3 Let’s Get Baked

• Be sure to preheat the oven; 350°F is optimal for most cakes.
• An oven thermometer will help you determine whether your oven is well calibrated. You can adjust the heat as necessary to bake at the proper temperature.
• Any oven can have hot spots. Get to know your oven and how cakes bake in it.
• Bake the cake in the center of the oven. If you are baking more than one cake at a time, place them side by side on the same rack or on separate racks (not one directly above the other).
• If you are baking more than one cake or if your oven has hot spots, carefully rotate the pans midway through the baking time.
• To test whether the cake is done, insert a toothpick or wooden skewer into the center of the cake. It should come out clean; a few stray crumbs are fine.
• If sticky or gummy batter clings to the toothpick, continue baking for a few more minutes and test again.
• Transfer the pan to a wire rack and cool for 10 minutes. Run a small knife around the edge of the pan and remove the cake, invert it onto the rack, and cool completely.