The Complete Beginner Guide: How To Bake With Silicone Molds

So you’ve purchased your first piece of silicone bakeware – be it a set of colorful cupcake molds or a silicone baking pan for some enticing red velvet cake.

But wait, you’ve never used silicone molds for baking before. Should you grease them? Aren’t they already nonstick? Will silicone take longer to bake in? Do you adjust the baking temperature? Worry not – the answers are just a scroll away.

Simply read this fun, informative guide on how to bake with silicone molds to discover valuable tips, tricks, and more!

Is Silicone Good for Baking?

Silicone is a great choice for baking especially when it comes to cupcakes, muffins, and lighter cakes. Unlike metal bakeware, silicone bakeware is flexible, durable, nonstick, and dishwasher safe – what isn’t there to love?

And the bright and plentiful varieties of silicone bakeware are especially appealing. Even seasoned bakers are singing silicone’s praises, touting their ability to deliver bakery-worthy goods.

Does Silicone Bakeware Take Longer to Bake in?

Silicone may require longer bake times than its traditional metal counterparts. Silicone, being an insulator rather than a conductor, transfers heat at a slower rate due to its lack of conductivity. Some find that silicone molds need a little adjusting in terms of lengthening bake time.

Large projects particularly may call for lowering bake temperature slightly and baking for an extended time to ensure even baking. When in doubt, follow instructions as written, checking five minutes before your item is done. If the batter is still pale and wet, increase the bake time as needed. If the edges are browning too fast, lower the temperature by 25ºF (10ºC) and add some time.

How To Use Silicone Muffin Cups

You bought those silicone muffin cups because you couldn’t resist their cheerful colors and now you’ve decided today is the day – you’re finally going to use them. But can you put silicone muffin cups in the oven? What’s the protocol?

Step One: First off, give that new piece of silicone a nice clean in some hot, soapy water and let dry. It’s always a good idea to give a new product a quick clean before first use.

Step Two (optional): Second, if you’d like to grease your mold, go for it! If you’re ready to trust in silicone and the magic of nonstick, skip this step.

Step Three: Place your mold on top of a flat metal baking sheet for stability. Do not skip this step! Silicone molds are super flexible, and once filled with batter, can be prone to spilling.

Step Four: Preheat your oven according to the recipe directions and make sure your oven rack is set to the middle of your oven.

Step Five: Fill ‘em up! Fill those molds two-thirds of the way full with your batter. Spoon, ladle, or scoop, it doesn’t matter – just keep your fill consistent.

Step Six: Pop those babies in the oven! And be sure to keep an eye on the time. If you’re a first-time user, check those muffins or cupcakes a few minutes early as bake times may need to be lengthened by a few minutes. Still, others have found bake times to be shorter. Not sure if they’re done? Time for the good old-fashioned toothpick test – insert in the middle – if it’s wet, keep baking, if it’s clean, pull them out.

Step Seven (optional): Allow to cool (about 15 minutes) before removing from the mold – release by simply pressing on the bottom of the mold and pulling the sides away. Still, this step is optional. Muffins and cupcakes can be stored in their silicone liners – they can be refrigerated (or even microwaved) without affecting the taste of these moist and dainty treats. Frost after waiting at least 45 minutes to cool, if desired.

Check out these silicone muffin and cupcake molds in action!

How To Use Silicone Molds for Cakes

Now is the time to master the art of cake baking in silicone. Where should you start?

Step One: As always, give that new piece of silicone a good clean in some hot, soapy water and let it dry.

Step Two: Unlike with cupcakes, it is often recommended for larger molds like cake molds to be greased to ease with release and stave off any danger of a breaking cake. Spray with cooking spray or grease with vegetable oil, being sure to get in all those nooks and crannies.

Step Three: Always set your cake mold atop a metal baking sheet to ensure stability and decrease any chances of messy spillage. This step is important – due to the malleable nature of silicone molds, they can fold in on themselves and spill without this added stability.

