Test a cake

Successful cake baking relies on correct testing.

Step 1: A clean wooden skewer, piece of uncooked thick spaghetti or special cake tester are all suitable for testing to see if a cake is cooked

Step 2: Insert cake tester into the centre. If the cake has split, don't insert through the split - this will not give an accurate reading

Step 3: Remove tester. If it is clean, the cake is cooked. If the tester has cake batter sticking (except mud cakes - see below), quickly return cake to oven and cook for a further 5 minutes. Repeat the test

Step 4: When testing chocolate fudge/mud cakes or brownies, moist crumbs should cling to the skewer when cooked. If it is completely clean, the cake has been overcooked