Science Questions

Is there a temperature inside a cake at which it ought to be cooked?

I want to bake a Christmas cake. If I use some kind of thermocouple, in other words a temperature measuring device in the cake, is there a temperature inside the cake at which it ought to be cooked? Graham Ramsay

Kat - There probably is because out therein the world of the internet you can buy cake temperature probes. I'm not sure off the top of my head what the correct temperature for a fruit Christmas cake is. You can also use a much cheaper toothpick method where, if you stick a toothpick in does it come out with the mixture stuck on it? That would depend on the temperature that you wanted to bake your cake at. Things like the sugar will get hot. Yeah, there will be a temperature and I'm not sure what it is.

Dave - I guess also because cooking is chemistry it might have to stay at that temperature for a certain amount of time. Just because it's got to that temperature doesn't mean it's already cooked yet.

Kat - My very nerdy brother-in-law's a scientist and certainly when he does meat on the barbecue he has a temperature probe that's all electronic to make sure his steaks are cooked properly.

Chris - Whatever happened to the fact we're all still here. Humans have been evolving for six million years since we split away from our ape-like ancestors and we didn't need all these things then. I don't think we need them today.

October 2008