Muffin trays/bun trays
Helpful Tools
A set of muffin and bun trays will come in handy for all kinds of little cakes, scones, mini-quiches and tartlets, as well as muffins and buns. As with other bakeware, trays should be made of a durable, warp-free material that conducts heat quickly and evenly. This will give you a nicely browned crust and a perfectly-cooked centre. Ideally, the surface should be non-stick.
Materials
Most trays are made of lightweight coated aluminium. This is fine for small, quickly cooked cakes, but not so good for larger muffins and popovers, as these need slower cooking to prevent the crust burning before the inside is cooked. For larger cakes, you're better off using blackened steel, as this transmits heat more gently. If you are a prolific baker, you might fancy splashing out on an industrial-strength cast iron muffin tray. Cast iron is prized for its ability to heat up slowly, conduct heat evenly and retain it well. The trays weigh a ton and need a lot of maintenance, though they produce excellent results.
A non-stick surface is useful, especially for items containing sticky bits of fruit which can irritatingly remain stuck to the tin. However, you will still have to grease the inside of the cups with oil and perhaps use lining paper as well. Alternatively, you could invest in a tray made of flexible silicone which is completely non-stick - cakes pop out as if by magic.
Cup count
Most trays come with six, nine or twelve cups. The cups should be seamless and securely welded to the tray. Some trays have a useful ridged area at either end, which makes the tray easier to grip when sliding it in and out of the oven.
Choose a size suitable for your oven, allowing 5cm all round for air circulation. Try to avoid using two trays at the same time unless they will fit on the same shelf - putting one above the other affects heat circulation and causes uneven browning. If you are doing a mega-bake and can't avoid using two shelves, swap the trays over then rotate from front to back halfway through cooking time.
Good Food Cookshop
Masterclass has produced a high quality metallic bakeware range which utilises silicone in its non-stick coating to help with easy removal.
Click here for Masterclass muffin tins
Bakers Pride has a top of th erange budget selection of carbon steel bakeware as well as a selection of silicone bakeware.
Click here for Bakers Pride muffin tins
Most trays are made of lightweight coated aluminium. This is fine for small, quickly cooked cakes, but not so good for larger muffins and popovers, as these need slower cooking to prevent the crust burning before the inside is cooked. For larger cakes, you're better off using blackened steel, as this transmits heat more gently. If you are a prolific baker, you might fancy splashing out on an industrial-strength cast iron muffin tray. Cast iron is prized for its ability to heat up slowly, conduct heat evenly and retain it well. The trays weigh a ton and need a lot of maintenance, though they produce excellent results.
A non-stick surface is useful, especially for items containing sticky bits of fruit which can irritatingly remain stuck to the tin. However, you will still have to grease the inside of the cups with oil and perhaps use lining paper as well. Alternatively, you could invest in a tray made of flexible silicone which is completely non-stick - cakes pop out as if by magic.
Cup count
Most trays come with six, nine or twelve cups. The cups should be seamless and securely welded to the tray. Some trays have a useful ridged area at either end, which makes the tray easier to grip when sliding it in and out of the oven.
Choose a size suitable for your oven, allowing 5cm all round for air circulation. Try to avoid using two trays at the same time unless they will fit on the same shelf - putting one above the other affects heat circulation and causes uneven browning. If you are doing a mega-bake and can't avoid using two shelves, swap the trays over then rotate from front to back halfway through cooking time.
Good Food Cookshop
Masterclass has produced a high quality metallic bakeware range which utilises silicone in its non-stick coating to help with easy removal.
Click here for Masterclass muffin tins
Bakers Pride has a top of th erange budget selection of carbon steel bakeware as well as a selection of silicone bakeware.
Click here for Bakers Pride muffin tins
Comments
You need to be logged in to leave a comment
Register