What is the best (or your most preferred) way of telling if your cake is done?

Do you do the same for cakes and cupcakes?

Toothpick for cakes. For cupcakes, I go by looks.

I use WASC and the top always looks done while there's still a gooey raw pocket, so I learned the hard way to always check my cakes. If I'm out of toothpicks, I'll use a dry spaghetti noodle.

I always test, just incase one of the recipes i used is a little different. This tester is pretty similiar to the one i use.
http://www.weekendkitchenct.com/908.html

But i git mine from wal-mart for about a buck

Touch - press and see if it springs back. Then toothpick or skwer to be positive.

all of the above! first, the timer! but unless i can smell it i dont look! (cause opening the oven door too early can cause problems)
look, you can tell if its underdone or approaching done.
touch - my recipe springs back when its done.
then a few skewers to make sure - or a knife if the skewers gone awol.
xx

I have a Wilton Cake Tester. It sort of looks like a piece of floral wire attached to a rubber end.

Just insert and make sure comes out clean...

HTH

Michael

Touch - press and see if it springs back. Then toothpick or skewer to be positive. If the toothpick breaks or something, then I use a butter knife right down center of cake, after all, it will iced over! lol.

Normally just by looks, unless it is a thicker cake in which case I normally use a toothpick just to be sure.

I have trouble with the double chocolate cake, its so moist and fudgy, its hard to tell when its done. I can put a toothpick in the cake and it comes out clean, but I know its not done, so you can't alway tell.

I have trouble with chocolate wasc, too.

I often wonder if my toothpick doesn't quite test enough "area" so sometimes I use a knife.

I have found that the toothpick will come out clean before the cake will spring back when touched. So I usually will have to leave it in for a few more minutes until it'll spring back. Then I'm confident it's done. I think we also need to talk about how long you're leaving the cake sit in the pan once it's out of the oven, 'cause it's still cooking in the pan. I wait only long enough for the edges to pull away from the pan and then flip it out.

touch and tooth pick...and also smell...I can usually tell its done by the lovely aroma....wasc can be tricky though....I think toothpick is needed on this one....touch does not seem to work on that one

I ......
- never use a timer. (the only time it gets used is for 5-minute time outs with my grandchildren!)
- always go by smell.
- will use the touch method once in awhile.
- usually go by smell and look (after this many years "you just know")
- trim cakes and have them flipped out of the pan within 2 minutes because as mentioned above, I dont' want them to continue baking in the hot pan.

I go by smell (but I set a timer to make sure I don't forget about it while chasing after an active 2YO ). I then walk up to the oven and take a look, open the door and check to see if it springs back. I only use the toothpick if I am still unsure after looking and touching.

I do the springback test and the skewer too, just to be sure.

A little warning though people, please don't make the same mistake I did and do the skewer/toothpick test, AND THEN do the springback test. I got burned by doing this, yes, I know, silly me, obvious really!
The boliling hot steam shot right out of that hole and burned my finger, and I did that TWICE on seperate occasions! Doh!! Now I always do it the other way around

I never thought about the cake cooking while cooling in the pan.. thanks!

I ALWAYS set a timer for a few mins under the recommended time and when I start smelling the cake, I turn the light on and take a peak. I am impressed with those of you who don't need a timer and can handle distractions!

If it looks done, I reach in with a long bamboo skewer with the door only slightly open (wearing a long oven mitt!) and test the doness, approaching near the center of the cake, but coming in at an angle.

If I have just a few crumbs, it's done for me. I let mine cool 10 mins in the pans so yes, I am potentially baking it another minute or two that way.

Indydebi you sound like a really cool cake lady! You mentioned that you trim before flipping out of the pan. Please explain how you do that. I am having a time understanding. Is this to level it? Leveling in my hardest part!!!! I detest it!!!