Sinkholes and Skewers

Having covered the controversial topics of rack marks and upside down cakes, we can safely move on to other travesties that befall the unwitting Sydney Royal Easter Show perishable cooking combatant.

The Sinkhole

This one is pretty straight forward. If your cake sinks in the middle and resembles one of those inexplicable sinkholes that terrifyingly keep making the evening news, then it's not really cooked. The thing is, in my experience not all of them want to be cooked. There is an exception to this rule, and that exception takes the shape of the most beautiful Swedish chocolate cake that rises in the oven and then sinks as it cools and makes the most delicious brownie-like texture. But that's not a Show cake, so I'll come back to that another time.

If your cake sinks in the middle, then the most likely explanation is that it's not cooked and that perhaps you've taken it out of the oven too soon. Can you pop it back in for a little more cooking? Well, you can try. It's better than wasting the entire cake - ingredients are expensive and my nanna would be turning in her grave at that kind of extravagant waste.

But it may not be just an issue of time. Some batters are just too wet. It really depends on the type of cake, but always go back and double check the ingredients and the methods. Sometimes a small slip, the wrong type of flour, slightly too much liquid, or eggs too large can be the difference between a sensational cake and a tin of warm gooey mess. Tasty, but terribly unattractive.

Another more likely possibility is that there's too much mixture in the tin. If the surface area to volume ratio isn't right, meaning there is simply too much batter for the size and shape of the tin you're baking it in, then it just isn't going to cook right through. By the time that heat reaches the middle, the outside is going to dry and burn. I've found this happens a lot with cakes from American websites, including many on Pinterest. A batter from 6 eggs and 3 cups of flour is just never going to bake in a 20cm round tin - believe me, I learned that from bitter experience! Get to know your bakeware and know when the tin looks too full.

How can you tell if it's cooked?

Nanna's tip was always to poke a small skewer into the centre of the cake and if it comes out clean - no gooey batter attached - then it's done. The problem is that you can NEVER take a skewered cake to the Show. One sight of a pin hole and those country ladies will turf that thing off the prize table quicker than you can say Ginger Sponge.

Gently touch the centre of your cake while it's in the oven. Don't burn yourself now. If it holds it's shape without leaving any indentation in the centre then it's probably done. Also look to the edge of your cake and see if it's pulled away very slightly from the side of the tin - another good sign. Sometimes though you just have to take a chance;. Otherwise, you could always make a trifle and start your Show cake all over again!