Step Four: Preheat your oven according to recipe directions and make sure your oven rack is set to the middle of your oven, this ideal position allows the heated air to evenly circulate around your cake, leading to even baking.

Step Five: Follow the recipe in regard to filling. Most recipes call for filling cake molds between one-half to two-thirds of the way full with batter, but these measurements can differ for different cakes. Heavier batters like banana bread will often ask for two-thirds, while lighter cakes such as sponge cake that rise more, require being filled halfway.

Step Six: Place your cake in the oven, but know you may have to extend bake time by 5 to 10 minutes. Unsure if your cake is done? You can implement the toothpick test or judge by touch and appearance. Light cakes should appear uniformly golden across the top.

If the center is still pale but the edges are dark, lower the oven temperature by 25° and bake longer. You can also tap the cake lightly in the center with your finger – does it feel firm and springy? If so, it’s done. If the batter has no resistance or sticks to you, it’s not.

Step Seven: Allow to cool completely before attempting to remove your cake from its silicone mold. You may wish to rest on a cooling rack to ensure the batter cools evenly. Release by flipping your mold over and slowly peeling back the edges of the mold. A little wiggling may be necessary.

Want to make a delicious heart-shaped cake using a silicone baking pan? Take a look below!

Baking in Silicone: FAQs

Got more burning questions about how to bake in silicone molds that I haven’t covered above? Take a look at some my silicone FAQ below!

Can You Put Silicone in the Oven?

Yes, you can put silicone molds in the oven. It wouldn’t be called silicone bakeware otherwise! Each and every piece of silicone bakeware you buy should come with maximum bake temperatures. Always adhere to these limits.

Did you throw the packaging away before noting the number? Stick to the rule of thumb of only using silicone molds at a max temperature of 400°F – better safe than sorry!

Are Silicone Baking Pans Non-Stick?

Silicone is nonstick, so you shouldn’t have to add cooking spray or oil, but some bakers recommended greasing your molds anyway, as this aids in easy cleanup and ensures smooth release for larger baked items.

Do You Grease Silicone Baking Pans?

You shouldn’t have to grease silicone molds, as silicone itself is nonstick, so feel free to skip greasing or spraying your molds if you’re trying to cut down on oils in your diet. But if you’re terribly worried about that delicious bundt cake sticking, you can always grease the pan with cooking spray or vegetable oil to be extra cautious!

Ultimately, you may wish to go ahead and opt for greasing cake molds and larger items as these are more difficult to release in one piece, but trust the silicone on those smaller projects like cupcake molds.

Do I Need To Adjust Oven Temperature for Silicone Molds?

Many find silicone molds do just fine baking at the same temperature as any other pan, but some bakers have found the need to adjust bake times when using silicone molds. As silicone doesn’t conduct heat as well as metal, it can take longer to bake.

Hearing this, you may be tempted to increase the baking temperature. This is not advised. If anything, you should decrease your baking temperature by 25ºF (10ºC) and/or increase the bake time – a few minutes for small, light items like cupcakes and muffins, longer for larger cakes and thicker batters.

How Do You Clean Silicone Molds?

More often than not, tossing your silicone molds in the top rack of your dishwasher should be enough to get them clean, but if your molds become sticky additional attention may be needed.

To clean sticky molds, fill your sink with hot water and add a strong degreaser or grease-cutting dish soap. Allow to soak – 30 minutes should be good – and scrub with a non-abrasive brush or sponge. Add additional soap and hot water if needed. This should solve the problem, but additional agents can be used, such as baking soda, if stickiness persists.

Now You Know How To Bake With Silicone Molds!

Well, there you have it – baking in silicone molds is a cinch – dare we say, a piece of cake, even? You’ve grasped the fundamentals of baking in silicone muffin molds and cake molds, know when to grease and when to forego cooking spray, and have gained knowledge of best cleaning practices for silicone. Instagram awaits those gorgeous images of your newly baked creations, so get going!