The most asked kitchen question, How to Tell if a Cake is Done? Cake baking can seem a little daunting at first and if you are a seasoned baker, I bet you had at least one bake that was a little raw in the middle. This blog post will help you be a better baker so that you can answer this question on your own.
How to Tell if a Cake is Baked Properly?
These are the three steps I follow to test the doneness of my cakes and even cupcakes! To guarantee a perfect bake every time, follow each one of these tips!
· Correct temperature, correct time, correct sized cake pans
· Look for visual cues
· Use a toothpick or cake tester
Correct Temperature, Time, and Sized Cake Pans
Do not underestimate the importance of this step. Before you put your cake into the oven, ask yourself these questions.
1. Have I used the recommended cake pans?
2. Have I checked the true temperature of the oven?
3. Have I set my timer to the recommended cooking time?
You should be answering yes to all of these questions, because assuming you are using a trusted recipe the cake should be fine! It is when you can't trust your oven, use different shaped cake pans, or forgot to set a timer when things can go horribly wrong.
Cake Pans
Cook times are based on the size of pans used to develop the recipe. If you choose to use different pans then understand that the bake time won't be the same for you. When choosing pans that vary from the recipe, ask yourself are they bigger or smaller than the recipe's recommendation.
Bigger pans usually need less bake time because they have a greater surface area and so the cakes cook quicker. Thinner bigger cake layers are what you will be baking so the recommended bake time will need to be adjusted. You will need to use your discretion here based on how great the variance is but I'd say 10 minutes less is a good start.
If you are baking in smaller cake pans, this means the cake will be thicker and thus need a longer period of time to bake! So, the bake time would usually need to increase. In this instance, I would set the timer for the recommended time, peep through the oven door, check if visually the cake looks cooked, and then do the toothpick test.
Temperature
I haven't met an oven that I can trust! Very rarely will the temperature on the dial be the actual temperature inside the oven. That is why it is important to use an oven thermometer to check the oven temperature before putting your cakes into the oven. This way you can adjust the dial to get the right temperature inside!
Baking cakes ad cupcakes at the wrong temperature can be disastrous. Even wondered why your cookies burn on the bottom or even your cupcakes? It's probably because the oven is running hotter than it should be. Cake issues can also arise when the temperature is wrong.
Bake Time
I've lost count of the times I put a cake into the oven and forgot to set an oven timer! When you do this, you actually are then guessing how long the cake has cooked. Baking and guessing are the worst combinations. Not after you've cleaned up a bit and then need to estimate how many minutes have passed.
Look for Visual Cues
Before testing the cake with a toothpick, look at the cake. The top should look cooked and the edges of the cake should have pulled away slightly from the sides of the pan. The top of the cake should not look like a wet batter and can test the cake with your fingertip. The cake springs back after being gently pressed when it has finished baking. All these signs indicate that the cake has been cooked for long enough.
Use a Toothpick or Cake Tester
This is the best way, in my opinion, to check the doneness of a cake and prevent an undercooked cake. It's pretty much a foolproof method and there is absolutely no way that you will be serving raw-centred cakes if you test the with a toothpick or cake tester before removing the cakes from the oven.
How to Test a Cake with a Toothpick
To tell if a cake has baked properly, insert a cake tester or toothpick into the center of the cake. Only do this toward the end of the recommended baking time. The tester should come out of the cake clean with a few cooked crumbs on the cake.
The toothpick should be able to go through the depth of the cake, so if you are baking a very deep cake then you might need to use a thin-bladed knife or a metal skewer. Any thin skewer, wooden skewer, or cocktail stick will work to test a cake's doneness. An overbaked cake is a dry cake, and there is very little you can do to save this situation, cake pops anyone?
What to do if the Toothpick Doesn't Come Out Clean
If you test the cake for doneness and the cake tester comes out with raw batter on it, the cake needs to cook for longer. Do not increase the temperature of the oven, just set your timer for an additional five minutes and then test the cake again.
Provided you are following a quality recipe and have checked the true temperature of your oven then an additional five minutes should be enough time to finish baking the cake. On the other hand, if you are using an unknown recipe, don't have an oven thermometer, and are using a different-sized cake pan from what was recommended, then more time might be necessary. But if you are new to baking, it is a good idea set the timer for 5 minutes and check again, this way you don't risk overbaking or burning the cake.
Continue checking the cake every 5 minutes until the toothpick comes out clean. It is very important that you don't start this process too early as opening the oven door too soon can result in a collapsed cake. And this can't be fixed! You want to start checking the cake when the cake surface is no longer shiny and raw looking and when the center is slightly domed.
Get the Basics Right!
Getting the basics right is so important when it comes to baking cakes. It gives you the confidence to take on any recipe of any flavor. So, print out these easy ways of helping you be a better baker and read it before the next time you decide to bake again if you have had cake troubles before!
If you are looking to test out your newly acquired cake skills, try out these great cake recipes! These are some of my favorite delicious cake recipes on the blog!
Caramel and Chocolate Layer Cake
You can also use these tips to make loaves and cupcakes, like this Apricot Loaf Cake or these Chocolate Cupcakes with Lindt Chocolate Frosting. These steps are great to follow regardless of the kind of cake
you are baking.
Do you have any other cake baking tips or cake questions you'd like to ask? Get in touch in the comments below or message me on social media, I absolutely love to hear from you!
Happy Baking
With Love,
Kitty
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