“Bake for x minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean” – who else has read this before? I think we all have 🙂 Since holiday baking is in full swing, I thought now would be a good time for me to share the results of my research on the toothpick test, and on the doneness of baked goods, more broadly.
Indeed, “the toothpick test” is one of the most popular and enduring baking tips. But, is it universally valid and/or accepted?
In her article “Why Toothpicks Are the Best Cake Testers,” food52’s Alice Medrich compares and contrasts toothpicks and metal testers, and argues that the latter “are too slippery – they don’t reveal as much of what is really going on inside the cake as a toothpick, or bamboo skewer, or (probably) a clean broom straw!”
Meanwhile, in another article, food52’s Emma Laperruque maintains that “toothpicks are short and stout, which can become problematic with tall bundt and loaf cake.” She argues in favor of using a thin serrated knife instead of toothpicks, while at the same time emphasizing that the doneness of cakes varies with the kind of cake, and “depends on the recipe and the pan and how hot the kitchen is and where you cool the cake and how long you wait to turn it out.” Phew! 🙂
Of course, cakes are just one among many kinds of baked goods, which complicates things even further. How can you be sure your pumpkin pie is done, for example? With so much uncertainty going on, perhaps a list can help – and that’s exactly what Claire Saffitz has set out to achieve. In her Bon Appétit article “How to Tell When Literally Every Baked Good Is Done,” Saffitz provides a very useful list of “signs of doneness.” From cakes to muffins, from cookies to cheesecakes, the list is informative, and I invite you to take a look.
You are also welcome to check out a few of my favorite treats to bake this time of year here, here, here and here.
How do you check your baked goods for doneness? Let me know in the comments 🙂
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