The 10 Best Baking Molds
This wiki has been updated 22 times since it was first published in March of 2018. Presentation is the key to making special occasions truly memorable, and with a set of decorative culinary molds from our selection, you'll be baking up a storm and creating delightful festive confections at home in no time. Heat-resistant, freezer-friendly, and easy to clean, these multipurpose items can also be used to make homemade soaps, candles, crayons, and ice cubes. When users buy our independently chosen editorial choices, we may earn commissions to help fund the Wiki.
1. Cake Time Pinch Test Approved
2. Wilton Bite-Size
3. Pantry Elements Variety
Editor's Notes
May 19, 2020:
With the right tools, bakers and DIYers can get as creative as they want, and our purpose with this list was to provide a wide range of bakeware to help with that. Silicone is a popular choice for items like molds and baking mats thanks to its temperature resistance, flexibility, ease of use, and the fact that it doesn't stain or absorb flavors and odors.
We wanted to have some metal options on our list, however, and so you'll find our silicone selections balanced out with the Newline NY Stainless Steel and newly-added Nordic Ware Haunted Cakelet, the latter of which is made with heat-dispersing aluminum that's treated with a nonstick coating for quick release.
Today we said goodbye to the TYH Lego Lovers, which became unavailable, and the Freshware Silicone due to myriad complaints regarding their size, efficacy, and nonstick qualities. We also removed the Mitba Cake Shapers, which is a good concept but the execution falls flat, oftentimes loosening during the bake and losing its shape. We replaced the Bekith Silicone with the similar, but higher quality Kitchenatics Hard & Soft, which also happen to have hanging hooks for storage and a better variety of shapes with superior detail than the Bekith model. Finally, we added the Wilton Bite-Size and Cake Time Pinch Test Approved, two options that are durable, effective, and comprised of common shapes that any baker would need regularly.
When updating this ranking, our priorities included ease of use and efficacy, quality materials free of toxins and fillers, the versatility to suit various creative projects, and high and low-temperature resistance to facilitate everything from no-bake recipes to chocolate work to making bath bombs.
Special Honors
Ruffoni Historia Copper Cake Molds Handcrafted by master coppersmiths in Italy, these sculptural molds by Ruffoni are striking and functional. The copper construction with food-safe tin lining heats up quickly and evenly, resulting in a beautifully browned bread or cake, and is suitable for making a variety of other foods like chocolates, flans, and jellies. Hand-lathed curves, ridges, and a lustrous finish make them suitable as display pieces when not in use. williamssonoma.com
Top Molds Custom In addition to a wide variety of silicone molds, including everything from holiday and astrological to religious and sports themes, Top Molds can make custom designs to accommodate party desserts, pastries, handcrafted soaps, or homemade candle gifts. The company works with you to ensure every detail is crafted according to your needs and provides 3D models for review before shipment. topmolds.com
Mauviel 1830 M'passion Canelé Mold This traditional 2.1-inch high mold is crafted in France by Mauviel, a family-owned maker of fine copper cookware since 1830. Meticulously designed for baking French canelés, it distributes heat evenly for perfectly browned, fluted crusts and soft, fluffy centers, and the stainless steel interior is nonreactive and easy to clean. It can hold three ounces of batter and must be seasoned with beeswax or vegetable shortening before first use. mauvielusa.com
4. Vibrant Kitchen Novelty
5. Nordic Ware Haunted Cakelet
6. Chambers Bay Baking Company Premium Baker's Dozen
7. Kitchenatics Hard & Soft
8. Le Dogue Mini
9. Newline NY Stainless Steel
10. LetGoShop Reusable
Born in Arizona, Gia is a writer and autodidact who fled the heat of the desert for California, where she enjoys drinking beer, overanalyzing the minutiae of life, and channeling Rick Steves. After arriving in Los Angeles a decade ago, she quickly nabbed a copywriting job at a major clothing company and derived years of editing and proofreading experience from her tenure there, all while sharpening her skills further with myriad freelance projects. In her spare time, she teaches herself French and Italian, has earned an ESL teaching certificate, traveled extensively throughout Europe and the United States, and unashamedly devours television shows and books. The result of these pursuits is expertise in fashion, travel, beauty, literature, textbooks, and pop culture, in addition to whatever obsession consumes her next.