Prevent Cakes From Sticking To Fancy Pan

With a silicon brush, cover entire pan surface with softened butter.
Pour granulated sugar into pan, coating butter with sugar.
Tap pan to remove excess sugar.
Bake as usual.
Leave cake in pan, on rack, for up to 10 minutes.
This makes a wonderful tasting "crust" as well as enabling the cake to pop out easily.

This technique works especially well on cakes made in both bundt pans and disposable foil tins. These last have a lot of little grooves which can catch and hold batter. A small foil pan makes a little cake which doesn't dry out like slices from a larger cake would.
Gifting a whole cake to someone (especially one who lives alone) may not be practical for many reasons.
They also look special.
Yes, a bit more work, but always appreciated.