Cupcakes: Steel to Silicone

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The Challenge

Steel pans on the 200 000-cupcake line weren’t just inconvenient, they were a silent profit leak worth almost £15 k every month.

Sticky build-up jammed the moulds, forcing 20 000 cupcakes straight to scrap (£0.50 margin each ≈ £10 000 lost gross profit).

The jams also slowed throughput, capping saleable output at 180 000 units and surrendering another £2 000 in contribution.

Add in 60 hours of wash-down labour (£25 h blended rate ≈ £1 500) and £250 in silicone spray and disposal costs, and the “cheap” steel tooling was eroding £14 750 in monthly earnings, over £175 k a year that could have gone to the bottom line.

Our Solution

We replaced the legacy steel pans with a food-grade, high-flex silicone mould set, paired with a precision depositor and a rapid clean-in-place (CIP) station.

The Bottom Line

Total Savings: ~£14,750

The silicone trays release cupcakes cleanly without any chemical spray, so jams disappear and 14 000 previously scrapped cakes become saleable stock. 

The line now runs faster and cleaner, freeing 50 operator hours every month while eliminating spend on silicone lubricant, rags and disposal. Altogether, about £14 750 in monthly profit now flows straight to EBITDA instead of the skip.