I have the dinosaurs Nordicware pan and enjoyed using that even though it can be difficult at times, especially when you do multi-batches from the same pan and have to clean up in-between batches. So, going in, I already knew to use a cooking spray WITH FLOUR in it and to apply fairly liberally, enough to coat all surfaces but not enough to cause any burning on the face of the treats during bake. Use a silicone brush or something to apply into the designs edges. I used a standard cake mix I would for cupcakes, taking care to try and use a spoon to separate two batches of the batter, one I mixed up with red food dye and the other with green (the best food coloring to use is simply Wilton icing colors - they are the best). Then I popped these into the oven for 25 minutes, allowed them to sit for around 10 minutes after removal, then overturned the pan and they all came right out with a single tap. The pan cleaned up nicely and even better than the dinosaur pan (those dinos just have so many crevices!), so the entire thing was a snap. This is my first batch and the first time I tried to use two colors of batter at the same time...and trust me, I am no baker. I made a mess, but they look and taste great! Glad I bought this and didn't let my dinosaur pan experiences dissuade me (dino pan is amazing too but it's just more difficult to work with is all - for more advanced users, whereas this pan is comfortable for beginners). Sidenote, the batter I used was already naturally pink, being strawberry flavored, but I added the food colorings to it anyway. These would look much brighter if you used, say, vanilla/white cake mix to add color to. I used measuring cups with a lip to pour as I held the spoon between the top and bottom of the strawberry designs, removing the spoon once both sides were poured.