it's done kind of baker?

Just finished baking a couple cakes for my Son's BD and he and his wife's Anniversary, and was wondering how others determine if their cakes are done. These are WASC, so I just set timer for 30 mins and keep adding time and checking them as they bake. I tend to be more of a toothpick done pull away from the sides done kind of baker, how about you?

D. None of the above. I use a skewer. haha.

Skewer. I burn myself with a toothpick. I cook at a lower temp, so time doesn't work. I've never understood the metal cake picks, cause they ALWAYS come out clean for me, no matter if the cake is done or not!

Kita- that is funny! I tried a metal skewer once, never seem to remeber where I put it though, that and the wirey thing that is suppose to be a cake tester, don't know where that is either. HA!

I just touch the top. If it springs back its done. If it leaves an indention it isn't. I NEVER set a timer.

Skewer. My DH asked me the other day "Why are there skewers always everywhere?"

I'm a little bit of everything. I usually start by pushing on the top but if the results are ambiguous or I'm trying a new recipe: I have a metal tester that I prefer but often can't find so then resort to a toothpick.

If it is tried and true - I just know by the smell or look.

100th Post - YEAH!!!

Edited: Gasp! I lost three posts?!

Toothpick or skewer...sometimes knife if I can't find any.

I touch the top to see how done it is, then when it gets close I toothpick or skewer it to double check.

I want to say when it pulls away from the sides you are going into over baked territory.

I use a dry piece of spaghetti...works very well.

I set a timer first and foremost because I'm notorious for juggling a TON of things at once and I always forget!! Secondly when I start to smell cake I go check, usually it's a min. or two from the timer going off anyhow.....I look at it first, if it looks "done" I push the top with a clean finger, if it springs back but leaves a little bit of a dimple I get my metal cake tester out. It has a bright blue end on it and I have a little magnetic cubby holder thing on the side of my fridge next to the stove and I keep it in there so it's always at the ready for testing a cake. When it comes out with crumbs sticking to it (not batter, just crumbs) I pull the cake out and set on top of the stove (allow carry over cooking to take place)

Ok, on the skewers, are they the wooden ones or the metal ones? I have both somewhere in this kitchen, I know it!

KHalstead, where did you get your cake tester? That sounds perfect, to be able to find it at all times.

I'm a Poker, looking for the springy top.
If I forget to set timer AGAIN, I let the smoke detector tell me when the cake is done (or rather burned to a crisp).

I always set my timer for 30 minutes and then I just check it from there. I use a knife to check if it's done (one without teeth, like a butter knife.) The problem is that some of my cakes are gooey, so I just have to eyeball them to see if they are done because the knife doesn't come out clean on those. On pound cakes or cakes I'll use to carve, the knife must always come out clean. I noticed some people saying they push on the top. I never do that because I did it one time and my cake fell.

mainly a touch to see if springy unless fruit or a cupcakes then its skewer.

HereKittyKitty how'd you lose those posts, very careless of you lol x

I use a handmade beaded cake tester, with a stainless steel skewer end. The top of it has a loop, so it can be hung on a cup hook. There are lots of people selling these on etsy if you don't want to make your own. You can put a magnetic cup hook on your fridge or a regular screw type into a wooden cabinet door somewhere convenient to your oven, and hang the tester there.

Before I made the beaded tester, I used bamboo skewers.

Toothpicks!

It depends on the type of cake. I bake from scratch and each type of scratch cake has different signs of being done.

Some types are done when the edges just begin to pull away from the sides, others should never be in long enough for that to happen. Some types should have a moist crumb on a toothpick, some should come out completely clean. Others are a combination of a clean toothpick and a certain feel when you press it, or a certain color and look.

I don't know if mixes are also like this. But one way that's pretty common to most cakes, scratch or mix, is that they will rise until they are done baking. At that very moment of perfect doneness, they will stop rising and begin to sink very slightly. Of course, unless you're constantly watching the cake, this moment is difficult to spot.

I use wooden skewers. =)

I touch the top to see if it springs back most of the time. But when I want to double check, I use a wooden skewer.

Toothpick sometimes, touch sometimes & just starting to pull away.

I can smell when its done! But I always check with a toothpick.

Honestly it depends on the specific type of cake. The more dense cakes I tend to do a combo of pressing for spring-back as well as a tester (skewer or toothpick), whereas some sponges I can just look and know, and others are strictly by the time on the clock. These are just some examples... it really varies with every recipe how I determine if it's done.

Usually I just know. If in doubt, I softly touch the top of the cake and/or look for the sides to just begin to pull away from the pan.

I like the dry spaghetti suggestion -will have to try that!

Thanks everyone, it is interesting to see how others do something. I don't do a lot of scratch baking, have a few recipes that I go to once in a while, I mostly use doctored cake mixes. For those of you who scratch bake, you pointed out some interesting facts to those of us who don't. Thank you! I have two ovens, and they bake totally different from each other, one is slow and methodical the other fast and furious, have to keep on my toes with that one. I am definitly going to find those skewers though, the are in this kitchen somewhere!

toothpick, pushing down lightly, pulling away from the sides of the pan or some combination of the three....

I usually use a toothpick. But lately I've been using a fondue skewer because they're longer. Plus it was all that I had at the time. I got tired of burning my fingertips.