The invention relates to a cake mould for baking cakes, quiches, pies and the like, comprising a mould ring and a bottom plate which is manufactured from a non-metallic, heat-resistant material, has the shape of a cake serving dish, and has a slightly raised support platform centrally at its upper side with an edge over which the annular mould ring can be laid with snug fit.

The principle of a cake mould whose bottom can at the same time be used as a serving dish is known from DDR Patent 94967. The most usual cake mould is the so-called spring mould which consists of a round metal plate bottom and a resilient metal ring which can be closed over the bottom with clamping force, whereby a practical baking mould is created. The resilient metal ring is secured with a clamp closure which can be opened again after the cake has been baked, so that the latter can be removed. DDR Patent 94967 now suggests to give the bottom plate the shape of a. cake serving dish and to manufacture it from a heat-resistant material, for example glass. The raised central portion of the upper side of the support platform then in fact performs the function of the conventional bottom plate of a spring mould, and the spring mould side wall of resilient metal is fastened over this support platform, for which purpose a recessed groove is provided under the lateral edge of the support platform with which a mating bent lower edge of the mould ring can engage. The mould ring is secured in usual manner with a clamp closure.

Such an embodiment of a spring mould has the advantage over the conventional designs that the cake need not be transferred from the bottom plate to a serving dish after baking with the risk of damage to the cake during transfer. The bottom plate itself in fact froms the serving dish.

Nowadays cakes and the like are prepared very quickly in combimagnetrons, i.e. magnetrons which offer the possibility of magnetron heating and/or (hot air) oven heating and/or grill heating in combination, or any of these separately. The most widely used preparation techniques utilize a combination of magnetron and (hot air) oven heating.

The preparation time of, for example, cakes is reduced thereby to approximately one fourth the normal preparation time.

The preparation time of pies could also be considerably shortened by these facilities; a conventional pie preparation takes 75 minutes, with the use of the new possibilities this could be reduced to 20 minutes.

A major disadvantage of spring moulds in general, however, is that they cannot be used in magnetrons because they have to be made from metal. This is also true for the spring mould wall of spring steel with accompanying clamp closure described in DDR Patent 94967. In conventional spring moulds, where the mould wall comes into direct contact with the round bottom plate, there is the additional drawback that the mould wall could damage the cake during opening owing to some adhesive action between the (metal) ring and the baked cake/pie. Another disadvantage of spring moulds is that the resilient wall and the clamp closure are difficult to clean because grease and deposits attach themselves to and between the mechanisms.

It is an object of the invention to provide a cake mould in which all disadvantages mentioned above are eliminated and which is highly suitable for use in a combimagnetron.

According to the invention, a cake mould as described in the opening paragraph is for this purpose characterized in that the mould ring is a circumferentially closed ring of a heat-resistant material permeable to magnetron radiation whose ring opening tapers slightly from the lower to the upper side, the inner wall of the ring at the lower side and the edge of the support platform being mutually adapted such that the ring can be placed with its lower side with snug fit over the platform. Conveniently, the cake mould and the mould ring may be manufactured from an oven-resistant material permeable to magnetron radiation such as porcelain, earthenware, stoneware, glass, or other materials having these properties.

Generally the cake dish and the mould ring will be made from the same material with a view to thermal expansion compensation. It is alternatively possible, however, to use different materials with a correct mutual adaptation. Thus, for example, the cake dish may be made from ceramic material and the mould ring from a suitable glass.

The bottom plate may be plane, convex, or concave. The dish edge may be of a

straight, horizontal design, but also oblique, while the bottom edge may also be provided with an anti-leak rim.

To facilitate lifting of the cake serving dish, it may be provided with a support rim at its lower side. In addition, the mould ring may be provided with a gripping edge and/or handles.

The cake mould according to the invention has a number of major advantages compared with the existing cake moulds. First of all, it is unreservedly suitable for use in a magnetron. The saving of time made possible by the invention is a welcome novelty both for the user of this cake mould and for the environment. This is because it is a saving not only of time but also of energy.

