Sign up for Meridian’s Free Newsletter, please CLICK HERE
For years I thought the only reason to own a springform pan was to make a cheesecake. Granted, that’s a pretty good reason. But when I bought a silicone springform pan, I discovered a lot of other ways to use the pan. Now it’s one of the most used pans in the kitchen.
My old springform pans leaked a lot so I was limited in what I could bake. Anything with a thin batter or lots of fat, was likely to leak. My silicone pan forms a double gasket around the base. That virtually stops the leaks and gives me another choice in baking pans.
But why choose a silicone springform pan?
I love the ability to peel the ring off the baked good for a perfect presentation—no more digging goodies out of the pan. I like that I can cut right on the base—I don’t have to transfer whatever it is to a cutting board. I don’t have to grease the pan—silicone is self-releasing. I like that it collapses so that it doesn’t take a bunch of room in the cupboard.
So, what do I bake in a silicone springform pan?
Of course, I make cheesecakes in my springform pans.
I use them for frozen desserts and chiffon pies.
I bake brownies in a springform pan. I cut nice pie-shaped slices that I can dress up. Yesterday, we made blondies in a springform pan.
I’ve made ice cream pies in my Springform pan.
I bake cornbread in my pan.
I make desserts, cakes, and coffeecakes in springform pans.
In our test kitchen, we often use two springform pans to make layer cakes. We usually slip round silicone liners in the bottom of the pan so the layers slip out of the pans and onto cooling racks.
What if you don’t have a silicone pan?
There is nothing magic about the silicone pan except for the seal. If you are not confident in your pan, you might try lining it with aluminum foil. Heavy batters are less likely to leak than thin batters.
Here’s a deal on a silicone springform pan it you are interested.
Save $38! Get the pan on sale and two free mixes that you can bake in your new pan.
Here are some recipes for you to try:
Pink Lemonade Pie
This is an absolutely scrumptious dessert. We made the mistake of taking this decadent dessert out to production—and they went crazy over it.
And yes, it is made with pink lemonade. (You can use limeade for a Leprechaun Pie!)
This pie can be made in a deep-dish pie pan or a springform pan (as was the pie in the picture).
Crust
1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs (one packet)
1/4 cup sugar
4 tablespoons butter
- Mix the crumbs, sugar, and butter in a nine-inch pie pan or spring form pan. Mix until the crumbs have absorbed the butter and the mixture is uniform.
- Press the crumbs across the bottom of the pan and up the sides.
- Bake for ten minutes at 350 degrees.
Filling
1 8-ounce packet of cream cheese, softened
1 14-ounce can sweetened condensed milk
2/3 cup pink lemonade concentrate (not mixed with water)
2 tablespoons lemon juice (fresh or bottled)
red food coloring as desired
- In a medium bowl, beat the cream cheese until soft. Add the sweetened condensed milk and beat until smooth.
- Add the lemonade concentrate and lemon juice and continue beating until smooth. Color with red food coloring as desired.
- Poor into the pie shell and place in the freezer while you mix the topping.
Topping
1/3 cup shredded coconut
Several drops of red food coloring
1 cup whipping cream
3 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Place the coconut in a small bowl with several drops of food coloring and rub until the coconut turns pink.
- Whip the cream until stiff, adding the sugar and vanilla in the process.
- Spoon the cream over the pie filling and garnish with the pink coconut.
- Freeze the pie until firm.
Chocolate Marble Drizzle Cake
This is a moist, chocolate, sour cream cake. It is not light and airy, more like a pound cake but not as dense. It’s very good!
Instead of layers, this cake is made in a glass-base springform pan. When the ring is removed from the cake, you have a very nice presentation. Instead of frosting the cake, simply pour this thick chocolate coating over the cake. (The coating is a simple ganache.)
This marble cake is attractive enough for a special occasion. It has much more chocolate than vanilla though the vanilla marble is very attractive once cut.
(See the all-chocolate version below)
Ingredients
1 3/4 cups all-purpose or cake flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup butter
1 1/2 cup granulated sugar
4 large eggs
1 cup sour cream
1/2 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 tablespoon milk
1/2 cup cocoa
Directions
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
- In a medium bowl, mix the flour, salt, baking powder and baking soda together.
- Cream the butter and sugar together. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating after each. Continue beating until the mixture is light and cream colored. Add the vanilla and milk.
- Add about one-third of the flour mixture and mix until just combined. Do not beat more than necessary. Add one-half of the sour cream and mix in. Repeat with another one-third of the flour, then half the sour cream, and then the remaining flour.
- Remove about one-third of the completed batter to another bowl.
- Add the cocoa to the two-thirds portion of the batter, folding in with a spatula until smooth.
- Spoon one-half the chocolate batter into a greased 9-inch springform pan. Then, spoon the vanilla batter on top of the chocolate batter in three or four pools. Spoon on the remaining chocolate batter. Hold a knife vertically and cut through the batters to create a swirled effect. Do not stir but cut the knife through batters every three-quarters of an inch or so to create the swirls (less is better).
- Bake for 50 minutes or until the cake tests done with skewer or toothpick inserted in the center. Remove the cake to a wire rack and let it cool for five minutes before removing the ring.
All chocolate variation:
Simply skip the steps of removing part of the vanilla batter and swirling the two batters together. Increase the cocoa by one tablespoon.
For the chocolate topping:
1/2 cup cream
3/4 cup pure dark chocolate chips or other good quality semisweet chocolate chips
1 tablespoon butter
Bring the cream to a boil. Place the chips in a medium bowl. Pour the hot cream over the chips and stir to melt. Add the butter and stir until smooth. Set the chocolate topping aside to cool until it is of a thick pouring consistency. (The chocolate should barely pour.)
Pour the chocolate over the cooled cake letting some of it drizzle down the sides. If you have any leftover chocolate, warm it slightly and drizzle it in a few random lines over your serving plates for a nice presentation. (If you chill the plates first, the chocolate will set up nicely when drizzled on the plates.)
Here are a few more ideas:
About the Author
Dennis Weaver has burned food from Point Barrow, Alaska, to Miami, Florida. He is the founder of The Prepared Pantry in Rigby, Idaho. He loves to help people bake and shares his vast collection of cooking and baking knowledge on his blog as well as in his e-books and magazines. Dennis lives in Rigby, Idaho, with his wife, Merri Ann. They have five wonderful children and six beautiful granddaughters.