Do silicon cake tins really work?

[LaBelleDameSansPatience]

Just made DD's birthday cake for her party and it stuck and broke, in spite of greasing and lining the tin. Need better tins (or a better cook?) Do silicon 'tins' really work and not stick?

I have silicone bakeware. I still grease them but I've never had anything stick.

Yes, although if they have a pattern, you may need to be careful with the turning out, or grease and flour them first.

Amongst other silicon bakeware, I have a large ring "tin" with sort of ridges around the edge, and loads of muffin "tins" which are great, as they are reusable, so you don't have to keep buying paper cases.

Yes, I have got silicone muffin cases. I used to grease them, just in case, but tried them without and they came out perfecty - no sticking at all.

I have only ever had one set of muffins stick in my silicone trays. They were Guinness muffins so were really really moist.

Everything else comes out ok, and I never grease them. Though if I was doing a cake for a special occasion I probably would, just to be safe.

Yes. No good for pastry but they're perfect for cakes.

In what way are they no good for pastry?

The base never seems to cook properly, BelleDame, and it's always a bit too moist. I like my pastry dry and crumbly.

Cooking in a condom!

Cream horns!

I recently bought a silicone bread 'tin' and used it for a wheaten loaf. It didn't stick at all, the bread cooked well but the sides bulged out making the loaf the weirdest shaped loaf I have ever seen. I guess the weight of the bread just pushed the sides out and it baked in that shape. It was still delicious just a very strange shape to cut!

I love them for muffins. I've got a loaf 'tin'. And same as multipoodles, the loaf bulged in the middle. Otherwise it's a perfectly fine loaf! We named loaves cooked from it after our fat cat, because of the way they look.

The muffin tins are really good for Yorkshire puddings too- the only thing they don't stick to.

I've got a big square tin which is good for cake, and also good when I made cheesecake. I froze the cheesecake and could then turn it out of the tin by just peeling it away.

Mine are all from the pound shop....whichever has what I want at the time. All work brill...apart from the loaf one, tend to bulge a bit and turn out a funny shape. Nobody moans though

Never had a problem with silicone tray, even with something as sticky as flapjack

Was wary about buying cheap ones ... do you grease them?

No I don't grease mine. Mines are from Lakeland btw.

I grease mine with that Lakeland cake release stuff and cakes come out beautifully.

Do they really actually really work for Yorkshires? DO you put lard/oil in them, like with metal tins?

I can't believe how good they are. I was all superior about them but now I love them! I never grease them and I don't even wash the bread one.

DD1 I make Yorkshires in mine, Jenai. Yes, I do put oil in, same as I would do for a metal tin, and heat it before putting the batter on top. They turn out great.

They are great. However, if you can shop around to find one with a wire frame it makes life an awful lot easier. The problem with silicone is that it's floppy, so if you've just put your cake mix in your tin and then gone to lift it in to the oven it can make a bid for freedom. I have two loaf tins, one with a wire frame around the top and one without, and the one with is far better because it gives the tin much-needed structure.

I also have some brilliant silicone pastry brushes. I'm a total convert to it.

I usually slide the tray onto a wire baking tray and then slide that onto the oven shelf as I don't have a wire framed tray.