The uncomplicated design, i.e. a closed tapering mould ring which grips over the support platform of the cake dish with close contact, ensures that mould ring and bottom plate will form one entity during filling and preparation and that the dough supplied inside the mould ring cannot flow between the mould ring and the support platform edge during baking. The fact that the cake dish and the mould ring are both manufactured from ceramic material with a smooth glazing layer or some other heat-resistant material prevents sticking of the cake to the mould ring.

After the cake has been baked, it may be readily released through lifting of the mould ring. The reduction in the number of actions reduces the risk of problems arising. Another advantage offered by the invention is the improved ease in cleaning of the mould because of the absence of sliding and clamping mechanisms, and also the possibility of using materials with a smoother surface.

The choice of material renders the appearance of the cake mould more attractive, and in combination with the stylish shape this results in a particularly representative unit. A cake mould generally suggests a round shape. However, it is also possible to give the mould ring a different contour, provided the support platform is adapted to this shape. Thus, for example, the design may be such that the mould ring and the support platform have a polygonal circumference so that cakes are obtained which on account of their polygonal shape are more easily subdivided than are round cakes, because the incision points (corner points) are already defined.

It is also possible for the inner wall of the mould ring to have axial grooves, so that a cake with an outwardly projecting wall pattern is obtained.

The invention will now be explained in more detail below with reference to the drawing. Fig. 1 is a cross-section of an embodiment of the cake mould according to the invention. It comprises a round, dish-shaped bottom plate 1 and a mould ring 2 fitting thereon, both made from stoneware. The bottom plate has the shape of a cake serving dish on which a cake can be presented. The cake serving dish is provided with an annular support rim 3 at its lower side to facilitate lifting of the dish. The plane dish has a round raised support platform 4 at its upper side with a bevelled lateral edge 5 bounded by the dish edge 6, which is plane in the embodiment shown. The mould ring 2 has a ring wall 7 which narrows conically in upward direction.

The conicity of the mould ring is so adapted to the bevel of the lateral edge 5 of the support platform 4 of the dish that the mould ring can be passed with the lower side of its inner wall 8 over the support platform 4 with snug fit.

For baking a cake or pie, the mould ring 2 is placed over the support platform 4 of the dish 1 and the cake/pie mixture and further ingredients as required are introduced into the space bounded by support platform and mould ring in usual manner. The filled mould is subsequently placed in a combimagnetron, and a cake/pie is baked in approximately 20 minutes through combined magnetron and (hot air) oven heating. Then the mould is taken from the oven, the mould ring is lifted from the cake/pie, which can take place without problems because of the conical shape of the mould ring and because the mould ring is made from ceramic material to which the cake/pie does not stick during baking. In fact, the conical shape offers two major advantages. On the one hand the conical shape enables the ring to be lifted easily from the cake/pie, on the other hand the still wet dough presses less strongly against the ring wall during baking, which further reduces the risk of sticking. After the ring has been lifted off the cake/pie, the latter can be served without further measures in order to be subdivided into segments in usual manner and eaten.

The invention was explained above with reference to an embodiment. It will be obvious, however, that the invention is not limited to this embodiment (round cake mould). It is possible, for example, to design the cake mould such that the cake will be oval, polygonal, or any other suitable shape for a cake, as long as the support platform and mould ring remain mutually adapted, while the mould ring retains a tapering shape

in upward direction in all cases.

The shape of the bottom plate may be concave or convex instead of the plane shape discussed above. The support platform may also be composed of a sunken rim, in which the mould ring is placed, instead of a raised platform. The choice of material from which the cake dish and mould ring are made may also vary, subject to the requirement that it must be a material which does not or substantially not interfere with magnetron radiation in view of its use in a combimagnetron.

It should finally be noted that the cake mould according to the invention, though particularly designed for magnetrons, is also suitable for use in conventional baking ovens which have no magnetron facilities.