The lazy baker’s foolproof way to lift a cake or bars out of a square or loaf pan:
1. Cut a piece of baking paper so it’s wide enough to (more or less) cover the bottom of your pan and long enough to lap over the edges a bit.
2. Oil the pan, fit the paper in, and smooth it in.
3. Then lift it out and fit it in the opposite way, so the oiled side is on top. Smooth it down a bit and convince the batter in on top of it.
4. Once the cake or bars are done, loosen the un-papered edges, then use the overlap to lift it out of the pan