The Easiest Way To Tell If Your Cupcakes Are Done, According To Paul Hollywood

Is there any chef more associated with a fear of "soggy bottoms" and underbaked cakes than Paul Hollywood? As a longtime judge on "The Great British Baking Show" and bestselling cookbook author, Hollywood has become a trusted source for baking advice, especially when it comes to cakes. So when he offers some tips on how to figure out exactly when your cupcakes are done, it's best to listen. And, apparently, all you need to do is give them a quick feel.

In a video shared on TikTok, Hollywood said that the easiest way to check if cupcakes are baked is to put them through a quick and easy touch test. All you need to do is gently tap on the top of one with your fingertips and feel how firm it is. If it has some give, it's not baked through. If it springs back, the cupcakes are ready to be taken out of the oven.

"When you touch it, it's slightly crispy, and it's firm. It bounces back. If you leave a fingerprint, you know it hasn't baked right in the middle of it," he says while testing a tray of beautifully baked blueberry muffins. "You know it's baked because it's got some tension there on the top."

The touch test works on everything from red velvet cupcakes to death by chocolate muffins, but there are other ways to tell if your treats are done if you're still unsure. First, take a look at their color. As Hollywood says, "You're looking for that golden brown" tone all over the tops. However, if the cupcakes or muffins were baked at a very high temperature, their exteriors could brown before the insides are fully cooked through. If you suspect this is the case, it's time for the toothpick test.

Simply insert a toothpick into the center of a cupcake toward the middle of the pan and inspect it. If it's not covered in batter, the cupcakes should be ready. But keep in mind that you don't always want a completely clean toothpick. For example, a perfectly cooked devil's food cake will leave a few moist crumbs on the toothpick, just not a completely wet coating. If you want to be really precise, use a thermometer to take the internal temperature, which should read at about 205 degrees Fahrenheit when the cupcakes are done.