Press very gently with your finger and see if it springs back. If yes, it is done. Or see if it is starting to separate from the sides of the pan.

thanks!

Tooth picks come in bamboo or wood, thick or thin, round or square, or whatever ----

Get a thermometer and check interior temperature. That's the only reliable way.

dcarch

I have never seen a recipe that gives a "bake until internal temp is..." for a cake or quick bread - even Cook's Illustrated uses the toothpick test. I wonder if dry spaghetti would work? Toothpicks are cheap, maybe lay some in for next time. I think my box will last the rest of my life.

My mother in law used a broom straw......and I shuddered!
At oothpice is a reliable indicator...spend a buck and buy a box....good for many other things in the kitchen too.

Olychick, " ----I have never seen a recipe that gives a "bake until internal temp is..." for a cake or quick bread - even Cook's Illustrated uses the toothpick test. ---"

Cooks Illustrated also uses the thumb test for meats, and wriggle the leg of a chicken test. In the absence of a thermometer, a toothpick is better than nothing. Starch in baked goods gelatinize at very specific temperatures.

For cakes 200F is good. For cheese cake, about 165F, and for breads 200F to 210F depending on texture of the crust desired.

dcarch

I think I'll stick with toothpicks.

I've known people who have used a piece of uncooked spaghetti. I personally use a toothpick and a box of those little suckers last me one heck of a long time.

I just never think of toothpicks; but I always have spaghetti!

A good alternative is a thin bamboo skewer (which is also easier because it's long). Nowadays there are a lot more thick ones but those are too smooth and make too big a hole. It helps to have some texture on the wood so you can really see what's going on inside. That's why those wire testers aren't as good.

Straw works just as well, but I agree that using one from the broom that cleans the floor is icky. There's a whiskbroom being marketed as "Amish Cake Tester" which is also cornhusk straw, like a good broom, but made for keeping on the hook or in the drawer for testing cakes.

I have had failures with the toothpick test so use signs such as recommended by socalgal in the first reply and to double check a thin bladed knife instead of a toothpick.

The toothpick test works better for me than a wire cake tester, a wooden toothpick with some tooth is a good indicator of doneness, pick up some free toothpicks or buy a box, they really are useful.

I've used them all. If a toothpick is not handy I always have my finger to test for doneness for cakes. I also have used a piece of spaghetti too. I usually by a box of toothpicks and only use them for testing. They seem to last forever.

A piece of a piece of spaghetti will do the job.

You can buy cake testers, handy for other things too. I got a two pack somewhere. They don't take up much space either.

I use a metal skewer.

I have used knives. They leave a pretty big imprint but will work in a pinch.

Toothpick, skewer, cake tester, whatever. Good enough for my grandmother, good enough for me. Toothpicks are cheap. Bought a box two weeks ago. 800 for $1.00.

I've always kept a container of toothpicks in a kitchen drawer. They're handy for so many things, not just checking doneness of cakes and quick breads. I use them when planting tomato seedlings to prevent cutworm damage.

more toothpick uses

I like the thin bamboo skewers, which I buy in a large pack at a dollar store. In addition to using them for baked goods, I check doneness for boiled potatoes or turnips, baked apples, and sometimes grab one to remove a piece of bread or bagel stuck in the toaster. DH uses the pointed skewers for things like cleaning out the valve on his power washer or applying glue or oil where just a tiny dab is needed.

I use a thermometer for bread, but I did not know it could be used for cakes also. I do not bake that many cakes any more, however. I generally bake bread to 200°F. I have plenty of toothpicks, however. I bought a package that had four dispensers, each with a different color top - red, blue, green, and black. My sister liked them so much that I let her take one of them.

Some of it also depends on knowing your recipes and your oven. With air scrubbing oven filters it's hard, but in a stovetop baker it's done when it starts to smell really good. The filter cut some of the smell (the "really"), but I've learned that smells good is still reliable. I still check with a skewer. :) But the nose knows. :)

CindyMac, I use toothpicks and a pair of tweezers when I'm starting all my garden seeds, too. They really do have multi-purposes.

The slightly pulls away from the side of the pan, doesn't work at all with things like a sheet cake. It's dry on the edges and still too wet in the middle. that's why the edges are often cut from a sheet cake for company ( and the cook gets to eat them!)