Silicon bake ware

[wifey6]

I have just started baking...using it & dining it to be great therapy. I have bought a silicon shaped cake mould...just wondering if they are any good?

finding....not dining

I've given up on my silicon muffin moulds as every time i made muffins the top halves used to break off. Back on the old metal ones trays & paper cases now and they work every single time.

I've not tried any other shaped silicon mould though.

Thank you...I often put cake cases in side the cupcake silicon moulds but as this is a shaped mould...I can't put a lining inside. I might just give it a few goods & see!

I have had great success with a loaf tin one.I gave it a little bit of greasing though each time(just to make sure)

I had a nightmare with a silicon muffin tin - all my fault though. I filled it with Yorkshire pudding mix then decided to switch shelves around.. Hence me forgetting it was silicone... I grabbed it in the middle and of course it bent spilling the mixture everywhere all over the roast underneath

It sounds like trial & error. I have not been the baking sort...but find its really helped/ helping me through a really hard time.

I second the loaf tin, i love mine, I never grease it. But im not keen on the muffin ones.

Heart shaped bun moulds work if greased, but stick if you don't.

So greasing them seems to be the key?

Silicone still needs greasing and/or flouring, which seems to defeat the purpose for me tbh. I've never really got on with mine and have switched back to quality metal pans now (Silverwood, can't be beaten imo).

Oo...if the silicon doesn't work I will try & source some novelty metal tins.

Those of you with loaf tin ones, do you find your loaves rise out sideways, so to speak, as well as upwards? I always end up with very strange shaped loaves . . .

takvar if you have one without structured sides they do, I bought the red one from Asda and it just rose up, but our puppy chewed it so bought a different one and it swelled outwards so have now got another asda one, some one seen look like yhey have structured scaffolds on them.
I also bought some heart ones in the sale from tesco for a pound after valentines instead of a fiver and this thread reminded me of them so used them last night and they were fab!

Not had great success with my silicon ones either. Doing muffins I also find the tops come off as Beanbagz says.

Have got a Lakeland silicon chocolate melting pot though that is superb as none of the chocolate sticks to the side. I have silicon baking tray mats too that work OK but really not a lot better than traditional greasing and paper lining.

I use well tempered metal non stick tins, greased (with paper liners as necessary) and dont have any trouble really. Sometimes the old ways are the best. The other secret is to buy tins that are quite thick and heavy as I find it is worth paying a little extra for durability and usability.

takver
I have two different kind of silicone bake ware, the wobbly kind (useless for anything too liquid or strong like bread dough) and the enforced ones (with a wire frame inside).

I use the wobbly loaf tin for things that keep their shape naturally, like meat loaf. the enforced one for bread or jelly but only if the tin ones are dirty
I actually like the muffin ones, have some that don't need a muffin tray and they work great. and the best thing is that I can wash them in the washing mashine after using.

That's a good idea MousyMouse....I could always use it for jelly! It was an experiment buy really - I now how quite a selection of tins etc. have any of you made Red velvet cakes from scratch? I have used a packet mix (ultimate sin) & it was delicious- but I bought it while on holiday & haven't found it again since!

I am just about to buy a silicone mat after using one last weekend for Tuile biscuits. I have a huge one for rolling out icing for cakes and some bakeware. I always go back to my metal ones - except for when I make brownies. The large rectangular silicone keeps them more moist than the metal and they come out easier.

Use a spray oil to grease them. Works brilliantly and much less mess!

I love my siliconeware, hardly use metal ones now.

wiltons cake release is my 'secret', for both metal &silicone. Never had a problem and been using it for years.

OK, that makes sense about the reinforcement. TBH I probably should just get another good quality metal loaf tin - I have one that never sticks, but two others that are a waste of space (one cheap non-stick - my own fault - but the other a heavy duty metal one). I only keep them really to use lined with silicone paper for cakes if I'm baking a large batch.

Any recommendations for particular brands that are good?

Or alternatively, I've seen re-usable silicone liners, & wondered if they were any good. Has anyone tried them - I got the impression that maybe you had to have a dishwasher to get them clean (which I don't)?

All great advice- will be making a 'teddy' shaped chocolate cake tomorrow thanks to all your advice. Fingers crossed!

This is the thing I was thinking of, btw - any thoughts?

Hope your teddy cake goes well, OP!

Takver....that looks like a very good idea..& is reusable.
Thank you...I hope it does too. I'm practicing for my son's birthday cake!

I use metal loaf tins with the silicone paper liners from Lakeland. I haven't tried any large silicone bakeware (and no intention of really, as I have already got a full set of perfectly good metal ones). The little silicone fairy cake cases are good if you want to take the cakes out for decorating, they come away much more cleanly than paper cases.

Cakes are in.! The mix was enough to fill the teddy shape & 6 small cake cases! When I made a chocolate loaf a week or so ago...it looked perfect til about half hour out of the oven & it sunk in the middle?? Not sure why?? Was still delicious though. Just hope the teddy doesn't do the same!