Metal, glass, and ceramic bakeware are old stand-bys but have you noticed silicone bakeware becoming a more popular option? That’s because silicone is naturally non-stick and the molds come in a variety of fun colors, shapes, and sizes, making it easy to pop out your masterpiece once it’s cooked. Silicone bakeware also doesn’t have a coating that flakes off, nor will it shatter when dropped, making it a great long-lasting option for your kitchen. 

While you may think of Souper Cubes for freezing, did you know that the same trays you use to store your soups and broth can be used to make mini loaves of bread or cakes? That’s right. You can bake and freeze in your Souper Cubes silicone trays.  

Souper Cubes are made from 100% FDA food-grade silicone, which means the trays are oven safe up to 415°F. Plus, unlike cheaper, flimsy alternatives, all of our trays come with a sturdy steel-embedded rim that makes it easy to transport the tray to the oven or freezer. 

Some of our favorite recipes for baking in Souper Cubes silicone trays include banana bread, Chocolate Zucchini Bread, and Michelle’s family Challah recipe, but don’t stop there. Use your Souper Cubes for all your favorite baked goods recipes to have mini loaves or cakes ready in minutes. 

Read below for our favorite tips for baking in Souper Cubes silicone trays.

7 Tips for Baking in Souper Cubes 

Skip cooking spray

Silicone is naturally non-stick so there is no need to coat your Souper Cubes in cooking spray or brush with butter before adding your batter to the tray. In fact, coating the silicone with anything greasy can cause it to stain.  

Don’t fill the trays to the top

Quick breads and cakes like banana bread and chocolate cake use baking soda and/or baking powder to give them ooph. For the breads that use a chemical leavener, the max they should be filled is ⅔ of the way full, just like a regular muffin in a muffin tin. If you’re making a yeast or sourdough bread, the dough needs more room to rise so only fill the trays half full. Use the pre-etched indicator on the inside of the tray to make sure you’re at the halfway mark. 

Adjust for size. 

Standard quick bread recipes call for a 9-by-5-inch loaf pan. To use your Souper Cubes in place of your traditional loaf pan, you’ll need approximately 2 Souper Cubes trays. You’ll also need 2 Souper Cubes trays if you use a recipe written for an 8-inch square cake pan or a 9-inch round cake pan. Standard cake recipes call for a 9-by-13-inch cake pan, 2 9-inch round cake pans, a 10-by-15-inch jelly roll pan, or 10-inch bundt pan. For these recipes, you will use approximately 4 Souper Cubes trays. 

Bake directly on the oven rack

The stainless steel rim on the Souper Cubes and the thick silicone means not only is it easy to transfer the trays from your countertop to the oven without spilling, but they also will stay standing when placed directly on the oven rack. This means you can skip a baking sheet underneath the trays, which allows for the heat to better circulate around your breads. 

Don’t adjust your batter, baking temperature, or baking time

Instead of adhering only to the baking time, use the visual indicator in the recipe, i.e. “until golden brown and pulling away from the edges of the pan.” Or you can also use the toothpick test, i.e. stick a toothpick into the center of the bread. If it comes out clean, your bread is fully cooked.
If your recipe calls for a 9-by-5-inch pan and there is no visual indicator and you use the 1 cup tray, bake for half of the time listed (i.e. if the bake time is for 1 hour, start testing at 30 minutes). For the 2 cup trays, bake for three-quarters of the time listed (i.e. if the bake time is for 1 hour, start testing at 45 minutes). However, if a recipe calls for mini loaf tins, the 1-cup tray will work perfectly. 

Use a small offset spatula or rubber spatula to separate the baked goods from the tray

Using a small sharp knife is not recommended for separating your baked goods from the trays because you can puncture the silicone. Instead, opt for a small offset spatula or rubber spatula to create a little space between the tray in order to easily pop out your bread. 

Let cool completely before removing

If the bread is still warm when you try to remove it from the tray, it could crumble when you press the silicone mold up from the bottom. To make sure  your bread stays intact, let the bread cool completely in the tray on a cooling rack or counter, about 45 minutes for the 1-cup tray and 1 hour for the 2-cup tray.

Freezing and Thawing Your Baked Goods

If you’re going to freeze your mini loaves, we recommend freezing them directly in the Souper Cubes tray with the lid on, if possible. If the loaves are too high for the lid to close, wrap the mini loaves individually in plastic wrap or transfer them all to a single freezer bag for more efficient storage. To reheat, you can leave it on the counter until fully thawed, reheat in the microwave in 30-second intervals, or in a 325°F oven until warm.

Baked Recipes That Don’t Work Well in Silicone

Not all recipes for baking work well in silicone. If a recipe is particularly greasy, like a cheesy baked muffin, or is supposed to develop a crispy crust, like a deep dish pizza, use a metal pan. Other recipes that aren’t well-suited for silicone are cheesecake and sourdough. With cheesecake, even when fully baked, it’s too soft to easily pop out of the silicone trays. Stick with springform pans that have a removable bottom. And with sourdough, to achieve that perfect crust, sourdough bread needs to be baked covered and preferably in a pre-heated Dutch oven.  

How to Clean Silicone Trays 

Souper Cubes trays and the lids are dishwasher safe. If necessary, gently scrub any pieces of food or oil left in the trays with hot soapy water and a soft sponge. Skip anything abrasive that may scratch the silicone. Then place the Souper Cubes trays in your dishwasher for a good clean. If you baked something with a stronger odor that is lingering after you’ve washed it, you can try a baking soda plus vinegar wash or baking your trays in a 350°F oven for 30 minutes.