5 Steps to Bake with Silicone Pans

Silicone pans are probably one of the most fun-looking pans there are. We won’t wonder if their colors and sizes have enticed you to bring home one or two. They might be colorful and such, but they’re not only for decorations. So, are you wondering how to bake with silicone pans? Well, allow us to help you with that!

What is a Silicone Pan

To make sure we’re all on the same page, let’s briefly talk about silicone pans before continuing.

If you’re not familiar with silicone pans, that’s a-okay. Unlike metal and glass pans, you could say that silicone pans are still new to the scene.

Silicone pans are rubber-like bakeware. It comes in all shapes, sizes, prices, and colors!

Unlike most baking pans, silicone pans can be folded and rolled. Additionally, you can use them with your ovens, but you can also take them to the freezer. As you can see, literally and figuratively, they are a flexible bunch. However, we only wanted to give you a general idea about the silicone pan. These are only some of its features. If you want to know more about this pan along with its pros and cons, then stay with us! We will talk more about the properties of this pan later on.

Now that’s out of the way, let’s go ahead and talk about how you can bake goodies with these goodies.

How to Use Silicone Pans

Silicone pans don’t look intimidating. However, they’re different from other pans. Once you think about it, you might get intimidated. Don’t be! These fun-looking pans are also fun to use.

Basically, they’re not all that different from other pans. You only need to make a few adjustments here and there, and we’ll let you in on that now!

1. Buying Silicone Pans

Before you start using them, of course, you’re going to need to get some silicone pans. As you might already know, there are tons of options. Feel free to take your pick. However, you want to ensure that what you’re getting is actually made of silicone.

It’s easy to mix silicone with other unsafe materials. Now, it could be challenging to determine if the pan you want is entirely silicone only. To avoid getting the wrong type, you might want to try and stick to established and trusted brands.

2. Preparation

Okay, so now you have your silicone pan.

You might now be aware that silicone pans are non-stick. However, you could say that this is a topic of debate.

Supposedly being non-stick, many agree that silicone pans are a lot easier to work with. However, not everyone agrees that they are actually and completely non-stick. With that, you might want to use some cooking spray in the preparation stage. You only need a thin layer, though.

If this is the first time you’re trying out silicone pans, you might want to do a little experiment. Try putting some cooking spray on a batch while keeping another group free of it. As we said, the jury is still out on whether you need to grease your silicone pans or not. This way, you’ll be able to see and judge for yourself what would work best for you.

Also, when you’re baking with silicone pans, you might still want to employ the help of your baking sheets and pans. Use them to support your silicone pans.

Silicone pans are flexible, which are great in a lot of ways. However, it does pose some problems.

For one, you want to place your silicone pan on a baking sheet or pan to help keep its shape. Additionally, it could be a little challenging if you put your silicone pan directly on the oven without any support. You don’t only risk your cake losing its shape, but you might even spill the batter on the way!

3. Baking

Silicone pans don’t absorb heat like the other kind of pans. With that, you would have to be ready to make some adjustments. You could either adjust the temperature or the time. However, we highly suggest adjusting the time instead of the temperature.

Again, if this is the first time you’re using silicone pans, you might want to do some trial and error. If you think your cake is ready, you might want to use a toothpick to see if the inside of your baked good is a-okay already.

4. Taking Out the Cake

Okay, so your cake is ready!

Silicone pans cool down immediately, but you still want to let them cool down before taking your cake off of them.

Also, take your cake off of the pan before cutting them. You don’t want to use sharp objects with your silicone pan. They might not get scratched, but your knife might go right through them.

5. Cleaning and Storing

Now, let’s talk about cleaning and storing.

Cleaning and storing might be one of the stages where silicone pans stand out best. They’re super easy to clean! What’s more, is that you could use your dishwasher for them. Usually, the dishwasher is not advisable for cookware as it could damage them. However, with how silicone pans are built, the chances of the dishwasher damaging them seem to be a lot lower if any.

Additionally, they’re also pretty easy to store. Silicone pans don’t eat as much space as other pans. You can even fold them to save some space if your kitchen cabinets are currently all full.

Other Baking Tips and Tricks You Might Want to Keep in Mind

You now know how to bake with your silicone pans. However, allow us to share a few baking tips and tricks you can use in your next mouth-watering meal before we let you go.

Check the Manual

Often, many forgo checking the manual. Cookware and bakeware, after all, are usually straightforward. However, we recommend giving the manual a few minutes of your time.

This is not only for silicone pans, but it would be a good idea to check what the manufacturer says about your pans and temperature limits or restrictions. The manual is also a great place to see what you might want to avoid and put as far away as possible from your pans.

Desserts Only!

You can use your silicone pan for baked goods, but it seems they work best for desserts.

You can try to use them for savory treats too. However, they might not come out as you would expect them.

To Grease or Not to Grease

As we’ve said earlier, greasing silicone pans is something not everyone agrees on. Some say you have to, while some say you don’t. Well, if you’re like me, you would probably still opt to grease your pans just to be safe. However, here’s something to keep in mind.

One of the downsides of silicone pans is that they tend to get the bottom of your goods soggy. Now, if you grease them, that could add to that.

What Make Silicone Pans Great

Silicone pans are easy to use. However, if you still need a little more convincing, then allow us to reiterate some of its best features.

First, as you might have probably noticed, they’re fun pans. They come in different colors, and there are tons of different molds too! Imagine the fun-shaped baked goods you can make with this fun pan.

However, that’s not all the silicone pan has to offer. When it comes to functionality, they also have tons to showcase.

As we’ve said earlier, they are flexible pans. They are flexible in more ways than one. They make storing easier, and you can use them in the oven, the freeze, and microwave. Nifty, yeah?

Still, that’s not all!

As stated earlier, they are non-stick. While this could be a topic of debate as some still like using some cooking spray, this property still helps. You only need a thin layer of cooking spray, still making silicone pans easier to grease than their metal counterparts.

We’re not done yet, no.

Unlike other types of pans, they don’t necessarily absorb heat. So, once you get the hang of them, they give you greater control over the temperature changes.

Additionally, it’s one of the few things that seems to be totally safe to go in the dishwasher. If you’ve been here before, you might have noted that we usually recommend handwashing cookware. That’s because, often, the dishwasher could be damaging or even dangerous for cookware. However, that doesn’t seem to be true for silicone pans. So, if you’re looking for easy-to-clean pans, these pans might be the one for you.

Summary

How to bake with silicone pans?

As you’ve just seen, these pans don’t only look fun. They are also fun to use! So, take home all those other funky silicone pans you’ve been eyeing. You now certainly have a reason to bring them home!

Do you have other baking questions? Well, maybe we can invite you to take a look around. You might find the answer to that buzzing baking question of yours!