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My sister swore by the 'poke test' for cake and I should have listened
She told me, 'If it springs back, it's done, if it leaves a dent, give it five more minutes.' I was making a birthday cake for my kid's party and pulled it at 30 minutes because a toothpick came out clean. The center was still raw and sunk like a crater. I had to run to the store for a box mix at 8 PM. Has anyone else had a toothpick lie to them like that? What's your go-to doneness check?
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the_riley6mo ago
Nah, the poke test is too easy to mess up and leave a dent. A clean toothpick never fails if you test the actual center.
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miaa416mo ago
Ugh, did you read that article about how a clean toothpick just means the batter stuck to it is cooked? It doesn't tell you about the structure of the cake itself. I had a chocolate cake do the exact same thing, looked perfect on top, toothpick was clean, but the middle was pure goo. The poke test is way better because you're checking the actual sponge springiness. I always do both now, poke it and if it springs back, then I'll double-check with a toothpick near the center. That sunken middle feeling is the worst.
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