Tips from the Chef: How to tell if a cake is done

When you go to the trouble to bake a homemade cake, making sure the cake is done is an important process. No one wants a cake that is either still raw in the middle, or dryer than day old bread. There is no hard and fast rule for making sure that a cake is done in terms of cooking temperatures and times. Each cake will bake slightly different according to its ingredients, the oven you are using, and the size of the baking pan or dish.
Generally, one tests a cake by inserting a clean toothpick into the middle of the cake. If the toothpick comes out with crumbs, or clearly shows wet cake batter, the cake is not finished baking. Don’t use a knife to test the cake as this can deflate a cake. If you don’t have a toothpick, you can substitute with a thin wooden skewer or an uncooked spaghetti noodle.
Usually, the best way to ensure a cake is done is to rigidly follow the recipe ingredients. Substitutions like honey for sugar, or additions of wet ingredients like blueberries or bananas may result in a longer cooking time. In these cases, you can cook the cake until the time designated by the recipe and then test it, but you may need to add a little baking at a slightly lower temperature. You may want to check the directions for baking doubled or tripled recipes.

Chocolate glaze

Method

1. Bring the water and sugar to the boil. Add cocoa powder. Boil another 5 minutes. Strain the mixture through a sieve (let it stand for a few minutes) and pour onto the gelatine sponge – add the chocolate, stir to melt and combine, add cream.
2. Allow to cool slightly before coating.