How Are Cupcake Pans Made?

You bake cupcakes in muffin pans made out of various materials. Standard size muffin pans contain either 6 or 12 cups, about 3 inches across, that hold 4 ounces of cupcake batter each.

Silicone Muffin Pans

• Manufacturers make silicone, a type of synthetic rubber, by bonding silicone and oxygen. They form the pan through a high temperature compression molding process. Reputable manufacturers use a high-quality, FDA approved, dense form of silicone without any fillers. Fillers may break down when heated, compromising the bakeware and its safety.

Aluminum Muffin Pans

• Companies that produce aluminum muffin pans use the process of die casting to melt the aluminum into the desired shape of bakeware. Anodized pans go through an electro-chemical process that hardens the outer layer of the pan making them scratch and stick resistant. Both silver anodized and hard anodized pans (processed longer than silver) do not rust.

Non-stick Pans

• To make muffin pans made of aluminum or steel completely non-stick, manufacturers coat them with special coatings, such as Teflon or silicone. They fuse the coating under high heat, spray apply it or bake-dry, plate it over the metal, according to the Cookware Manufacturers Association. When scratched, this coating can peel off.