According to the CDC, such levels are generally considered to be safe.How do you fix an oxidized aluminum pan?
Soak It. If the pan is deep enough, fill it with water, plus a few tablespoons of lemon juice or cream of tartar, says Varney. Boil 10 minutes and drain. This should lift the dark coating, which you can then sponge off with soap and water.Testing Old Aluminum Cookware For Toxicity
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