When is a cake ready?

I put a wooden toothpick in to test for doneness. It shouldn't be sticky at all, especially if you're using a deeper pan.

I let the pan cool before taking it out.

Good Luck!

350 F = 180 C = Gas mark 4

Today I am trying a new one and so far it has been in at Gas 4 for two hours (recipe one hour) and is still a little sticky.

Try the toothpick instead of a knife. A little sticky is OK. Carrot cake should be pretty mosit. The toothpick should come out clean or maybe with a crumb or two. Something obviously like batter means it's ot done.

When it comes out of the oven, put the pan on a rack to cool. If you don't have a rack, set the pan on top of a something that will elevate it off the surface.

You should also check the recipe. Too much liquid or too much sugar can cause problems. Did you use the right size of eggs? Maybe too many carrots, which can add liquid. By any chance does the recipe call for pineapple or some other fruit?

And, yes, maybe your oven is too cool.

I've had an oven thermometer for years; it cost very little, but served me well in one apartment where the oven was never at the temperature shown on the dial of the stove.

My pastry chef instructor would say "when it's done" - Meaning that oven temps vary, even in commercial kitchens, and you have to rely on your senses to tell whether something is ready. Timelines in recipes are guidelines only.

That said, 2 hours is probably a bit extreme. Definitely check your oven with a thermometer to see just how off it is so you can adjust accordingly.

You can use a wooden skewer/toothpick to test (should come out clean), but also use your fingertips to get a feel of the texture. It should be slightly spongy.

If your cake pan is very deep, you might have problems regardless.
- The outsides will cook (and dry/caramelise/burn) before the inside does if your oven is too high.
- But, if it's too low it might not leaven (rise) properly either. Baking powder needs heat to act.

You might have better luck splitting the batter into two pans and layering the final product together with a frosting - I can't think of a cake that has a deeper layer than an inch or two (unless it's leavened with egg whites like an Angel Food cake, that's a different process).

Be thankful someone didn't leave your cake out in the rain.

Thank you one and all. As my grandmother used to say there is more to baking than a recipe. I did not have a chance to test my second attempt as a friend was coming round and so the cake went into the freezer. This is not as unkind as it sounds.

Niner I am grateful as my window where I leave cakes etc to cool lets the rain in.

reiney my grandmother would agree with your pastry chef instructor. It is my fault as the recipe does suggest a larger shallower cake tin so I shall buy one. I've seen fruit cakes like Christmas cakes which were three inches deep so how they are cooked is a mystery.

NorthAmerican is an oven thermometer the same as a meat thermometer or a sugar thermometer. I'm happy to get whatever is necessary. As a child I loved soggey undercooked cakes and now don't.

Thanks nutrax I think it is something I need somone to show me at the time. It is possible the misture is too wet. The recipe does not specify the size of eggs and the carrots were freshly washed so had some moisture adhering.

sashac001 I shall try with a toothpick next time

Beginning to think I should stick (not the right word is it) to making shortbread.

Thanks everyone.

You can hang an oven thermometer from one of the oven racks or stand it on another.

Edited by NorthAmerican.

Ah one of those - thanks I've seen these before and obviously different from meat and/or sugar thermometers.

Alternatively I could find a woman who can bake cakes.

Alternatively I could find a woman who can bake cakes.

A nice alternative, but it might be more expensive in the long run.