About Silicone

• Like glass, silicone is made by melting a specific type of fine sand together with a few other ingredients. The result is a rubbery, food-safe nonstick substance that can be used to make items in any shape and color. Nonstick mats of silicone are widely used in bakeries to keep sheet cakes and cookies from sticking, and flexible silicone bakeware can go from the freezer to the oven and back again. For professional bakers, this versatility is priceless, but for casual home bakers using silicone requires some adjustments.

Cupcakes in Silicone

• There are two ways to bake your cupcakes in silicone. One is to use a silicone muffin pan, which looks much like a traditional muffin pan except for its color and flexibility. The other is to use individual silicone muffin cups, which replace both the baking pan and individual paper muffin cups. They're baked on a sheet pan, which makes them easier to handle and provides the support needed to compensate for the cups' soft sides. Some bakers spray the silicone with pan spray to ensure that the cupcakes will release, but many brands specifically advise against this.

How They Bake

• The fundamental difference between baking your cupcakes in metal or silicone is that metal conducts heat, while silicone is an insulator. Cupcakes baked in metal are heated around the edges, providing them with firmer sides. Cupcakes baked in silicone, in contrast, heat almost entirely from the top. This gives them the usual degree of browning at the top, but the sides and bottom remain pale and soft. Some bakers appreciate this, while others find the lack of a crust at the bottom and sides makes it easier to damage the cupcakes while icing or storing them.

Turning Them Out

• Cupcakes are easy to remove from conventional pans because they're usually baked in individual paper cups. You can do that in a silicone pan if you wish, but it's not necessary. In most cases the cupcakes should be allowed to cool in their pans or cups for several minutes, until they can be handled with a bare hand. Hold the pan or cup over a cooling rack, and gently press the bottom to pop out the cupcakes. In most cases they'll pop out easily. If your cupcakes tend to stick or break, you might need to lengthen their baking time or slightly increase the amount of flour in the recipe.