I HEART Silicone Bakeware Udate: Not so much :(

This post has been updated: Turns out I don't heart silicone all that much :( 


I've been wanting a bundt pan for the longest time but bundt pans have so many grooves which you have to coat very well with cooking spray, butter or oil to prevent the cake from sticking to it. With my less than stellar now pretty awesome baking skills ;) I was envisioning having to pull out a misshappen bundt in bits and pieces from the traditional metal bundt pan.

So I did some research and found out that they have non stick ones now and I was very tempted by these cute non stick mini bundt pans that a lot of food bloggers have been using lately and these adorable Norpro Nonstick Mini Donut Pans There are also Springform Pan with 2 interchangeable bundt and plain bottoms where you can have the convenience of two- pans-in -one which is great especially if you have a small apartment kitchen like me. Also since it's spring form that means that they are easy to unmould too.

But then I heard about Silicone bakeware which is flexible and easy to unmould and comes in a wide variety of shapes and cute colours too! To top it off they are also freezer, microwave and dishwasher safe. I was a little hesitant at first - would they bake properly? Would they last as long as a tin or metal one? so I read some reviews and most people who had used them raved about how easy to use and clean they were. Also most come with life time warranties and are guaranteed to withstand extreme temperatures. Pretty cool right?

So I snagged these silicone goodies- Silicone Bundt Pan from Wilton in this gorgeous red colour which just makes me smile every time I see it, some super cute Silicone Cupcake molds in pretty pastel colours. Here are the results of my vigorous testing:


Pros:

• Easy to unmold and no need for cupcake liners!I can bake in silicone cupcake pans, unmold or even serve the cupcakes in them too!
• They come in all sorts of fun shapes- hearts, flowers, stars, animals... there are even these hilarious cuppy-cake molds with feet so it look like your cupcakes are standing up!
• I love how versatile silicone ware is. I can use them to bake in, or use them as molds for ice, jelly, or even chocolate. There are loads of ways to decorate cupcakes to make them really stand out. Wilton's Cupcake decoration books which talk about everything you can do with these silicone molds are a real inspiration and just super fun to browse through.
• Lightweight, easy to transport and store

Cons

• They don't brown as well as metal pans and the cakes remain a pale yellow colour instead of golden brown
• Cookies baked on silicone baking sheets tend to be chewey and soft rather than crunchy so they are good for meringues and macarons but not for butter cookies
• They absorb odours especially soap, so be sure to rinse them well to avoid cake that tastes of soap. ( yuck!)
• They can tear or rip so be careful and sure to keep them away from sharp objects

Update: 
While I still continue to use my silicone cupcake molds, and love the easy release, and no need for liners, I have begun to favour my Calphalon non stick Bundt pan. The cake tends to brown more in a metal pan and since it's nonstick, it releases beautifully, plus it doesn't absorb soap odors like the silicone one did. So I guess I still heart silicone bakeware but with some reservations!
I have also tried out glass bakeware ( when baking in glass reduce oven temp by 25 degrees and bake for a longer time,increasing by 10 mins until done) However, I have found that I prefer metal- look for the dull colored and not dark black ones which makes cakes burn more easily. Aluminium cake pans have worked the best so far.