If It’s Wet, It’s Not Set!

When baking a traditional fruit cake, especially a deep, rich one, there is one rule that overrides everything else:

How to Know When Fruit Cake Is Cooked (And Why Colour Can’t Be Trusted)

Knowing how to tell when fruit cake is cooked properly is one of the most important — and misunderstood — parts of baking. A golden top does not mean a baked centre. A firm surface does not guarantee the middle is ready. And when you’re dealing with dense, fruit-laden mixtures, appearances can be deceiving.

Let’s look at what really matters.

Why Fruit Cake Is Harder to Bake Than Sponge

Unlike a light sponge, fruit cake is:

• Dense

• Heavy with soaked vine fruits

• High in sugar

• Baked in deep tins

All of that weight slows down heat penetration.

The larger the cake, the more technical the bake becomes. Wedding tiers, for example, can be extremely deep. Heat has to travel from the outer edge into the very centre, and that simply takes time.

Some large fruit cakes bake for two hours or more. That’s completely normal.

Oven Temperature: Slow and Low Wins

Fruit cake benefits from a moderate to low oven temperature over an extended period.

Too hot and the outside sets quickly, forming a crust while the centre remains undercooked.
Too cool and you risk drying out the edges before the middle reaches temperature.

Most domestic ovens fluctuate. Many have hot spots. Even if the dial reads 150°C, the actual internal temperature may cycle above and below that.

This is why baking times in recipes are only guides.

The cake decides when it’s ready — not the clock.

The Most Common Mistake

You look through the oven door.

The top is beautifully golden.
It feels firm to the touch.
It smells done.

It is incredibly tempting to take it out.

Don’t.

Fruit cake tops colour early because of the sugar content. Caramelisation gives a misleading visual cue. A golden top often hides a wet centre.

Which brings us to the only reliable test.

How to Know When Fruit Cake Is Cooked: The Skewer Test

If you want to know how to tell when fruit cake is done, live by the skewer.

In the final stages of baking:

1. Insert a metal skewer deep into the centre of the cake.

2. Pull it out slowly.

3. Examine it carefully.

Here’s how to interpret what you see:

• Wet batter on the skewer? → Not ready.

• Sticky raw mixture streaks? → Not ready.

• Moist crumbs but no raw batter? → Almost there — give it longer.

• Clean or just dry crumbs? → Fully baked.

This is the moment where patience matters.

Close the oven gently. Give it another 10–15 minutes. Test again.

If it’s wet, it’s not set.

Why an Undercooked Fruit Cake Is a Problem

A slightly underbaked sponge might get away with it. A fruit cake will not.

An undercooked fruit cake can:

• Sink slightly in the centre

• Develop a gummy texture

• Have reduced structural strength (problematic for stacking tiers)

• Have a shorter shelf life

For cakes intended to mature — particularly wedding fruit cakes — internal doneness is critical. Moisture trapped in the centre can compromise the keeping quality and overall finish.

Getting the Mixture Depth Right

Another key factor in even baking is the ratio between:

• Tin diameter

• Tin depth

• Weight of mixture

Overfilling a tin creates excessive depth, making it much harder for heat to reach the centre. Underfilling can lead to dryness.

Balancing that mixture weight correctly ensures:

• Even heat distribution

• Reduced risk of wet middles

• A more uniform crumb

Professional bakers pay close attention to this long before the cake reaches the oven.

Final Thoughts: Trust the Skewer, Not the Surface

When learning how to know when fruit cake is cooked, remember this:

• Baking time is a guide.

• Colour is unreliable.

• Aroma is deceptive.

But a wet skewer never lies.

So next time you’re tempted to remove your cake because it looks done, pause.

Test it properly.
Be patient.
Let the centre fully set.

Because when it comes to fruit cake —

If It’s Wet, It’s Not Set.